Democrats' QAnon Problem
We often think of QAnon as problematic for Republicans, given the prominence of former President Donald Trump in many of its conspiracies, but Democrats now have their own QAnon candidate to deal with.
As of Wednesday morning, Robert Kennedy Jr. is polling at 15.6% in the Real Clear Politics average of polls in his race against President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. I don't know how much Kennedy follows QAnon but many of his views align well with certain QAnon beliefs.
Kennedy used to be popular in Democrat circles for his family pedigree and his pro-environment advocacy work, but these days, he is most well known for his opposition to vaccines, which began around 2005. Infamously, his anti-vax advocacy contributed to a 2018 measles outbreak in Samoa that led to 68 deaths, mostly children.
Other baseless conspiratorial beliefs he has supported include: former President George W. Bush stole the 2004 election, the CIA controls many liberal media outlets, 5G is a government plot to control us and it damages our DNA and causes cancer, and the CIA was behind the assassinations of his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, and his father, former Attorney General Bobby Kennedy.
Popular Information documented how Fox News has been promoting Kennedy's candidacy, giving him favorable coverage while ignoring his wackier views.
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson featured Kennedy as a guest on his program on the day of Kennedy's announcement. Carlson described Kennedy as one of the few people in public life who is not "corrupt" and is "telling the truth." Carlson said Kennedy was running to have "serious adult conversations about the world around us." He introduced Kennedy as " one of the most remarkable people we have ever met," saying he was "honored to have him on our show."
Kennedy appeared on Sean Hannity's Fox News program last month. Hannity introduced Kennedy as Biden's "nightmare," praised his performance in early polls, and told Kennedy he could appear on the program "as often as you want." In a recent appearance on Laura Ingraham's show, Ingraham responded to Kennedy's answers with "Bingo" and "I completely agree wholeheartedly."
Fox Nation, Fox News' streaming service, has already produced a documentary on Kennedy's candidacy. Since announcing a run for president, Kennedy has also been extensively featured on Fox News' website. And nearly all the coverage has been positive.
For more on Kennedy's anti-vax campaigns, check out the recent documentary, Shot In the Arm. Kennedy was interviewed and the documentary does the best job I've seen of challenging his vaccine opposition. The documentary also does a good job of showing how the anti-vax movement is on the left as well as the right of American politics.
Here are some other good recent articles about Kennedy's candidacy:
NBC: The conspiracy candidate: What RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine crusade could look like in the White House
NYT: Why Robert Kennedy Jr.’s 2024 Bid Is a Headache for Biden
Axios: Scientists on Twitter head for the exit
What Else We're Reading
An evangelical exposé by Tim Alberta coming in December
Alberta: "Some Christians, no doubt, will recoil at my airing of this dirty laundry. But I believe it is essential, if we are to restore the reputation of the church in the eyes of an unbelieving world, that we practice humility, transparency, and above all, accountability. God demands justice and delights in truth. This light I have attempted to shine into the darkness will expose what is wrong; it will also illuminate what is right."
Michigan teen arrested for plotting mass shooting at synagogue
The complaint states Pietila specifically mentioned that he admires Brent Tarrant, who carried out mass shootings at mosques in New Zealand in 2019, killing more than 50 people.
‘More extreme, more violent’: experts’ warning over khaki-clad Patriot Front
“If you asked me about Patriot Front in 2017 or 2018, I’d say they’re looking for attention. They’re putting up some stickers, and doing some banner drops here and there, and it’s all about just getting in the news. But now it’s gone well beyond that,” said Stephen Piggott, a researcher at Western States Center who focuses on white nationalist, paramilitary and anti-democracy groups.
“I think the group is morphing from a solely propaganda-based outfit to a much more violent one, based on what we’ve seen over the past couple of years. They’re trending to much more violence, more in-person direct actions, versus putting up stickers under the cover of night.”
G.O.P. Targets Researchers Who Study Disinformation Ahead of 2024 Election
The effort has encumbered its targets with expansive requests for information and, in some cases, subpoenas — demanding notes, emails and other information related to social media companies and the government dating back to 2015. Complying has consumed time and resources and already affected the groups’ ability to do research and raise money, according to several people involved.
Allegations of election fraud against two Georgia election workers who became the subjects of a Trump-backed conspiracy theory in the aftermath of the 2020 election were found to be "false and unsubstantiated," according to an investigative report released Tuesday by the Georgia Elections Board.
Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea "Shaye" Moss, both former election workers from Fulton County, faced threats of violence from conspiracy theorists after their election-night conduct on a polling place livestream proliferated online among right-wing election deniers who believed Donald Trump won the 2020 election.