March 25, 2024

"I would have a very low opinion of myself as well."

50 comments:

Dave Begley said...

Ann, You’re headline is misleading.

Bobby, “If I got my information from TV news, I would have a low opinion of myself as well.”

Bloodbath.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

All NBC affiliates are a complete leftist democrat party propaganda JOKE.

Christopher B said...

Well, people seem strangely disturbed by Putin's shirtless video from a while ago so maybe there's something to it.

More realistically, while JFK and RFK probably helped Democrat become the default political setting for Boomers, they were both men of the GI/Silent generations. The next generations of Kennedys were never as popular, even among Democrats.

BUMBLE BEE said...

How'd you like a waitress sandwich, Bobby? Intern BJs in the swimming pool? Mary Jo can't swim? Stay Classy!

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

Boomers won't vote for RFKJR because he's a nut case. We've seen enough nut cases in our lives to know one when we see one.

I like him, but I'd never vote for him. He's an honest nut case.

samanthasmom said...

I'm a boomer, and I support him. I think MSNBC and CNN are comedy shows.

Gusty Winds said...

I visited my Dad (80) and his wife (77) last summer in Venice FL where they retired.

The watch the Today Show in the morning, and network news at dinner. They believe every drop of the propaganda, and have zero interest, or knowledge of any other sources.

Howard said...

Fake news?

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1422275/robert-f-kennedy-jr-favorability-age-us/

This shows he's most favored by GenX followed by Boomers. Younger people aren't buying his schtick as much.

I'm not a hater. He has some great views and ideas as well as mediocre and nutty. He's a very smart guy who has a bunch of intense hobbies and keeps himself physically fit.

I'd be more inclined to vote for him for a legislative job, not an executive.

Tank said...

True. Many Boomers I know get almost all their news from NPR, CBS, etc. You can't even have a discussion with them because they don't know anything about anything. Biden can sprout every debunked hoax and they still believe them all.

AMDG said...

Or the boomers could be aware that the Boomer and Gen X Kennedys are primarily composed of half-wits and degenerates.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Keep the mob-husk-puppet in charge. That's what NBC wants you to do.

tommyesq said...

First time I have seen him speak without name-dropping his dad.

Tregonsee said...

Some of us Boomers remember his father and the other members of the Kennedy family during the Vietnam era and later. That is not a pedigree which inspires confidence.

lonejustice said...

I have a brother and some other relatives who are boomers, and they get all of their information from Fox News exclusively. They believe every drop of what Fox News reports. So I think it goes both ways.

Ann Althouse said...

"Ann, You’re headline is misleading."

It's not a headline. It's a post title. It's intended to do what it does, bring you into the material and have a reaction.

(And you mean "your.")

Ice Nine said...

Boomers remember all the assholes in his family.

Pete said...

I'm a boomer and also thought that he was a vax-denying nut, until I heard him on a podcast a couple of years ago. He comes across as very thoughtful and grounded. If I ever had to vote for a democrat I'd vote for him.

Gusty Winds said...

Blogger Tregonsee said...
Some of us Boomers remember his father and the other members of the Kennedy family during the Vietnam era and later. That is not a pedigree which inspires confidence.

This post is not just about support for RJK Jr. It's about Boomer swallowing propaganda on other issues as well.

mRNA vaccines, masks, COVID, Global Warming, all of Biden's bullshit, Trump hoaxes....

All listed above are propaganda subjects promoted by main stream liberal media. The are simply and arm of the Democrat Party. It's so bad it's mind numbing.

If Boomers knew the truth about the dangers of the mRNA shots, perhaps they might take them for themselves, but if any moral compass remains they would realize the shots are a danger to their, children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren.

Gusty Winds said...

Blogger AMDG said...
Or the boomers could be aware that the Boomer and Gen X Kennedys are primarily composed of half-wits and degenerates.

Sen Ted Kennedy was a half-wit and a degenerate. Ask Mary Jo Kopechne. Oh wait...we can't. Ted Kennedy wasn't RFK or JFK.

RFK Jr. is breaking from the Kennedy clan and acting independently. Now a truth teller on mRNA shots, Ukraine, free speech... I'm assuming AMDG has listened to RJK Jr. for a minute. If you listen to what he says, you know for sure they guy is not a half-wit. He might be a womanizer in the Kennedy tradition, but half-wit is WAY off base.

Only half-wits would think RFK Jr. is a half-wit, because he is speaking over their heads.

JAORE said...

News from CNN or MSNBC? Go for it. My brother uses Occupy Democrats as a mainstream source.

Did you know Mueller proved Russia, Russia, Russia was the truth? He does.

rehajm said...

...the kind of fellow that could offset the illegal immigrant voting scheme. They may just have to invent numbers instead of stuffing ballot boxes. Not a problem since Garland DOJ has already threatened that observing the vote is a crime...

Aggie said...

@Howard said: "I'm not a hater. He has some great views and ideas as well as mediocre and nutty. He's a very smart guy who has a bunch of intense hobbies and keeps himself physically fit."

I pretty much agree with this. I think RFKJr has had the opportunity to see the political empire from within, growing up, so he has unique insights on how political machinery works. I think he could be an effective political leader, but I'm not sure it would be as President. And unfortunately, his biggest flaw is that he can't stop mentioning RFK and JFK. Nobody cares about them anymore. They don't add stature to your own accomplishments, whatever those might be or might become. Why are you leaning on them so much? Those instances add to my doubts.

Gusty Winds said...

Boomers grew up in a different network news area. Former anchors were considered truth tellers. Like Cronkite, they were liberal, but they weren't propagandists. Cronkite was WWII generation.

Dan Rather is probably the best example of a boomer news anchor that turned full lying propagandist during and after his career. Now it's all just off the rails. If you see what Dan Rather posts on X, they guy is insane.

Boomers also enjoyed the post WWII economy their parents created. Also HUGE housing profits and stock market gains for retirement. I can appreciate the hippie era, the Viet Nam conflict, the sexual revolution and the rest. But once the "pandemic" hit in 2020, holy shit did they abandon the values of their youth. See Neil Young...

Tom T. said...

Remember, he wants your kids not to be vaccinated against measles and mumps. Somebody made up a connection to autism, and RFKJr is so smart that no amount of contrary evidence will sway him.

Dave Begley said...

Yes, I meant "your."

And your post title is still misleading. It brought me in and I listened to the clip, but I was tricked by you.

Dave Begley said...

Bobby's full quote is still interesting and valuable as it details how biased and horrible today's MSM is.

The MSM is fully supporting Biden every day.

The lead story every day should be how Joe Biden has been bribed by foreign governments. The Press has a constitutional duty and it refuses to do its job.

Ann Althouse said...

"And your post title is still misleading. It brought me in and I listened to the clip, but I was tricked by you."

It's not as though I did something wrong. You were surprised and for some reason, you didn't enjoy the surprise. You might what to examine that, rather that accuse me of "tricking" you!

Ann Althouse said...

"Bobby's full quote is still interesting...."

I blogged about it and thus presented it as interesting, so the "still" strikes me as nonsensical. I guess for you, you were "still" interested even though you felt mislead.

Ann Althouse said...

"Remember, he wants your kids not to be vaccinated against measles and mumps. Somebody made up a connection to autism, and RFKJr is so smart that no amount of contrary evidence will sway him."

I don't think that's an accurate portrayal of his position. Will you cite something?

Ann Althouse said...

I mean, you're essentially proving his point: If he believed what they're saying about him, he wouldn't like himself either.

RCOCEAN II said...

I don't know anyone, boomer or not, who still watches Network News. But somebody does, and it must be boomers I don't know.

I know many Older Conservatives who are STILL getting all their info from FOX news despite Fox turning on Trump and being full of warhawks, Neo-Cons, and fake Cons. They also watch 60 minutes despite knowing its biased and very leftwing.

As for me, I cant watch that crap for more than 5 minutes without getting bored or annoyed.

Enigma said...

RJK Jr. inherited his fame from JFK, RFK, and...Teddy... Any Kennedy after Teddy appeals only to those alive and who loved...Teddy...or who used Teddy as a proxy for JFK and RFK.

Those born after 1963 (up to age 61) know JFK only through history books and video. By today's standards JFK would be on the centrist fringe of the Democratic Party and loved as little as Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema.

Those who've identified as Democrats from 1963 through 2024 have evolved a great deal, and can probably distinguish between a brand-name weirdo Kennedy and their current political priorities. So, his voting base includes nostalgic Space Race people and those who still wear 1963 flattop haircuts or puffy 1960s hairdos. Not just old Democrats, but weird old Democrats.

JAORE said...

Side note:

How in hell does the DOJ/Biden NOT provide him Secret Service protection?

Also his vax stance is a LOT more nuanced than presented.

Gusty Winds said...

Blogger Tom T. said...
Remember, he wants your kids not to be vaccinated against measles and mumps. Somebody made up a connection to autism, and RFKJr is so smart that no amount of contrary evidence will sway him.

That's not his position AT ALL. You've obviously never listened to him.

1) He want's vaccines to go under that same scrutiny of any other drug prior to release. They are not subject to the same approval requirements.

2) RFK Jr. wants HONEST research of the entire vaccine cocktail in regards to it's autism link. This has NEVER been done, and the vaccine schedule for infants and young people keep expanding, and it if far beyond measles and mumps.

3) You have NO IDEA what caused the crazy autism spike. But to say it is anything but the vaccine schedule is willful blindness. Self-protectionism. Lack of concern for children.

Professor: You should re-title the post to "Tom T. said..."

Leland said...

I guess he's getting over a cold with that cracked voice. Honestly, he looks like the toll of campaigning is wearing on him. I understand that this is criticism, but it is made with admiration, because that's hard work, especially when you have many people working against you. He's doing well for a person pundits wrote off from the beginning.

Mason G said...

"Boomers also enjoyed the post WWII economy their parents created. Also HUGE housing profits and stock market gains for retirement. I can appreciate the hippie era, the Viet Nam conflict, the sexual revolution and the rest. But once the "pandemic" hit in 2020, holy shit did they abandon the values of their youth. See Neil Young..."

There were 76 million births in the United States from 1946 to 1964. It's quite unlikely all of them grew up with the same benefits and believing the same things.

And if your dad is 80, he's not a boomer. Just sayin'.

Dave Begley said...

Ann:

Don't get me wrong. Your blogging is 100x better than the MSM.

Dave Begley said...

"It is necessary to suppose that every good Christian is more ready to put a good interpretation on another's statement than to condemn it as false. If an orthodox construction cannot be put on a proposition, the one who made it should be asked how he understands it. If he is in error, he should be corrected with all kindness. If this does not suffice, all appropriate means should be used to bring him to a correct interpretation, and so to defend the proposition from error."

The Spiritual Exercises, Annotation 22, St. Ignatius Loyola, S.J.

samanthasmom said...

I have read several of RFk,Jr's books and listened to him a lot. He answers questions about his family, but isn't running on their memories. RFK, JR is not an anti-vaxxer. He wants the vaccines to be safer, and he doesn't want third world children to be the guinea pigs for Big Pharma. There has been an explosion of kids who are autistic and also an explosion in allergies. We should be curious. The length that Big Pharma has gone to hide the dangers of the mRNA treatments need criminal investigation. He's not alone. In addition, he's a strong advocate for things like the people of East Palestine, OH.

The main goal of the Democrats is to discredit him. From the responses here, it looks like they are succeeding. Even at making him somehow responsible for MaryJo.

Joe Bar said...

I'm a Boomer, and I spent part of my childhood in Western Massachusetts. The Kennedys were hated there at the time.
He has some interesting ideas, and he has a interesting ad out. But, he's still way to progressive for me. He has positions that are 180 degrees from where I think they should be.

Gospace said...

Gusty Winds said...
Boomers grew up in a different network news area. Former anchors were considered truth tellers. Like Cronkite, they were liberal, but they weren't propagandists.


That would be the same Cronkite who, on the evening news, in a somber voice after the North Vietnamese had been thoroughly routed with >60,000 KIA, announced that the Tet Offensive had resulted in a major defeat for US and South Vietnamese forces? That non-propagandist?

The term "influencer" wasn't in use back then, but as an anti-war influencer, he was one of the best. From that point on, nothing but doom and gloom from him.

Rabel said...

"Dan Rather is probably the best example of a boomer news anchor..."

- Born October 31, 1931

" Many Boomers I know get almost all their news from NPR, CBS, etc."

- Most of the commenters here are Boomers. We're pretty hip.

Dave Begley said...

Ann:

Maybe you should blog The Spiritual Exercises.

There is a death mask of St. Ignatius at Creighton’s on-campus church. A must see!!

Gusty Winds said...

Blogger Mason G said...

There were 76 million births in the United States from 1946 to 1964. It's quite unlikely all of them grew up with the same benefits and believing the same things.

And if your dad is 80, he's not a boomer. Just sayin'.


Of course not ALL, Jesus... But very true for the generation as a whole. Trust me, Generation Z would LOVE to have the financial advantages Boomers enjoyed. And don't give me that 11% interest shit. Houses were $50K.

My old man was born in 1944. He and his second wife were swingers in the 1970's. He wore the dry look to in the 70's. Maybe he's on the fringe, but that's a fucking Boomer.

As a Generation Xer I love and admire the Boomers that raised me. But I do understand why Millennials and Gen Z are completely annoyed.

Tom T. said...

Ann, here is RFKJr convincing the government of Samoa to stop measles vaccination, based on false information. There were then 5700 cases of measles in a population of 200,000. 83 people, most of them children, promptly died of measles. There's the third-world children your commenters say they care about. They're not guinea pigs for big pharma; they're just dead.

Here he is lying about thimerosal (mercury) in vaccines. The thimerosal question really captures the dishonesty of the anti-vaccine activists. They used to insist that thimerosal was responsible for autism. They never posited a theory or a mechanism, but they were sure. Then thimerosal was removed from vaccines twenty-five years ago, without any corresponding stop in autism. Did the anti-vaccine activists admit they were wrong? Of course not; they simply shifted to blaming the "schedule" of vaccines. Again, there's no theory or mechanism set forth, just the bare insistence that this is somehow a problem. Note too, as the SciAm article points out, RFKJr lies about the vaccine schedule.

Mason G said...

"Of course not ALL, Jesus... But very true for the generation as a whole.

I didn't grow up with people like you described, I guess we don't count. Oh, well- not the first time.

"Trust me, Generation Z would LOVE to have the financial advantages Boomers enjoyed. And don't give me that 11% interest shit. Houses were $50K."

$50k? Not everywhere, they weren't. I bought a 1 BR condo for $70k when I was 25, interest rate was 16% and it was a half hour drive from where I grew up. Median prices there were $100k+ for 20-25 year old houses. YMMV, I guess.

"My old man was born in 1944. He and his second wife were swingers in the 1970's. He wore the dry look to in the 70's. Maybe he's on the fringe, but that's a fucking Boomer."

Based on that argument, your mother was just on the fringe so she wasn't a boomer. Or do the numbers only fudge in one direction?

Gusty Winds said...

First to criticize RJK Jr., Tom T. links an MSNBC article, and then an article written by former heroin addict and liberal MIT Professor Seth Mookin. Mookin is certainly a "pro-injection". Check out his X feed. He's a raging lib and a Red Sox fan.

This from the FDA explanation on the discontinuation of Thimerosal as a vaccine preservative. To be fair there are probably former heroine addicts at the FDA too. It's very large.

After reviewing the use of Thimerosal as a vaccine preservative in the late 90s, even though the FDA says it was all just fine, and there is no link to autism… products were reformulated to eliminate and diminish its use. Of course they say it's because of "single dose vaccines". Today, “All vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger in the U.S. are available in formulations that do not contain thimerosal” That wasn't the case prior to 2001.

How do you know your infant is getting the vaccine without the Thimerosal?

“The CDC’s ACIP does not preferentially recommend vaccines that do not contain thimerosal for any populations.” Even infants. These assholes won't even say "don't risk injecting it into infants".

The coward’s road. But, if they did recommend vaccines without thimerosal as a preservative, it would suggest something is wrong with the ones that have it...and the pharmaceutical industry that owns them will not allow that.

Sounds like both are available. Would you inject vaccines into infants with Thimerosal in it? I wouldn't. Would you inject mRNA into and infant. Six year old? Seventeen year old I wouldn't. How about your own body? Fuck that.

I'll stick with cigarettes and beer.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

At least RFK jr. would not FORCE Americans to take a jab.

I really don't care if he is wrong about other vaccines. so what?

Mason G said...

BTW, Gusty- I don't mean to be giving you, specifically, a hard time over this. It's just that I think the whole "generations" thing is mostly BS and gets used mainly to divide people. "Boomers" are supposedly those born from 1946 to 1964. Do people really think that someone born in 1946 has more in common with someone born in 1964 than someone born in 1942?

I see that you seem to recognize this...

"My old man was born in 1944. He and his second wife were swingers in the 1970's. He wore the dry look to in the 70's. Maybe he's on the fringe, but that's a fucking Boomer."

Perhaps you might consider the possibility that whatever it is you're using to define "Boomer" is tied more to a lifestyle/viewpoint outlook than to a birthday?

Prof. M. Drout said...

There's maybe a slightly useful general point (i.e., stereotype with some truth in it).
Whenever a new "news"-distribution technology comes along, people believe in it too much.

WWII era people seemed to trust stuff just because it was on the radio. This now seems bizarre to us--can you hear ANY charisma in Hitler's voice? (Or FDR for that matter).

Boomers seem to trust stuff just because it is on television. Those like red "As seen on TV" squares on products were put there to sell those products to credulous Boomers. Everyone younger finds it absolutely bizarre that people would trust something just because it was on TV. Walter Cronkite can't lie?

GenX people seem to trust material that has the vibe of blogs or even hand-coded html pages circa 2001-2005. We are entirely too credulous about stuff like this, probably due to memories of that kind of content having been surprisingly honest and being able to bypass dishonest media filters in the immediate aftermath of Sept 11. Everyone younger finds it absolutely bizarre that people would trust that kind of un-vetted crap. Lunatics and liars can't put up web pages? Who cares if it has their names on it and you can email them with questions?

Millennials seem to trust material that looks like it came through Twitter or Tumblr or large-scale discussion boards for "fandoms" and similar stuff. They seem to believe that whatever the "group" has "decided" must be right because so many people are repeating it or agreeing with it. Everyone younger AND older finds it absolutely bizarre that they would trust the "wisdom of the crowd" when the crowd is a bunch of insane social media addicts and journalists (but I repeat myself).

GenZ seems to trust material that they "find" on TikTok or Instagram, particularly when it is funny or looks good. They trust "Influencers" without seeming to recognize that everything is fake.