The Morning: Bobby Kennedy and Tom Suozzi

Plus, Gaza, a Kansas City shooting and off-duty actors.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 15, 2024 By David Leonhardt Good morning. We're covering the lesson from Tom Suozzi's victory — as well as Gaza, a Kansas City shooting and off-duty actors. Tom Suozzi Anna Watts for The New York Times Listen, then talk Tom Suozzi's victory this week in a special election for a House district in Long Island and Queens has allowed other Democrats to dream about what success might look like in November. Yes, Suozzi's race was atypical. Above all, voter turnout in special elections is much lower than in presidential elections, and low turnout now benefits Democrats, as my colleague Nate Cohn has emphasized. Still, Suozzi's campaign offered an early glimpse of messages that Democrats plan to use against Donald Trump. And in those messages is a larger theme. It's a theme with a rich history, including in Robert F. Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. In today's newsletter, I'll explain. Voting your conscience A common lament from Democrats is: Why do so many Americans vote against their economic interests? It's an understandable question in many ways. Even though the Republican Party favors tax cuts for the rich and cuts in government programs that benefit most Americans, Republican candidates now win most working-class voters (defined as people without a bachelor's degree). But the question also exposes a lack of self-awareness on the political left. After all, many liberals vote against their economic interests, too. The country's wealthiest suburbs, as well as vacation spots like the Hamptons, generally vote Democratic despite the party's belief in taxing the rich. These patterns are a reminder that Americans, across ideological groups, care about more than just economic policy — and voting on these other beliefs is not irrational. Climate change, for instance, matters enormously. So do abortion, guns, crime, education, immigration and foreign policy. 'Meet the conservative' Robert Kennedy understood this reality better than many other Democrats. Today, Kennedy is remembered as a progressive hero. No wonder: His economic policy was so populist that C.E.O.s disliked him more than any presidential candidate since F.D.R., as Fortune magazine wrote during the 1968 campaign. Kennedy also emphasized civil rights even when speaking to white audiences. A poll found him to be the most popular white politician among Black Americans. But Kennedy believed that it was madness to tell voters to ignore social issues and focus only on economic ones. His main rival during the 1968 primaries, Eugene McCarthy, tried to do exactly this on the biggest social issue at the time. In the 1960s, crime was rising sharply, yet McCarthy avoided the topic. He refused to use the phrase "law and order," because he considered it a racist dog whistle. Kennedy took the opposite approach. He ran as the law-and-order Democrat, knowing that both Black and white voters worried about crime. He described himself as having been "the chief law enforcement officer of the United States" (as attorney general), and an aide joked that he sometimes seemed to be running for sheriff. If Democrats wouldn't talk about crime, Kennedy believed, crime-wary voters would abandon them for Richard Nixon, the Republican nominee in 1968, or George Wallace, the segregationist running as an independent. "We're going to talk about what people will listen to," Kennedy explained. "You have to get them listening by talking about what they're interested in, before you can start trying to persuade them about other matters." Other liberals were aghast. The New Republic and The Village Voice criticized him. A New York Times headline announced, "Kennedy: Meet the Conservative." (You can read that Times story in our archives, and I tell the story of the 1968 campaign in my recent book.) Kennedy, however, recognized something vital. Working-class Americans tend to be more socially moderate than the affluent, highly educated Democrats who shape the party's strategy. It's impossible to know what would have happened if Kennedy had not been assassinated in June 1968. He might not have won the presidency. But he was beating McCarthy in the primaries. Echoes of Bobby As I watched Suozzi's campaign, I was struck by its Kennedy-esque approach — with immigration playing the role that crime did in 1968. Suozzi set himself apart from many national Democrats by describing the recent surge of illegal immigration as unacceptable. He also criticized Republicans for opposing a bill that would have strengthened border security, suggesting that they cynically wanted to prolong the crisis for political advantage. And he criticized Republicans on both crime (normally a Democratic weakness) and abortion (a Democratic strength). He talked about economic policy too, but he did not treat voters as irrational for caring about social issues or for having moderate views. Other Democrats, including President Biden, have tried to avoid talking about immigration — much as McCarthy tried to avoid crime in 1968. Suozzi, by contrast, echoed Kennedy (unknowingly, I assume). "You want to try to respond to what the people are hungering for," Suozzi said last month. "This is what the people are hungering for." In the upcoming campaign, this strategy will be harder for Biden and other incumbents. Unlike Suozzi, who has been out of office, they will need to explain what they are already doing to solve the immigration problem. Nonetheless, there is a lesson here — be it for Democrats on immigration or Republicans on abortion. When politicians tell voters to stop caring about an issue, voters often hear it as a sign of disrespect. People rarely vote for a candidate who doesn't seem to respect them. For more How Senate Democrats flipped the border issue on Republicans: The Times's Carl Hulse takes you behind the scenes. Immigration officials say they may need to cut detention capacity after Republicans blocked new border funding. Suozzi's victory narrows Republicans' thin House majority. Once he's sworn in, Republicans can afford only two defections on party-line votes. Jimmy Kimmel joked about Suozzi's win. He said the results had to be verified "to make sure the winner wasn't George Santos in disguise." Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War Israeli forces have entered a hospital complex in southern Gaza. Israel accused Hamas of hiding fighters and possibly the bodies of hostages inside. Read a father's story from inside the hospital. Biden used his immigration authority to shield about 6,000 Palestinians in the U.S. from deportation. Kansas City Shooting Fleeing Union Station in Kansas City. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images One person was killed and at least 21 others were wounded in a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl celebration. The police detained three people in connection with the shooting, but many details, including a motive, were still unknown. Here's what we know. Nine children were injured by gunfire, hospital officials said. None of them were in critical condition. Chiefs players, who had left on buses after the rally, expressed sorrow and shock. "Praying for Kansas City," Patrick Mahomes wrote. Politics Russia may be developing a space-based nuclear weapon to threaten satellites, U.S. officials believe. A Republican congressman urged more public information. Trump's comments about NATO reflect a shift in America's position as an international leader, Peter Baker writes. The Senate is planning to quickly reject the House's impeachment articles against Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden's homeland security secretary. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a former White House adviser, said he wouldn't serve in a second Trump administration. Nikki Haley trails Trump in her home state, South Carolina, by 36 points, a poll shows. Trump Trials Jack Smith Doug Mills/The New York Times Jack Smith, the special counsel prosecuting Trump on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, urged the Supreme Court to let the trial start soon. The New York judge overseeing Trump's criminal case over hush-money payments to a porn star is expected to rule today on whether the case can move to trial next month. International In Indonesia, a former general who was found responsible for the kidnapping of political dissidents is projected to win the presidential election. Russia often keeps its wounded soldiers out of public view to avoid an increase in antiwar sentiment. Investors are losing confidence in Beijing's ability to turn the Chinese economy around, Li Yuan writes. Greece is set to become the first Orthodox Christian country to allow same-sex marriage. Mysterious cave markings are the oldest rock art found in Patagonia. Other Big Stories Some violent acts by migrants in New York have made headlines, but police statistics do not point toward a crime surge. A lunar lander named Odysseus, made by a private space company, launched overnight. Opinions Republicans want to weaken vaccine mandates for children. Their success would mean more measles outbreaks, and more deaths, Zeynep Tufekci writes. Cities and states are stripping rights from transgender people, Chase Strangio writes. One key to a happy, stable marriage: having strong friendships besides your spouse, Rhaina Cohen writes. Here are columns by Pamela Paul on Biden and Nicholas Kristof on addiction recovery. Discover more of the insight you value in The Morning. The Times is filled with information and inspiration every day. So gain unlimited access to everything we offer — and save with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Sheffield United's Bramall Lane stadium. Mary Turner for The New York Times Sheffield: An English city gave soccer to the world. Now it wants credit. Social Qs: "My oldest friend is being paroled from prison. Can I dump her?" The oldest-known wild platypus: Scientists say the animal could help them preserve the species. Keep calm: Fighting in the Red Sea has disrupted tea shipments to Britain. "How did you meet?" The Times hit the street with the team behind Meet Cutes NYC, which shares miniature stories of love on social media. Lives Lived: William Post, a bakery manager in Michigan, worked with Kellogg's to create Pop-Tarts in 1964. The snack became an American classic, growing from four flavors to more than 30. Post died at 96. SPORTS A long-running saga: The Golden State Warriors tried to acquire LeBron James at the trade deadline, ESPN reported. Here's the latest on his future. Caitlin Clark: The Iowa superstar will probably become the N.C.A.A. women's basketball scoring leader tonight. She sits eight points shy of Kelsey Plum's mark. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ARTS AND IDEAS Marc Summers George Etheredge for The New York Times Slime time: Marc Summers, the exuberant host of "Double Dare," the Nickelodeon game show from the 1980s and '90s, is the subject (and star) of a new Off Broadway production, "The Life & Slimes of Marc Summers." The show includes serious topics one might expect from a biography — like Summers's journey through show business and his struggles with O.C.D. — but also a recreation of "Double Dare" that puts audience members through the show's messy obstacles. More on culture Bradley Cooper James Nachtwey for The New York Times The Times Magazine interviewed actors off-duty. See what stars do when they aren't shooting films. In Paris, booksellers on the Seine will be allowed to remain during the Olympics. They had threatened to barricade their stalls. Jeffrey Wright recently earned his first Oscar nomination, for "American Fiction." Read his story. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Testani for The New York Times Marinate chicken thighs in soy sauce, garlic, ginger and pineapple juice to make Seattle-style teriyaki. Give your photos a vintage look. Wash your comforter. Use sound machines to help you focus at work. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was evolving. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. 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