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Anyone who saw this ad when it aired during the first half of the game will almost certainly understand that it appeals to Kennedy nostalgia in some way. The obvious inspiration was an ad run by the campaign of Kennedy’s uncle, John F. Kennedy, during the 1960 presidential campaign.
As with the song, many of the illustrations and most of the text were taken from the 1960 version. There was an important difference. For example, instead of saying “Vote Democrat,” the new version now tells viewers to “Vote Independent,” except for the everlasting words “Vote Democrat” written in small letters on the sign. Suggests. However, the drumbeat of “Kennedys” was preserved.
On the surface, it’s a strange strategy. In 1960, only about 3 percent of current U.S. residents were old enough to vote. Probably not many people remember the Kennedy era fondly. But a Gallup poll conducted last year found that 90 percent of American adults viewed JFK’s presidency favorably, so why not capitalize on that sentiment?
Especially since this ad was not created by the Kennedy campaign as it is now.
Instead, it was the product of a super PAC called American Values 2024. If you’ve never heard of this organization before, you’re not alone. It’s been around for less than a year. In 2022, PAC is now known as the “People’s Pharma Movement.” Its parent organization has focused on spreading anti-vaccine rhetoric in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tony Lyons, president of American Values 2024 (and co-founder of the People’s Pharma Movement), confirmed to CBS News that his organization spent $7 million to get to the Super Bowl. That’s a lot of money, at least for most people.
But American Values 2024 is the beneficiary of large donations, including millions of dollars from billionaire Timothy Mellon (of Mellon). He has a history of contributing to important political initiatives, including donating millions of dollars to efforts to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Mellon also donated tens of millions of dollars to a PAC supporting Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection bid.
External spending on behalf of a candidate is called independent spending. There are strict rules for such spending, and in particular committees engaged in independent spending cannot coordinate with candidates. After all, if it were possible, independent efforts could raise unlimited funds that candidates could direct and eliminate campaign finance rules.
Typically, independent spending does what American Values seems to have done here and spends money on efforts to promote candidates that such groups find useful. At the very least, the ad caused a sudden spike in search interest focused on Kennedy. However, searches for Biden were well below last week’s peak, and well below both Trump and Biden in the hours after the ad.
More independent spending efforts took place during this election cycle. Much of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ effort to win the Republican nomination was driven by a PAC called Never Back Down. The result was a huge public battle, huge sums of money spent, and embarrassing results for the candidates.
Of course, spending by outside groups is not necessarily aimed solely at boosting candidates. In the case of American Values 2024, there are certainly some participants, like Lyons, who have long-standing relationships with the candidate and appear committed to his election.
But what if you’re a billionaire and you’re interested in boosting an alternative to Biden among, say, people who look nostalgically at JFK? A good place to store it.
From a campaign standpoint, independent spending on Super Bowl berths also allowed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to have his cake and eat it too.Immediately after, a spot ran and American Values share It’s Social Media, Kennedy share The same goes for that. When you visit Kennedy’s page on X (formerly Twitter), a standalone ad becomes his pinned, or featured, post.
At the time of writing, the post that appears directly below the pinned post apologizes for the advertisement.
“I am truly sorry if the Super Bowl ad caused any pain to anyone in my family. This ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign.” read. “FEC rules prohibit super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not the only heir to the political power of the Kennedy dynasty. Cousin Bobby Shriver (his mother Eunice Kennedy was Robert F. Kennedy Sr.’s sister) blasted the ad for exploiting his family’s image for the candidate’s political views. denounced.
My cousin’s Super Bowl ad featured my uncle’s and my mom’s faces. She will be appalled by his deadly medical views. Respect for science, vaccines, and medical equity was in her DNA. She has strongly supported my medical activities. @ONE campaign & @red he opposes it.
— Bobby Shriver (@bobbyshriver) February 12, 2024
His famous sister, journalist and former California first lady Maria Shriver, shared his sentiments with her followers on the platform.
But Robert F. Kennedy Jr. insists it’s not his fault. He attracts attention, and his own candidacy and his uncle’s candidacy become intertwined, shifting his responsibility to American values.
American Values will also increase attention to itself and Kennedy, potentially making independent candidates more attractive to those skeptical of both Biden and Trump. And that price is equivalent to 0.05 percent of the Mellon family’s estimated net worth.
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