Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ought to do his own version of storming Atlanta.
Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman did it in 1864, but Kennedy’s iteration would be peaceful. Still, he could capture the attention of the nation.
It wouldn’t be the famous scorched-earth march to the sea, but Kennedy’s maneuver would illustrate how he is being screwed.
Atlanta is the site of the first of two presidential debates between Democratic President Joe Biden, 81, and Republican challenger former President Donald Trump, 78. Kennedy, 70, is not invited.
Sponsored by CNN, the one-on- one debate will take place June 27.
CNN says Kennedy, a third-party candidate, failed to make the cut. Others believe that CNN, as well as Biden and Trump, simply did not want Kennedy around.
Three makes a crowd, you see. The debaters themselves pose additional challenges. Kennedy suffers from what is known as spasmodic dysphonia, an ailment that affects the voice box.
It is bad enough that voters can barely make out what Biden is mumbling about in his strangulation of the English language. but viewers would also have to listen to Kennedy’s rasping presentation. Trump is no great orator either.
It might be helpful if CNN provides English-language interpreters for all three of them.
Where is a soaring JFK when you need one?
CNN said that to qualify Kennedy would have to appear on the ballots of enough states to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the election. So far, he apparently has not done so — at least not yet.
Kennedy said that CNN deliberately adopted rules to keep him off the stage, but that he will still try to qualify, taking his effort down to the wire.
Kennedy on the debate stage could act a as a buffer — or a referee —between Biden and Trump. At the very least he would bring some energy to the debate which appears designed to take all the drama out of the event and protect Biden.
The debate will last for 90 minutes if Biden can stay awake that long. There will be no live audience. There will be no interaction between the candidates because their microphones will be muted except when it is time for them to speak.
There are no rules for sign language, however.
Clearly the two do not like each other. Trump calls Biden the worst president in history, and Biden calls — or used to call — Trump a convicted felon. Now, since Hunter Biden’s felony gun conviction, he just calls Trump a dictator.
CNN said the moderators — Democratic Party sympathizers Jake Tapper and Dana Bash — “will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion.”
If current rhetoric between Trump and Biden is any indication, a civilized discussion between the pair will be something to behold.
The debate will open with each candidate standing at a lectern instead of walking on stage so that Biden will not be viewed shuffling, staggering or wandering around. Barack Obama will not be around to guide him on or off the stage as he did at the Los Angeles fundraiser the other night.
Each will also be given a pen, a notepad and a bottle of water, but will not allowed to stab each other or throw water or the bottle at one another during the two breaks for commercials. Nor can they use the pen and paper to send nasty messages or hurl spitballs at each other.
There will be no opening statements, but each candidate will be allowed two minutes for closing remarks.
When asked a question, each candidate will have two minutes to respond, which will be followed by a one-minute rebuttal. If a candidate goes over his time, a red light will flash on.
Will Biden attempt to channel JFK and his famous “Ask Not” speech n his closing remarks? Biden’s version would have to be: “Ask not what you can do for your country, but what you can do for me.”
No joke.
Peter Lucas is a veteran political reporter. Email him at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com.”
