At a recent event located at the Falk Productions manufacturing plant in Walker, Michigan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. captured and stirred the crowd in a way unique to his seasoned oratory skills. The gathering, a campaign event, had as its central figure former President Donald J. Trump, a Republican hopeful on the presidential ticket. Throughout the event, Kennedy brought to the fore an element of humor, tactfully jabbing at Vice President Kamala Harris’ frequent claims of a ‘middle class’ upbringing whenever confronted with a challenging query.
The essence of Kennedy’s message to his Michigan audience revolved around a seven-word phrase—an absolution, he humorously suggested—from any wrongdoing. According to him, those notable seven words were: ‘I was born in the middle class.’ This phrase, he suggested, was a sort of universal answer, an inside joke that he encouraged attendees to share.
The atmosphere pulsated with a light-hearted vibe as Kennedy involved the crowd in his playful ribbing. ‘What will you use as your excuse the next time you turn up late for work?’ he posed to the crowd. The crowd, now participants in the joke, echoed back energetically, ‘I was born in the middle class!’
Kennedy continued the call-and-response interaction with a second scenario: ‘What will you say when your spouse questions why the trash was left gathering at the door?’. The crowd, keeping up the momentum, chimed in unison, ‘I was born in the middle class!’. The humor was palpable, serving to further engage the crowd.
Kennedy rounded off his jest, noting that this seven-word phrase was all one needed to sidestep any form of questioning or confrontation. This light-hearted joke served to subtly critique the Vice President’s way of deflecting difficult questions by referencing her upbringing.
Senator JD Vance, another influential figure within the Republican party, also joined in mocking this tendency of the Vice President. At a separate rally event earlier that week, he too, had a few words to say regarding Harris’s frequent diversion to her childhood.
Vance noted that the Vice President, who at this point had become synonymous with the nation’s deepening issues of inflation and immigration, was often asked about her tangible plans to address these problems. And, more often than not, Harris’s response would include a reference to her middle-class background, which Vance couldn’t help but question.
As Vance pointed out, Harris was frequently asked about her detailed plans specifically designed to lash the inflating costs that were escalating at an unprecedented rate. Costs that were mounting to such an extent that the average American was finding it increasingly difficult to afford the day-to-day groceries and housing. But the Vice President, rather than providing a satisfactory response, opted for a seemingly unrelated narrative.
When quizzed about real matters concerning ordinary Americans—such as the rising inflation that continues to squeeze people’s budgets—Vance suggested that the Vice President’s vague answers, laced with references to her middle-class upbringing, offer little in the way of solutions.
The Senator highlighted the Vice President’s go-to line of defense: her recollections of a middle-class lifestyle, complete with a well-kept lawn in her native Berkeley, California. But, as Vance queried pointedly, what connection does such an upbringing have with developing effective policies to curtail increasing inflation?
The question left hanging in the air was simple: Regardless of whether or not the Vice President truly had a middle-class upbringing, what relevance did that have to the issues plaguing America’s economy? Vance, like many, was left scratching his head at the correlation.
Vance’s sentiments echoed those of many Americans wondering how a personal background could serve as a response to a national crisis. Amid the laughter and lightheartedness, Kennedy and Vance’s messages resounded with attendees who expected straightforward, well-articulated plans from their leaders.
Beyond the humor of the shared joke lies a shared expectation of both the Michigan rally attendees and, arguably, the larger American public. There’s a collective desire to hear the nation’s leaders propose clear, impactful strategies to navigate the country’s multiple crises.
But the recurring references to a middle-class upbringing seem to miss the mark. While they may offer insight into the Vice President’s background and upbringing, they fall short in tackling the pressing economic issues at hand.
As these rallies exemplify, the American public craves discourse and policy suggestions that directly address the nation’s issues. Comedy, though a momentary release, underscores a shared sentiment—that personal anecdotes alone cannot substitute for comprehensive policy discussions and targeted solutions.
Lmao! RFK Jr. mocks Kamala’s over usage of the phrase, “I was born in the middle class.” ???pic.twitter.com/kxHXQFM9jK
— Sara Rose ??? (@saras76) September 27, 2024