In case anyone serious had concluded that senile Joe Biden and untrustworthy Donald Trump were so bad that it justifies considering the Presidential option of Robert Kennedy Jr, the latter’s “short list” of running mates he claims he’s considering ought to end that alternative forever.
Kennedy told CNN this week that he had “made up his mind” on his VP, who would come from this motley crew: NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Republican Senator Rand Paul, former television host Mike Rowe, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, civil rights attorney Tricia Lindsay, Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
“We wanted somebody who was aligned with my values, optimistic about our country and its potential and able to run the country at a moment’s notice,” Kennedy explained.
Oh. That list is not nearly short enough. Any group in which Jesse Ventura is arguably the most qualified to be President by definition is ridiculous. Any list of potential VPs that includes Aaron Rodgers and Tony Robbins can only be taken seriously in the sense that its creator has outed himself as a dangerous wacko, though everyone should have known that about Kennedy already. Mike Rowe is “able to run the country at a moment’s notice”? Jesse, who is 71 and has been dabbling in nonsense since his quixotic run as governor of Minnesota ended, is the only one on that list who has any government executive experience. Kennedy outed himself as irresponsible and incompetent by mentioning such a list.
Ethics Alarms 
Good Heavens! I read that list and thought, “Jesse Ventura is the only one with any real experience there. That’s just sad.”
I would think that, in historical terms, Rand Paul and even Tulsi Gabbard would not be considered unqualified for a VP pick. However, we haven’t historically had a situation where all of the main candidates have a large probability of dying in office.
Yes, Jesse is arguably the most qualified in that group, but I can’t see his ego letting him play second fiddle anywhere.
You would know better than I would, but who could contend with him as the most obnoxious Vice-President ever?
Would you have to go back to Calhoun?
Maybe Teddy would have been if McKinley had not departed so quickly?
-Jut
Al Gore has got to be in the top ten, there. But the most obnoxious? That’s a good question.
How quickly we forget: Spiro Agnew was easily the most obnoxious VP. John Adams would probably ramk second: remember that he irritated the Senate so much they passed the rule that VPs couldn’t speak despite presiding.
In my defense, DST stole an hour from me this week. I haven’t been the same since.
*Hangs head in shame. I can’t believe I forgot about Agnew.
I kind of thought President Trump would take a look at Gabbard. I’m not sure she’s even a Democrat any longer – she certainly sounds far more conservative than in the past – but she was shafted by the DNC in 2020, which roused a LOT of resentment among her supporters.
For RFK, I throw my support behind Rodgers or Robbins.
I can see the three or four yard signs now…”Need more R & R in your life? Vote Robert and Rodgers/Robbins”.
Tulsi still has no real experience to qualify her for the office.
Well, yeah, but when has that ever been a consideration in picking a vide presidential candidate?
You could have said the same about Truman or Nixon, or Biden for that matter when they were picked for VP.
Gabbard might help Trump or Kennedy electorally. Party wise, the Democratic party has moved away from her, but she probably still identifies as a D.
Tulsi Gabbard has indeed left the deomcrat party. She’s even written a book with exactly that subtitle: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Country-left-Democratic-Party-ebook/dp/B0BV1CK6TV
At least Mike Rowe knows how to get shit done.
OK, who thinks Rowe would be a better Transportation Secretary than Pete Buttigieg?
Agreed–I’ve casually been following Mike online for about a decade and he’s perhaps the most intelligent and compassionate human I know of.
He’s not simply a ‘former host’, he’s a founder and benefactor of a non-profit that encourages essential important life skills.
And–he’s hilarious. Find his old QVC video clips where he’s selling crap to insomniacs.
Let’s be fair. Any of these are better options than our current VP.
Not that it makes the list any better.
Much as I dislike Kamala Harris, I’m pretty sure I’d trust her to do a better job than an NFL quarterback.
How so? If Ventura was the most qualified (but still a bad choice) in that list and Harris’ highest rank was a DA while several others held higher elected offices, how can we conclude, given Harris’ tenure as VP she would do better than a professional quarterback whose main role is to lead a team? If I had to choose I would select any of that list over Harris.
Using the metric that only those who held executive experience in government would mean that none of the current candidates are qualified. If we allow private sector executive experience only Trump now qualified.
I guess I am stupid.
I used to believe all the stuff about RFK Jr, until I took the time to listen to him in various interviews.
He makes more sense than Biden or Trump and has no issue exposing a lot of what you do on this blog.
I am actually surprised you think of him what you do.
I actually find him refreshing and resonate with so much of what he says.
As for Tony… i LOVE him and he’s highly respected by many leaders and has advised former presidents and leaders around the world.
I’ll refrain from commenting more til I check out the others.
I have listened to over 20 hours of RFK speak in interviews and I have even liked how he disagreed with people, and still was respectful and kind.
I think we need someone like him to break up the corrupted system we have.
He went to the border last year, and in my view, seemed to report stuff that we were not being told.
and… All the stuff I heard about him being a whack job, conspiracy theorist, when I heard him first hand, that was not my assessment.
Makes me wonder since I don’t trust the MSM and they are hell bent on trashing the guy. Often the opposite of what they report is true.
We’ll see.
MM
I respect your choices and commend you for listening to competing ideas and thinking for yourself. My concern with RFK is whether he can actually accomplish his ideas. Many of his goals I don’t agree with but we can say that about any candidate.
I do that all the time… I listen to both sides (when I can actually find a “both” sides conversation) and I have to say, while I don’t agree with everything he has said, I love that he addresses the needless wars, and money we are sending overseas while our own people suffer.
And so much more.
I experience him as the most “honest” and know a few people who I greatly respect, who know him personally and have for years and can’t say enough good about him.
That he is being kept from Secret service, while being threatened, and having applied and still being denied despite others who were given it is also concerning.
I am sorta surprised to have this view, AND, here I am on this blog, when I have people from both sides who think this blog is “whacko” and that Jack too is “nuts.” hahah
While I don’t agree with everything Jack writes about, I agree with a lot and I like that he wants to judge things objectively or be as aware of his biases as possible.
thanks for your words!