Robert F. Kennedy Jr. put the squeeze on Aspen Saturday, but it had nothing to do with arm twisting or political pressure.
Rather, Kennedy told a capacity crowd at Paepcke Auditorium that it is crucial for them to work hard for Democrat Barack Obama to wring every vote possible from Aspen and Pitkin County.
“If we win this state [Colorado], Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States,” said Kennedy.
And if Barack Obama is elected president, he added, he will put the U.S. on a path to energy independence, enact a comprehensive health care plan and restore international trust in America.
“All we need is the leadership and Barack Obama is that leader,” Kennedy told the enthusiastic crowd.
Kennedy — whose family roots include his father, the late Robert F. Kennedy (a U.S. senator and attorney general); an uncle, the late John F. Kennedy (U.S. president); and another uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) — stopped in Aspen during a campaign trip that included other appearances in Colorado and New Mexico.
Zach Ornitz/Aspen Daily NewsRobert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama at Paepcke Auditorium on Saturday. As an active environmentalist, Kennedy praised Obama for his alternative energy plan.
Opening his remarks, Kennedy said he has been coming to Aspen for 50 years. “It’s like a second home,” he said.
An environmental lawyer, Kennedy spoke for about 20 minutes and spent much of that time addressing U.S. energy issues. He said Obama has promised to get the U.S. off its reliance on foreign oil within 10 years.
“It is possible,” he said.
Kennedy pointed to countries such as Iceland, Sweden, Brazil, Israel and Costa Rica, which are cutting their reliance on carbon-based energy, and said it’s possible for this country to do the same thing within the free-market system.
“We can do this very quickly,” he argued.
Part of Obama’s plan calls for creating a “new backbone” to deliver wind power into the nationwide electric grid. If implemented, Kennedy said, Obama’s plan would create conditions that would force the price of electricity down to “almost nothing.”
“That’s what Barack Obama will do for our country,” he said.
lburton@aspendailynews.com
