Rep. Joe KennedyJoseph (Joe) Patrick KennedyMassachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy says Patriots ‘should sign’ Kaepernick Markey touts past praise from Kennedy: ‘He does an incredible job’ Progressive Caucus co-chair endorses Kennedy in Massachusetts Senate primary MORE III (D-Mass.) in a recent interview argued Democratic candidates need “credibility” with the Americans they’re pushing to cast ballots for them in elections.
“Democrats are really good at finding some smart people that can run some regressions and say, ‘Here’s what the analysis is on X,’ ” Kennedy told Politico.
“What you need to do is to match that policy with a message that people can understand, and a messenger who has credibility with the people we seek to actually persuade to vote for us.”
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Kennedy’s remarks come after he provided the Democratic response to President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE’s first State of the Union address. The comments also come as pundits float various names for potential Democratic presidential candidates to run against Trump in 2020.
Kennedy, whose grandfather is the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.), argued Democrats must follow Trump’s playbook, referencing the president’s ability to place “his finger on the pulse of something that most people didn’t see or feel.”
The Massachusetts Democrat also told the news outlet that he hopes “everybody” runs in his party’s next presidential primary.
“I am not perturbed at all about the prospect of a big, messy primary for Democrats,” he said, though he added he likely won’t enter the primary, joking that maybe he would be interested in running on a ticket with Oprah Winfrey.
“That might do it. If I could sail in as Oprah’s VP,” Kennedy told the news outlet. “So Oprah, if you’re listening, go for it. Short of that, I’m not holding my breath.”