Principles, Not Parties, Must Guide Our Votes
By Barry Brownstein, Special to The Kennedy Beacon
The Wall Street Journal recently observed, “It isn’t exactly clear who Kennedy hurts more, largely because of his eclectic mix of supporters.”
The WSJ added, “Supporters say the inability for Kennedy to be drawn into a political box is what attracts them to him.”
In Kennedy, the pundits see a threat to their tidy narrative that voters must choose between two unpopular alternatives.
Endless essays speculate on who RFK Jr. will take more votes from, Biden or Trump.
The pundits miss the most significant point: that the Kennedy candidacy is a campaign of clearly articulated principles. America is a country founded on principles, ideas, and beliefs.
As more Americans realize that voting on principles, not for political parties, is part of America’s DNA, we understand why Kennedy could win the presidency.
In 1867, America’s greatest philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, delivered a talk, “The Progress of Culture.” Emerson captured the American ethos when he said, “Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world.”
When we understand that in America ideas rule, we understand that the arguments that Kennedy is a spoiler are profoundly anti-American. America is a country whose greatness came from transcendent ideas and principles, not slavish adherence to party loyalty.
In his 1841 essay “History,” Emerson argued: “Every revolution was first a thought in one man’s mind, and when the same thought occurs to another man, it is the key to that era. Every reform was once a private opinion, and when it shall be a private opinion again, it will solve the problem of the age.”
Solving many problems of our age requires adherence to principles, not party.
Kennedy is calling on the best in American nature. Yet, in their coverage of his campaign, the media, in Emerson’s words, “magnify appearances” and “measure by vulgar standards.”
Emerson referred to our tendency to ignore important historical changes and magnify the trivial.
Preserving a constitutional republic requires principles, not partisanship or glory-seeking politicians. Kennedy will win if, in Emerson’s words, we don’t ignore “the most pregnant and silent revolutions.”
In Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address of 1801, he reflected on the duty before him. Instead of blowing his own horn, Jefferson found greatness in the country’s founding principles. Great principles, not great individuals, were required.
Jefferson said, “I approach [my duty] with those anxious and awful presentiments which the greatness of the charge and the weakness of my powers so justly inspire.” An awful presentiment is a foreboding of disaster. Jefferson was referring to his personal power and not bemoaning limits on constitutional powers.
Today, as in Jefferson’s time, there are forebodings of disaster.
Today, as yesterday, only principles, not party loyalty, can see us through these troubled times.
Today, unlike yesterday, the major-party candidates show no humility.
Jefferson “humble[d] [himself] before the magnitude of the undertaking” he faced. He revered not his own greatness but the documents, especially the Constitution, that enshrined the ideas and principles of America.
Jefferson was clear that only his reliance on principles prevented him from despair:
Principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which we try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty, and safety.
In a debate among three candidates, if they were asked to articulate the principles by which they would govern, Kennedy’s response would inspire us. As they always do, Biden and Trump would respond with meaningless bromides and attacks. No wonder Biden and Trump desperately want to exclude Kennedy from the debate stage.
If the media had genuine curiosity, they would uncover the deep desire to restore American values and principles driving Kennedy’s support. Voters see an opportunity to recognize that if America’s problems are to be solved, principles, not parties, must be our guiding light.
Barry Brownstein is professor emeritus of economics at the University of Baltimore and the author of The Inner-Work of Leadership. You can find his essays at his Substack, Mindset Shifts.
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Thank you Barry. The way I experience this concept of principles, is that just like the blueprint of a house, everything in life has a spiritual blueprint which exists before physical manifestation. The body's blueprint is the soul. When we put our attention, or energy towards a positive, healthy, principles, we reap the benefit of a healthy outcome. For me RFK and Nicole Shanahan have principles, and a spiritual center I trust to carry us into a time of positive change,
I think a great deal of Kennedy’s popularity is because he is the only candidate talking about truly existential issues like the chronic health crisis in America, especially when it comes to the health of our children.
In a June 7th interview with Forbes reporter Brittany Lewis, Kennedy said this:
https://www.forbes.com/video/058e91e3-4def-4c2b-9e58-38de3dda609a/robert-f-kennedy-jr-slams-biden-and-trump-for-deficit-spending-claims-they-feed-on-us-political-anger/
“Chronic disease, when my uncle was President, affected six percent of Americans. Today, it’s 60 percent. No other country in the world has a chronic disease epidemic.
“We’re the sickest nation on earth, and we pay more for health care than any other country. . . .
“Right now today, in my generation, 70 year old men, one in 10,000 of us has autism. Why it is in my children’s generation, one in every 34 kids has autism, one in every 22 boys?
“Where did all the food allergies come from, the juvenile diabetes, the rheumatoid arthritis, all these autoimmune diseases, the neurological diseases, all the allergic diseases.
“And the obesity has suddenly disabled an entire generation. It is the biggest problem. 4.3 trillion dollars a year, it’s costing us, five times our times the military budget.
“And not a single person in the federal government is talking about it how to end it, and it’s not complicated. We can do it. We’ve got end the toxic exposures that are causing it.”
All of these issues should be the center of our political discussions; sadly they’re not. The future of our country depends on raising healthy children. This is something Kennedy wants to do. That message speaks to millions.