Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a member of one of the most famous political families in history, was seen on social media with one-hit wonder, country-folk singer Oliver Anthony.
Anthony, whose real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford, came out with the song "Rich Men North of Richmond" to criticize the power-holders around Washington, D.C., and RFK Jr. is seeking to break his family back into that group by challenging President Joe Biden in a Democrat presidential primary.
RFK Jr.'s presidential platform shares its working-class message with Anthony's song, which was featured at the first GOP presidential debate last month as it was rocketing up the music charts, including a two-week spell at No. 1, according to the Messenger.
"Now that is an extraordinary song — raw, yet intelligent; defiant, yet compassionate," RFK Jr. told Tennessee Star after the song's use at the debate, which drew a rebuke from Anthony.
"It's about working-class hardship. It is about low wages ('bull**it pay'). It's about degraded food supply, elite corruption, obesity, homelessness, despair."
Anthony denounced Fox News for using his song at the GOP debate, saying his song is not a critique of just Democrat power-holders but Republicans, too. That gives him square footing with RFK Jr., who is trying to defeat both Biden and the GOP polling leader, former President Donald Trump to return his family to the White House.
"The candidates could have talked about these things, but they said nothing about the desperation and hardship working people face in this country," RFK Jr. continued to the Star about the GOP debate, which did not include Trump. "They said nothing about wages, housing costs, food costs, child care costs, and medical costs, or what we can do about it.
"They said nothing about the systemic corruption that enriches corporations and the elites as swaths of the former middle class fall into poverty."
After the debate used Anthony's song to talk politics – which is what the song is effectively about – Anthony came out and condemned using his song for politics. It has not been No. 1 since.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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