I need to have someone explain an article to me

The article, at the New York Times, is called "Another Kennedy Living Dangerously."  The little promo for it at the NY Times website — the one that's supposed to have you clicking over to read the full article, says "The environmentalist turns crusader and goes out on a political limb. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. takes on a cause that Democrats shy away from and Republicans scorn as a conspiracy theory." 

Read the article and you get a reminder that Kennedy wrote yet one more "coming from the Left" article about how the Republicans stole the 2004 election.  Because of his Kennedy cachet, he got the Rolling Stones as the venue for his conspiracy theory.  He also got to tout it a lot at Air America.  The article also says he, in concert with Al Gore and Laurie David, is an "environmental crusader."  

The article implies that Kennedy is living on some sort of political cliff, with one foot over the edge.  Considering that he's espousing causes near and dear to the liberal heart, and that he's in synch with everything the NY Times believes, where's the danger?  Is it that he likes slightly risky sports?  Is the NY Times actually implying that, if you have a political agenda contrary to the Republicans, your life is at risk?

Can anyone explain this to me?