The prize is another not-so-subtle attempt to channel Camelot: salt water, wind and an afternoon of sailing with the scion of a liberal political dynasty.
Someone who runs for president, like his father and uncles did, but not as a Democrat.
As part of a sweepstakes organized by his campaign, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a participant and a guest the chance to join him for an afternoon of sailing on the Pacific Ocean.
“Imagine the wind in your hair, the sun kissing your face and the rhythmic sound of the waves beneath you as you sail together from Marina del Rey, California, on Saturday afternoon, May 11, 2024,” his campaign website says.
Mr. Kennedy, whose independent candidacy has rattled Democrats and raised fears he could spoil President Biden, has also promoted the contest on social media.
An environmental lawyer who has become better known for his anti-vaccine activism and pushing conspiracy theories, he entered the race last spring as a challenger for the Democratic nomination against Mr. Biden, but left the long path in the fall. to operate independently.
There is no fee to enter the sweepstakes, but contributors can make more entries for every $10 they contribute to Mr. Kennedy’s campaign, according to a long explanation of the competition rules. The maximum number of registrations is 300.
A campaign estimate put the prize’s value at $3,000.
The pastime of sailing is clearly intertwined with the Kennedys. Images of president John F KennedyMr. Kennedy’s uncle, at the helm of his beloved sailboat Victura off Cape Cod, and Mr. Kennedy’s father, Robert F Kennedyendured on the water.
And it was John F. Kennedy who once said, “We are connected to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea – whether to sail or to look at it – we go back from where we came.”
But Mr. Kennedy’s attempts to trade on his family’s name, likeness and mystique have not always been well received.
During the Super Bowl this month, some family members and Democrats criticized him for a $7 million campaign ad, a remake of a 1960 spot that put his uncle John F. Kennedy in the White House.
He apologized to X and said he was sorry “if the Super Bowl ad hurt anyone in my family,” while still promoting the commercial, paid for by an allied super PAC, on social media.
According to the Kennedy campaign, the sweepstakes winner will be chosen in a random drawing on March 5.
There is even a disclaimer for bad weather.
“In case of bad weather, the sailing experience in Marina del Rey will be replaced by an alternative indoor experience with Mr. Kennedy,” the contest page said.