I wanted to vote for RFK Jr. for president very badly.
I just can't.
In 1996, I voted for Bob Dole for President and haven't voted for a Democrat or Republican since. Every single presidential cycle, I pulled the lever for a third-party candidate.
I was actually leaning toward RFK Jr. this time around, despite the fact that he's an anti-vaxxer and has a surprising (sarcasm) amount of Democrat Talking Points in his platform.
But then yesterday, RFK Jr. admitted that a worm ate half his brain.
I mean, seriously, what are we doing here?
RFK Jr. went on and on about how he takes good care of himself, and is in good physical condition, despite some memory lapses and cognitive problems.
Don't you think that should disqualify you from being president??? I can't believe we're even having this conversation....
Yes, I know Donald Trump is on trial. Yes, I know that Donald Trump has been falling asleep during the trial. Stories are everywhere that Trump has cognitive decline. And he's a criminal. And, if elected, he will morph into "Old Hitler..."
And yes, I know Joe Biden looks like the walking dead. Yes, I know that Joe Biden is like an old Christmas Ornament, wrapped in faded newspaper and only brought out for special occasions. Stories are everywhere that Biden has cognitive decline. And, if elected, this country will descend into communism....
But is having a presidential candidate with a full mental capacity really too much to ask? In my lifetime, there were rumblings that Ronald Reagan had impaired facilities during his second term, later to be confirmed when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 83. Other than that though, candidates were judged as smart or wrong-thinking, depending on your politics, but they weren't accused of being unable to think due to the ravages of age.
Now all 3 leading candidates have the "cognitive decline" stigma attached to their names.
That's a very serious liability for, probably, one of the Top 5 or 10 most important jobs on the planet.
One of these guys is going to be elected president, and by 2026, could have a type of dementia diagnosis from their doctor in hand.
That is a real problem