March 7, 2024
Wow… yesterday was an amazing day at the Jackson County Board of Elections for Kathy and I. There was a lot of support for our effort to start a new political party!
After giving my “WE THE PEOPLE” signature gathering speech, many people when asked who our candidate was, I replied ‘Robert Kennedy’, the people often said, “Why didn’t you say that first, I’ll sign.”
I explained to them of the media bias that has slandered Bobby’s reputation, and for the most part, that is the only thing they know of him is negative, so I don’t usually start with that. The mission is to start a new party that represents the people’s interests FIRST, over the corporation’s interest. Ending the intricate entanglement of industry and lobbyists corrupting our government, that is a top priority for us.
If they want more information after that, we would talk about him being a constitutional and environmental lawyer who has been going up against the corruption for 40 years.
As I show in his detailed biography, he has a record of success that backs ups his words. I have no doubt he is capable of achieving that goal.
Healing the Divide
At least five, mostly republicans, were ready to walk away without signing until his name was brought up. They then came back after voting, and signed. That tells me that people are impressed with him as a potential candidate.
This was the same throughout the day from ‘all’ parties members. The energy was extremely positive.
A few voters stated, they were diehard Trump, or diehard democrats, and they weren’t going to change their minds come November, but they felt everyone should have the opportunity to run if they wanted to, and they signed too.
The discussions were wonderful: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, all parties talking respectfully to one another, ‘Healing the Divide!’ even hugs were given amongst friends, even the opposing ones.
Getting on the Ballot
Unlike republicans and democrats that automatically have ballot access, independent parties have to make serious effort to gain access in every state. Registering a new political party in selected states reduces, by 330,000, the total signatures needed to obtain ballot access in every state.
Many states are currently trying to change laws and requirements right now, ‘during this election process,’ to make it even more difficult to keep independents from getting in the way of the traditional two party broken system. Team Kennedy currently has lawsuits going on in multiple states to stop them from attempting to keep us off the ballot. We recently won Utah, but have more battles to win.
Our Efforts Rewarded
Yesterday was a very long, and exhausting day. Even with us both having physical pains, we endured through it with a huge smile on our faces. There was nothing stopping us from our mission. We were happy to be there to represent our party.
For almost 10 straight hours, we worked the parking lot, met people, and gathered signatures. Rarely stopping to break, even as the evening started to drizzle.
Our party was actively working while the others parties were mostly idle.
Our grassroots party is a nationwide movement that works off of ‘people power‘.
As I always say, “Actions speaks louder than words!” And we will prove that as we gain access from state to state.
I filled up almost five pages of voter signatures to help reach our goal to gain ballot access in North Carolina. Every state has different requirements. In NC we require 13,757, but our aim is to get 21,000 for any that may be ‘eliminated’ for not filling out the signature correctly (it happens). In total yesterday, I received 84 signatures in support of my effort. My Team Kennedy partner, Kathy, received almost as many in our goal to reach that state requirement which we have till 05/31/2024 to fulfill our obligation.
If your a registered NC voter, and would like to add your signature in support, reach out to me, and I’ll come to you if you live locally (Jackson Co.), or I can direct you to someone gathering in surrounding towns. We currently have 139 people gathering signatures in our state alone. This is a nationwide effort.
In the Media
I also did an interview with Blue Ridge Public Radio’s reporter, Lilly Knoepp. I had given her the ‘We the People’ signature speech, and then when she said she was radio and wanted an interview, my mind went completely blank. There is a reason some of us don’t go into the ‘limelight’ careers. It’s called stage fright, and I have always had it since college. Though, with continuous effort, and putting myself out there, I have gotten better over the years.
After a few minutes, I regained my senses and my composure, and gave her a 2-3 minute audio interview.
I hope I represented Bobby Kennedy Jr. and our “We the People’ movement well.
I don’t recall everything I said really, though I know I was clear and precise, I guess we will have to wait and see if she uses it or not. I’ll reach out to her at a later date to see where it can be located.
I did see our Kennedy sign, and our tent is shown in her BRP News article, but our signature gathering effort was not mentioned.
Updated Mar 8: I did locate the interview mention at BRPR, but very little was used. In the interview I had said ‘my top concern for our country was the corruption within our government and the industry it is supposed to regulate’. I really wish she would have used that quote instead. Here is the article mention:
“In the same parking lot, Jennifer Robin was campaigning for a new party, “We The People,” which backs candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. She said the party is gathering signatures in six states to get Kennedy on the November ballot as the representative for the “We the People.” In others, Kennedy will run as an independent.
“The fact is this man is a good man, an honorable man. Both his uncle and his father were assassinated for their beliefs and he’s putting his life on his line right now today to try to save America,” Robin said.”
We also managed to land the main image of the front page for the local paper, The Sylva Herald.
While we weren’t mentioned in the entire article text, I am 100% OK with that. It was a very long article with election stats and winners, which our campaign wasn’t a part of.
I prefer the front page visual that shows Kennedy representatives for everyone to see.
Anyway you look at it, it was great coverage for our candidate on primary election day, double the coverage.
This is who we represent. A true leader for the people.
There’s always one in a every crowd
Throughout the day, I only had one negative experience from a woman I knew of named Jill. She literally cursed me for supporting any effort that takes votes from Biden. She asked me what I didn’t approve of him, and when I responded ‘his attack on free speech,’ for starters, she spoke angrily at me and yelled I was lying about Biden’s administrations attack on our first amendment (which has been well documented) and lying about Hunter Biden (which I never even mentioned).
Jill said that Biden never did that (it is still occurring actively right now), and that I am ‘listening to propaganda and alternative facts’ when I cited Missouri v Biden (recently changed to Murphy v Biden), due to be heard before the supreme court in the future.
As I knew my facts to be true and factual, I just backed away and said ‘Have a nice day.’ She was so angry, it was clear she was not ready to hear any truth.
One of our parties main mission is to ‘Heal the Divide’ and speak with courtesy and respect to one another, to our friends, families, and communities again. To stop the division and re-unite people. I always do my best to speak this way.
As she drove away, I thought sadly for the sweet, soft spoken woman I once knew from town. I wish her peace on her journey of enlightenment and finding truth.
It is clear, our mission is needed more than ever!
#Kennedy24 #Kennedy #TeamKennedy #WethePeople
#BlueRidgePublicRadio #signaturegathering #electiondayprimaries #sylvaherald #unity #politics
