Drew Magary

F*ck American Royalty

Let’s declare a thousand-year ban on the Kennedys, the Bushes, the Clintons, and, yes, the Trumps

Rep. Joe Kennedy III takes the stage before introducing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) during her event announcing her official bid for President on February 9, 2019 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Last week, Massachusetts Congressman Joe Kennedy III announced his candidacy for the Senate, aiming to unseat current Democratic incumbent Ed Markey, who has held the office since 2013. Kennedy has served in Congress for just as long, and in those six years he has distinguished himself by… well, he hasn’t really distinguished himself at all.

Kennedy took over for former Congressional stalwart Barney Frank, and you’d be forgiven if you thought Frank was still in that office, given that he remains such a prominent and combative voice in the national conversation. Though Kennedy tends to vote along progressive lines, GovTrack found that this chip off the chip off the brother of the old block sponsored six bills that eventually became law: one for every year he’s served. Three of those bills were substantive in nature, including the POWER Act, designed to steer pro bono legal representation to victims of domestic violence. But three others were mostly ceremonial, including a bill to honor the 100th birthday of Kennedy’s great uncle, President John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy touts himself as someone committed to “working across the aisle,” which makes him…