# Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s health

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-health/454866>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 1, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-health/454866 "2008-07-01T05:33:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-health/454866/1 "2008-07-01T05:33:22Z")

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I just saw Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on tv. His voice sounded extremely shaky, like someone who’s about to break down in tears . . . and it sounded somewhat tentative, even when he was making a strong point. Does he have some health problem that I’m unaware of?

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-health/454866/2 "2008-07-01T06:33:14Z")

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No clue about his health, but it may be related to his uncle’s illness.

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**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-health/454866/3 "2008-07-01T06:36:55Z")

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[QUOTE=panache45]  
I just saw Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on tv. His voice sounded extremely shaky, like someone who’s about to break down in tears  
[/QUOTE]

That is how he always sounds to me.

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-health/454866/4 "2008-07-01T07:26:02Z")

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[QUOTE=panache45]  
I just saw Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on tv. His voice sounded extremely shaky, like someone who’s about to break down in tears . . . and it sounded somewhat tentative, even when he was making a strong point. Does he have some health problem that I’m unaware of?  
[/QUOTE]  
He did a lot of drugs in his punk rock days. Partying hard with [Jello Biafra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Kennedys) night after night takes it out of you.

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-health/454866/5 "2008-07-01T10:53:40Z")

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. [suffers from spasmodic dysphonia](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/fashion/25bobby.html?ex=1308888000&en=4366351657b8045b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss), a genetic neurological condition that results is a quavering voice that often sounds like the person is choking up. NPR talk show host Diane Rehm has the same condition.

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**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-health/454866/6 "2008-07-01T14:54:46Z")

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Interesting. I saw him speak a few years back and just assumed that, since he made his living talking to crowds all the time, he had blown out his voice and hadn’t taken enough time off to let it recover.