Last week, President Donald J. Trump delivered his first State of the Union Address. Not surprisingly, the President devoted large portions of the address to discussing his major tax overhaul and his plans to construct a wall on the Southern border of the United States.
Days prior, the Democratic Party, desperate for a fresh, young face, chose Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA) to respond to the President’s speech.
Kennedy, a 37-year-old two-term Democrat maintains a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University as well as a Juris Doctorate Degree from Harvard University. He served as a member of the Peace Corps in Latin America and was an assistant district attorney for Middlesex County, Massachusetts before running for Congress in 2012.
Rep. Kennedy holds a significant advantage in the political realm with his polarizing last name. His Great Uncle John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States from 1961-1963. His grandfather Robert F. Kennedy was well known for serving as Attorney General of the United States under his brother and running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968 before being assassinated.
Below is an excerpt from the transcript of Kennedy’s speech:
“We all feel the fractured fault lines across our country. We hear the voices of Americans who are forgotten and feel forsaken. We see an economy that makes stocks soar, investor portfolios bulge and corporate profits climb, but fails to give workers their fair share of the reward. A government that struggles to keep itself open. Russia knee-deep in our democracy. An all-out war on environmental protection. A Justice Department rolling back civil rights by the day. Hatred and supremacy proudly marching in our streets. Bullets tearing through our classrooms, concerts and congregations. Targeting our safest sacred places. And this nagging, sinking feeling, no matter your political beliefs, that this is not right. This is not who we are.“
In this excerpt, Kennedy appeals to Americans on several issues that are currently relevant in our society. He uses descriptive language referring to deeper issues that we face; such as potential Russia collusion, gun control, global warming and environmental protection, civil rights and more.
He uses methods in the speech to appeal to all Americans, Republican and Democrat alike, who are dissatisfied with the way the country is being run by the current administration.
Kennedy clearly has a strong message, a powerful name and a young face that Democrats can associate with the party moving towards the 2020 Presidential Election.
I have a feeling that we will continue to see Rep. Joe Kennedy in the news media throughout the remaining three years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
#Harris/Kennedy2020? #Booker/Kennedy2020? #Warren/Kennedy2020? These names will certainly be tossed around leading up to the next presidential election.
