Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. running as an independent would derail the 2024 race, strategists told The Post, predicting that the scion of one of America’s most famous families will take votes away from both of the major candidates. matches.
RFK Jr., 69, is expected to confirm his third-party candidacy on Monday, abandoning his previous affiliation with the Democratic Party, where some polls put him at 20% in a national primary against President Biden.
Although an independent candidacy would pose some complications for Kennedy, including having to put his name on the ballot in every state, the party switch will end up being a boon for the environmental lawyer and vaccine advocate, the Washington-based Republican strategist said. South Carolina. Dave Wilson.
For Democratic-leaning voters, Wilson said, Kennedy would provide a “needed alternative” to the 80-year-old commander in chief.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during The World Values Network’s presidential candidate series looking at fighting anti-Semitism and defending Israel.REUTERS
However, Wilson added, Kennedy’s persistent questioning of the COVID-19 vaccine could also turn off voters who would otherwise support the Republican front-runner, former President Donald Trump.
Polls show that a sizable portion of voters appear to fear a rematch between Biden and Trump, and an Oct. 4 Marquette Law School poll showed that 16% of registered voters would vote for someone else in that case or I wouldn’t vote at all.
Kennedy “would probably draw some support from both parties,” agreed Republican strategist John Thomas, who predicted that a Kennedy candidacy would draw more support than Biden’s support, given the enthusiasm of the 45th president’s “rock-solid” base. .
Kennedy has been denounced by members of his family and many members of the Democratic Party for his fringe positions on vaccines and the coronavirus.Getty Images
“I imagine RFK Jr. is more of a problem for Biden as an independent than as a Democrat, because Biden was able to crush him by ignoring him,” Thomas said.
“Believe [going independent] He’s smart. He certainly wasn’t going to get the Democratic nomination,” agreed Jason Roe, a Republican strategist and former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party.
Roe added that Kennedy would likely “benefit more from center-right voters,” while another newly independent candidate, Cornel West, would benefit more from the “progressive left who are unhappy” with Biden.
Trump could face a tight race with Biden, with some national polls showing a virtual tie. Getty Images Biden is running for a second term with low support for his current presidency, according to polls.Shutterstock
Democratic strategist Brad Bannon predicted that Kennedy wouldn’t have “much impact” on the president’s vote share, especially not as much as West or a potential candidate put forward by the centrist group No Labels.
“If it has any impact, it will have as much impact on Republicans as it does on Democrats,” Bannon said, citing Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric.
In addition to his expected independent announcement at noon Monday in Philadelphia, RFK Jr. has also been invited to address an event hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference later this month in Las Vegas.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn