Interview: Robert F. Kennedy
Jr. Stolen Election
Public Relations Week
June 19, 2006
This month, Rolling Stone ran an investigative feature
claiming that Republicans used a systematic combination of voter
disenfranchisement and fraud, centered in Ohio, to rob John Kerry
of a win in the 2004 presidential election.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer and son of
liberal icon Bobby Kennedy, wrote the article, available, along
with supporting research, at rollingstone.com. Kennedy spoke to
PRWeek about the story.
PRWeek: How did you come to write this piece?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: I had not paid much attention to this
issue. And then a number of books came out, and I read them
because I [wanted to use them] to interview people on my radio
show. And then I read the [Rep. John] Conyers report, [a 2005
Congressional inquiry into the election], and started talking
with people in Ohio. And at one point, I said, "Holy cow, this is
real." And then I talked to [RS editor] Jann Wenner about it. I
encouraged him to do a piece, and he said "We'll print one if you
write it."
PRWeek: Tell me about the process of putting the story
together - it obviously took a while.
Kennedy: I read the literature out there, and read the articles.
Then I interviewed voters in Ohio, and public officials, and
people who were involved in the election from all over the
country.
PRWeek: Why do you think this wasn't covered heavily by major
media directly after the election?
Kennedy: I think the mainstream media took up the Republican echo
chamber, and just echoed the right-wing talking points.
PRWeek: Why didn't the Democrats themselves pursue this?
Kennedy: Well, there was a lot of complaining; there were a lot
of lawsuits. But it got very little traction in the media. But
you know, the Democrats on this issue have been abysmal as
well.
PRWeek: Your story wasn't based on any secret information,
correct?
Kennedy: No, that's the whole thing. This was not a secret
conspiracy. This was done openly and shamelessly. Across Ohio,
there were people who did everything they could to stop this.
PRWeek: Have you had any indication that the national media
will take another look at this issue?
Kennedy: I had a good indication [June 7]. The New York Times, as
its lead editorial, did a piece on [Ohio secretary of state]
Kenneth Blackwell's current efforts to suppress registration
drives in Ohio. And the Republicans are doing the same thing in
Florida, and the Times talked about that, as well.
PRWeek: What reaction have you seen from the general
public?
Kennedy: There's a huge reaction. Rolling Stone told me that it's
gotten two and a half times as many e-mails [about this article]
as it's ever gotten for any other story in its history. So
there's a huge appetite for this story.
PRWeek: This story didn't have a 'smoking gun'; was there one
person coordinating this entire operation?
Kennedy: There's never going to be 100% certitude that the
election was stolen, because the only way you could get that is
by recounting the ballots, and the recount was illegally derailed
by Republican operatives. The mastermind behind the efforts in
Ohio was Kenneth Blackwell, along with…[Toledo elections
official] Bernadette Noe. But on a national level, it's
[Republican National Committee chairman] Kenneth Mehlman and Karl
Rove.
PRWeek: Have you gotten any reaction from the Republican Party
on this?
Kennedy: I've gotten, certainly, reaction in the blogosphere. But
most of the reaction has been supportive.
PRWeek: Is there a next step?
Kennedy: I've been meeting with attorneys... to devise a
litigation strategy. And I would say that very soon we'll be
announcing lawsuits against some of the individuals and companies
involved.
PRWeek: Who exactly would that litigation be targeting?
Kennedy: I wouldn't say, right now.
PRWeek: The election is over. Is it too late now?
Kennedy: There's another election soon. And as the Times [just]
reported, the same people are up to the same shenanigans.
Name: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Outlet: Rolling Stone
Title: Author
Preferred contact method: nora.haynes@wennermedia.com (Rolling
Stone publicist)
Web site: www.rollingstone.com
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