Some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around the name Kennedy. I was born in the Dorchester neighborhood in the heart of Boston, which has long had Kennedy connections.
Because of the many problems caused by my highly dysfunctional, alcoholic parents, all my childhood was lived in abject poverty and frequent homelessness. Because of that, my older brother Jay, my younger sister Janice and myself were regularly dumped at the doorstep of my grandparents in Dorchester while our parents went missing in action.
Rather than a negative, those midnight drop offs became one of the major positives of my life. People in the neighborhood often described my grandparents as the “Ozzie and Harriet” of Dorchester (Google it, kids). Not only was it a warm, loving and protective environment, but for me, the epicenter of Boston politics.
My grandfather deeply admired John F. Kennedy and struck up a friendship with him when Kennedy was in the House of Representatives. Soon after — as he had emigrated to Boston from Nova Scotia — my grandfather created an unofficial group called “Canadians for Kennedy.” The absolute highlight for me was Sunday dinners when my grandparents’ other six adult children and their spouses would arrive. Not only did I get to sit at the adult table but listen and learn as the exploits of JFK and his new administration flew back and forth across the table.
Once I became an adult, I would hear the sometimes-negative attacks on one Kennedy family member or the other and instantly think back to what my grandfather had told me after the tragic assassinations of President Kennedy and his brother, Robert F. Kennedy: “No family has ever given more or sacrificed as much in service to our nation as the Kennedys.”
We are all flawed and imperfect human beings. Too many of us live in glass houses but continue to throw stones. I chose to focus on the sacrifice and service.
Come the late 1990s, while working as director of communications for former Sen. Bob Dole, I had the honor to meet and interact with John F. Kennedy Jr. on several occasions. He was one of the most kind, generous and considerate human beings I had ever met.
Years later, I was encouraged to write a memoir about my childhood. I did and the book was titled “Rolling Pennies in the Dark.”
While writing it, I felt it important to include a chapter on JFK Jr. It was a way for me to honor young Kennedy — highlighting his kindness and humor — while paying homage to a grandfather who surely saved my life and sanity decades before.
All of that to say, because of that childhood introduction and connection to the Kennedy family, I have long paid attention to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And when I did start paying attention to his life and career, what I saw deeply impressed me. After making some acknowledged mistakes, he chose to dedicate the rest of his life to the environment and to improving the health of his fellow citizens, most especially children.
Come April 2023, in my hometown of Boston, RFK Jr. announced he was running for the Democratic nomination to become president. Soon thereafter, the Biden-Harris White House, in conjunction with the Democratic machine, did everything in its power to crush his campaign. But it was already too late.
Why? Because like President-elect Donald Trump, Kennedy has an “It Factor” that no amount of money can buy. His was a voice that millions of Americans were desperate to hear. If you want to know what Kennedy means to these millions of Americans, simply listen to the lyrics from the song “The Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha. They believed — and believe — that Kennedy is on a “quest” for their long-forgotten rights.
More than listening to that song, when I have spoken with people from across the political spectrum who either have a negative impression of Kennedy, or no impression at all, I usually ask them to read his posts on X. And when they do, they invariably come back to me to report they not only agreed with over 90 percent of his posts, but that many deeply spoke to them or addressed issues long on their minds.
There truly is much cause for optimism and hope as the Trump administration prepares to hit the ground running at just after noon on Jan. 20. Much of that hope and optimism centers around the “It Factors” of Trump and Kennedy.
Two men who single-handedly created movements capable of changing history for the better. Maybe an “Impossible Dream” no more.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.
