Dennis Kucinich running RFK Jr. presidential campaign

SANDUSKY — Remember Dennis Kucinich Jr.? The former Democratic mayor of Cleveland and Democratic congressman has a new job these days. Kucinich is serving as the campaign manager for the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is currently running for president as a Democrat, challenging President Joe Biden. The Kennedy campaign announced Kucinich's appointment in May. It isn't the first time the two have collaborated on a political venture. In 2018, Kucinich attempted a political comeback by running for the Democratic nomination for Ohio's governor, and Kennedy came to Ohio to help. Kucinich won about 23% of the Democratic primary vote, compared to 62% for Richard Cordray, who lost to Mike DeWine in the general election. During Kucinich's campaign for governor, Kucinich and Kennedy came to Sandusky, and both appeared on an episode of "Between the Lines Live," the Register's public affairs program. The episode, about 30 minutes long, remains available on the Register's YouTube channel. During the appearance, Kennedy cited Kucinich's support for environmental causes such as clean water and said the pair have been friends for 40 years. "He stood by me so many times. I felt like it was my turn," Kennedy said. Kennedy has been able to attract attention from voters. "His support among Democrats has reached as high as 20 percent in polls, although a more recent Saint Anselm College Survey Center poll in June put his Democratic support in New Hampshire at 9 percent," the New York Times reported on June 30. "He has also appealed to prospective voters outside the party: A Quinnipiac University poll in June found that 40 percent of Republicans viewed him favorably, compared with 31 percent of independents and 25 percent of Democrats." Kennedy is known for his anti-vaccination views. Kucinich defended the views in a recent article, "The First Maga Democrat," that appeared in The Atlantic magazine. According to a Tweet by the piece's author, John Hendrickson, Kucinich said calling RFK Jr. an anti-vax candidate was a "left-handed smear" and claimed that Kennedy merely stood for "vaccine safety." "I asked Kucinich to specify which vaccines Kennedy supports. He seemed flummoxed," Hendrickson wrote. " 'No!,' he said. 'This is…no. We're not – look, no.' " Kucinich, Cleveland's mayor from 1977-79, served in the U.S. House from 1997 to 2012. After the 2010 Census, Republicans controlling the process redrew House district boundaries and put two incumbent Democrats, Kucinich and U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo, in the same district. Kaptur defeated Kucinich in the 2012 Democratic primary, ending Kucinich's career in elective office. Kennedy has spent much of his campaign appearing on various podcasts, talking directly to voters and evading often-hostile media coverage. For example, he appeared recently on a Reason magazine podcast, answering questions for more than an hour about vaccinations, his opposition to U.S. policy in Ukraine and his promise to pardon Julian Assange and Edward Snowden if he is elected president.