Sept. 11, 1964 - Robert F. Kennedy (right) rejected the Democratic party today, denounced the voters, refused campaign contributions, and said he wanted no applause. He wanted only to be let alone.
He is Robert F. Kennedy of 210 West 103rd Street, and he is not related to the Democratic nominee for Senator in New York. But he was unmistakably irritated this week by all the phone calls, threats, invitations, unwanted advice he has been receiving through the mail, and the checks and cash intended to help win the race against the Republican candidate, Senator Kenneth B. Keating.
Today, a stranger rang the bell of the wrong Mr. Kennedy, an unemployed construction worker, congratulated him on winning the nomination, and offered to help him beat Mr. Keating.
Mr. Kennedy shook the man’s hand, explained the mistake, and hastily closed the door. Then the telephone rang with a long-distance call from Utica, later one from Los Angeles, still later, one from New Orleans. He has received 100 wrong telephone calls this week.
“Look, I’m not the Honorable Robert F. Kennedy,” he snapped into the phone, clicking the receiver down. Then Mr. Kennedy tried to call THE Robert F. Kennedy at the Carlyle Hotel, where the former Attorney General often stays, but the switchboard operator cut him short:
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Kennedy cannot be reached.”
This further irritated the nonpolitical Kennedy, and when the mailman arrived with several letters addressed to Honorable Robert F. Kennedy — some reflecting dollar bills — Mr. Kennedy was briefly tempted to compensate himself for all the trouble he has been through.
But instead, being honorable himself, he took the subway down to Democratic headquarters in mid-Manhattan and spoke to one of the campaign workers behind a desk.
“Look,” he began, hesitatingly, “I’m Robert F. Kennedy…”
“Yeah,” the man cut in quickly, hardly listening, “you want to help us?”
“No,” Mr. Kennedy said sharply, “I want to help myself.”
He explained how — being the only Robert F. Kennedy in the Manhattan telephone directory — he had been the victim of unwanted attention. On being advised to change his telephone number, he reminded the campaign worker that, unlike the candidate, he had been a city resident for two years.
The 59-year-old nonpolitical Kennedy comes from a long line of Robert F. Kennedys, natives of Bray, in County Wicklow, near Dublin.
He and his family have long been Democrats. “But,” said Mr. Kennedy, “after the way I’ve been treated today, I’ll say one thing — I’m not voting for Bobby Kennedy in the Senate race, be sure of that!”
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