March 17, 2024 - 5:00pm
In recent statements, third-party presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has hinted at selecting 40-year-old NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers as his vice-presidential pick. Kennedy, in his advocacy for Rodgers, has emphasised attributes that he believes resonate deeply with the American spirit of independence and critical thought — the pair are united by their opposition to mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations, among other things.
Rodgers’s potential candidacy under the Kennedy banner represents a unique intersection of sports, entertainment, and politics, reminiscent of the cultural shift observed with Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the presidency. It poses an intriguing scenario where Rodgers’s immense platform as an NFL quarterback could transform the 2024 election into a spectacle of unprecedented proportions, especially if he simultaneously plays the entire season while campaigning.
Kennedy lauded Rodgers, a former Super Bowl champion and four-time league MVP, for being “battle-tested” and highlighted the footballer’s ability to question authority, whether it be the Covid consensus or other commonly-accepted narratives. Past political statements by Rodgers have indicated that he dislikes most attempts by the Government to limit access to everything from recreational drugs and alcohol to abortion, while also opposing any efforts to mandate certain procedures, whether it be vaccination or euthanasia.
The selection of Rodgers over other more shopworn contrarian personalities — such as Tulsi Gabbard, Rand Paul and Andrew Yang — would signal a strategic move by Kennedy to appeal to a broader, potentially younger demographic. The NFL player’s emphasis on personal freedoms, especially in the context of health and bodily autonomy, could draw voters sceptical of mainstream medical advice and Government intervention — and there are a lot of them, with past polls showing a significant portion of the country opposing Covid-19 vaccinations and anywhere from 30-40% against even routine vaccinations required for school attendance. On the flip side, Rodgers’s scepticism on issues such as vaccines and his alleged comments on conspiracy theories could alienate a significant chunk of the electorate too.
Rodgers’s lack of political experience and the novelty of his candidacy could be strategically beneficial in key states dominated by neither Democrats nor Republicans, allowing the campaign to tap into a vein of reluctant or indifferent Americans seeking figures outside the traditional political establishment who will represent their views. This approach has seen success in the US in the past, as evidenced by the election of other outsiders to high office, as when pro wrestler Jesse Ventura became Governor of Minnesota in 1998 after boosting voter participation from this same demographic of dissatisfied independent voters looking to send a message to “career politicians”.
Whether viewed as a strategic masterstroke or a daring gamble, a Rodgers-Kennedy partnership will surely further complicate an election that in other respects looks like a replay of 2020. Given that polling consistently reveals American dissatisfaction with the two mainstream candidates, a Hail Mary lobbed from one of the NFL’s all-time greatest players to a scion of one of America’s most famous political dynasties could go a long way toward shaking up a boring, predictable game.
Oliver Bateman is a historian and journalist based in Pittsburgh. He blogs, vlogs, and podcasts at his Substack, Oliver Bateman Does the Work
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SubscribeHe’s nuts (and I will let you guess which one).
Nuts. Compared to who?
Trump, Biden, Newsome, Hilary?
I’d recalibrate what you consider nuts before attaching the nuts label
Biden is a doddering old crooked politician. Hillary is an intellectual heavyweight who was completely out of touch and stewed in elite Leftisium (American style). Neither of them are nuts, however. Much of the Suqad is nuts, that Taylor-Green woman, nuts, Aron Rodgers, off his smelly, hippy, nut… Kennedy, generally a nut…
If you think Hillary is an intellectual heavyweight you need electroshock therapy or an hour on a New York subway to get back to reality.
“boring, predictable game”
This election may be lots of things (terrifying, vital, crooked etc) but it certainly isn’t boring or predictable.
I respectfully disagree.
We are currently stuck with the “formaldehyde twins” spouting the same old crap since 2020. And neither one will destroy democracy or save us from beelzebub; depending on the spouted perspective.
That’s about as predictable as it gets; isn’t it?
Me? I think I will write in either Dexter the dog or Zimbu the monkey. Those both, it seems to me, are likely more competent and inspire more hope.
What if one of the two major candidates picked Dexter the Dog or Zimbu the Monkey as their running mate?
Hmmmm.
Good question Martin; thanks. I’d have to think about that.
In the mean time, do you think either one would be clever enough to do that?
Meh. Predictable no, boring yes, at least without RFK it would be.
Executive Summary: Conspiracy theorist Presidential candidate considers picking conspiracy theorist footballer as running mate.
I have no problem with conspiracy theorists – particularly when, as seems to be happening every day, details about the handling of the “Covid emergency” leak out and it turns out that even the most extreme conspiracy theories still fell short of the truth.
Ah. So you are a conspiracy theorist yourself….
I don’t think Bobby Kennedy is going anywhere no matter who he picks as a vice presidential candidate. Especially if he and his pick both have zero experience in politics.
It would certainly go against the received wisdom for RFK to pick Rodgers – a more traditional choice for him, given his own lack of political experience, would be to secure a seasoned Senator or at least Congressman /woman.
Of course, that would almost instantly swing his campaign left or right. If he picked someone like Bernie, he’s swinging too hard left; if he picked someone like Rand Paul, he swings too far right.
And then there’s the obvious fact that received wisdom doesn’t apply to his race, because the received wisdom says he auto-loses.
Frankly, if he ever comes close to winning, given what happened to his uncle and his father, all he would be doing is signing his own death certificate.
A Kennedy/Rodgers ticket is not politics for serious people.
But then a decade or so ago the suggestion of Donald Trump as President was in roughly the same category so who the f*ck knows anymore.
I suspect its not really on the cards anyway. For Kennedy it just provides a visibility boost. While Rodgers is building his base for a post-NFL career as an alt-everything media commentator. Which may come around sooner rather than later if his 40 year old achilles hasn’t fully recovered from last seasons rupture.
Yes, it’s a shame this boredom thing. My sympathies to Mr. Bateman. On the other hand, contemplating Aaron Rogers as President of the United States will elicit other emotions – dread and horror. They say great quarterbacks are great leaders, but sports are sports and real life is something else.
“shopworn contrarian personalities — such as Tulsi Gabbard, Rand Paul and Andrew Yang”
Sorry, why are they shopworn?
I’m sure he just means because they’ve been in politics for at least 4 years. People think of them as politicians, because they are (to varying degrees). It’s somewhat of a scarlet letter, especially for the disillusioned voters RFK would be going for.
I doubt Rand would accept. He’s mostly supported Trump during the primaries and reserved his harshest criticisms for Nikki Haley. He seems to be committed to a strategy of pushing the existing Republican party in more populist/libertarian directions. Rand Paul is in a far more powerful position to affect outcomes where he is than as the VP of a fringe candidate who would very likely lose anyway. Rand Paul is not his father. Ron Paul made a career out of his hopeless devotion to the lost cause of pure libertarianism and running futile presidential campaigns. Rand is far more practical and effective as a politician.
Taylor Swift’s endorsement after consultation with her hulking boyfriend, also a star football player, will decide who wins the next election. Yes, it has come to this.
Fair enough. She seems like a sensible woman.
She is in entertainment where you have to be a Democrat if you want to have a career.
I think tapping Aaron Rodgers for VP would undermine the legitimacy of RFK’s campaign. It would be hard to see it as anything other than a desperate grasp at free publicity from a flagging campaign. You’d get all the sports channels talking about politics for a couple of days without having to do anything but after that was over, you’d be left with an NFL quarterback who isn’t even particularly popular with most fans and a political novice as a running mate. If RFK wants to win, he should probably pick someone serious. If he’s only interested in self-promotion and parlaying his campaign into becoming a political/media personality, then going with Rodgers is a great play.
Have you ever voted for a ticket based on who the vice presidential running mate was?
I thought not.