PSA: RFKJr is a repellent POS. Criticize him for that. DON'T ridicule his voice.

[eppur_se_muova]

I've seen a couple of comedians on The Daily Show make disparaging remarks about his voice, suggesting it's some sort of personal failing, or just plain disgusting. In fact, he has suffered from Spastic Dysphonia, a nervous disorder affecting the vocal cords, for years. The cause is not known, and therapies are not completely effective. He's been very public about his condition.

Read more at https://dysphonia.org/what-is-wrong-with-rfkjr-voice/

OTOH, there's plenty of room to criticize him for this:

Kennedy said that while he was preparing litigation against the makers of flu vaccines in 2016, his research led him to the written inserts that manufacturers package along with the medications. He said he saw spasmodic dysphonia on a long list of possible side effects. “That was the first I ever realized that,” he said.

Although he acknowledged there is no proof of a connection between the flu vaccines he once received annually and SD, he told The Times he continues to view the flu vaccine as “at least a potential culprit.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 1, 2024 - - Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., participates in, "The Present State of Black America," panel discussion for the start of Black History Month at Artlounge Collective in Los Angeles on February 1, 2024. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Kennedy said he no longer has the flu vaccine paperwork that triggered his suspicion, but his campaign forwarded a written disclosure for a later flu vaccine. The 24-page document lists commonly recognized adverse reactions, including pain, swelling, muscle aches and fever.

It also lists dozens of less common reactions that users said they experienced. “Dysphonia” is on the list, though the paperwork adds that “it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to the vaccine.”

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-04-08/rfk-jr-voice-condition-spasmodic-dysphonia

(Diane Rehm, who hosted a radio show on NPR affiliate WAMU for years, has the same condition. She has been praised by many for continuing to pursue a career in broadcasting despite the obvious difficulty in speaking clearly. She left WAMU a few years ago and now hosts a podcast:
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/381443514/diane-rehm-on-my-mind)

[hlthe2b]

1. I didn't see TDS, but to be fair, I've not seen anyone on DU ridicule his voice. But, I agree with you.

The man is an utter failure, a man lacking in virtually any relevant background whatsoever to even allow him to understand what it is he doesn't know. Yet his ego pushes him to believe otherwise. And we will all pay the price for his arrogance and ignorance.

[Autumn]

2. We can do both. Of course one isn't forced to make fun of his voice. It's a personal choice.

[snowybirdie]

3. His vocal problems

Could be from a vaccine or it could be a result of years of heroine usage. Who knows? Bit of course he states drugs got him through college, so there's that.....

[eppur_se_muova]

4. He said the problems with his voice started at age 42. So yeah, maybe vaccines ... nt

[TBA]

5. Agree completely