Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dropped out of the race. Finally. Good riddance.

It’s about time we put an end to this farce. Here was a man who had every opportunity to carry on the Kennedy legacy, to stand for something meaningful, to be a voice of reason in a world full of noise.

Instead, he turned into a walking conspiracy theory, a symbol of what happens when privilege collides with paranoia.

At first, it seemed like maybe, just maybe, he’d be a voice for reason and change. But then he went off the conspiracy deep end, swapping the legacy of courage and progress for the dubious honor of being the poster child for every nutjob with a Wi-Fi connection.

And now? Now he’s out. The guy who could’ve used his name for something good ended up using it to chase shadows and stir up fear.

It’s almost tragic, really. The Kennedy name used to mean something—a fight for justice, a push for progress. But Robert F. Kennedy Jr. managed to drag it through mud. This is the guy who:

This is the guy who:

• Claimed that vaccines cause autism, despite overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary.
• Promoted the idea that 5G technology is part of a massive government conspiracy to control the population.
• Echoes conspiracy theories about fluoridated water.
• Expressed support for the notion that the COVID-19 pandemic was deliberately planned by global elites to exert control over the population.
• Floated the idea that Bill Gates and other billionaires are using vaccines to implant microchips in people to track them.
• Claimed that the CIA was involved in the assassination of his father, Robert F. Kennedy, without substantial evidence.
• Suggested that HIV does not cause AIDS, aligning himself with discredited theories that have been widely debunked.

So now we’re down to Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Pundits are already claiming that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s exit might help Trump, but you know what? That’s okay. Sometimes it’s best to keep the lucid and the loony on opposite sides of the fence.

And maybe we can focus on a real election, one where the stakes are high, and the choices actually matter. His departure could very well shift the dynamics, but at least it’s a shift toward clarity. And choice.

If nothing else, Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have at least taught us something: Republicans are no longer even pretending to engage in rational debate.

They’ve lost the intellectual battles on gender rights, minority rights, gay marriage, global warming, and the war on drugs. Instead of reassessing or reformulating their positions, they’ve pivoted to something far more insidious: they’ve embraced absurdity, not despite its dangers but because of them.

Let’s not mince words. The Republican strategy is one of gleeful ignorance, parading incompetence as a badge of honor. When Marjorie Taylor Greene spews conspiracy theories or when Donald Trump spreads demonstrable lies, it’s not a slip-up—it’s the playbook. This isn’t a party floundering in the face of complexity; it’s a party reveling in the simplicity of outrage.

Their leaders aren’t just out of their depth; they’re drowning in a sea of willful ignorance, pulling their supporters under with them. What’s worse, the base is cheering them on, not in spite of the nonsense but precisely because of it. The more unhinged the rhetoric, the louder the applause.

Why? Because the Republicans have nothing left but rage. They’ve lost the argument on climate change—science is settled, the world is burning, and they’re still clutching coal like a rosary. They’ve lost the argument on LGBTQ+ rights, with public opinion now firmly on the side of equality. They’ve lost the argument on race, as more Americans recognize systemic injustice and demand change.

So what’s left? They’ve decided to scorch the earth. To flood the zone with bullshit. If they can’t win a debate, they’ll make debate itself impossible. It’s a strategy of last resort.

This isn’t conservatism. It’s nihilism. It’s the politics of destruction, where the goal isn’t to win over the undecided but to make the whole thing so toxic, so utterly unbearable, that rational people simply throw up their hands in despair.

But here’s the thing: we can’t afford to give up. Because while they’re busy clowning around, the world is still turning. Climate change isn’t pausing for their antics. LGBTQ+ youth are still suffering from their bigotry. And the most vulnerable in our society are still paying the price for their ignorance.

Democrats must highlight the difference beginning Monday with the convention.

Republicans have chosen absurdity as their last stand. They’ve traded in competence for chaos, reason for rage. They aren’t here to govern—they’re here to burn it all down. And they’re laughing while they do it.

Time to reject Chaos Governance.