RFK's campaign (will run as independent/third-party) (1 Viewer)

[samiam5211]

It looks like he's going to be on the ticket in November. I think he should get his own thread. He's about to become well funded, and it's going to be a professionally run campaign no doubt. I don't think it's out of the question that he get's Perot like numbers, and even if he get's 1/4 of that it could be a disaster for the Biden campaign that is probably looking at a few thousand votes in a few states turning the election anyway.

There is going to be money behind this campaign from all sorts of angles. No matter what anyone thinks about RFK, it would be a terrible mistake to not take this campaign seriously. He might take some from Trump for sure, but he's going to take more of the anti Trump vote from Biden, and Biden can't really spare any votes. Not all people who were going to vote for Biden would disagree with the things RFK has said about vaccines, and he's not going to be spending his time campaigning on just vaccine skepticism.

There are many more people voting for Biden who aren't enthusiastic about Biden than there are on the other side.

MSN

Asuper PAC supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has begun polling his support as an Independent, one of the strongest indications to date that the long-shot Democrat is set to announce a party affiliation switch.

The poll, conducted by the firm John Zogby Strategies and commissioned by the American Values 2024 PAC, comes amid growing speculation — fueled by Kennedy himself — that he will leave the Democratic Party in the upcoming weeks.

 

[Lapaz]

That’s not an accident. They are tailoring his policies to pull from Biden. He is lying about his positions to attract Biden voters. His NY State chair even floated the idea he has been promised a Cabinet position if Trump wins. This is as dirty a political trick as there can be. He’s going along with it because he’s a malignant narcissist almost on Trump’s level.

I don't know if it is just to pull from Biden, because he was a Democrat, so it would stand to reason that he probably held a lot of positions that were aligned with the Democratic Party. I think it just happens that his anti-vax position is largely associated with Republicans. I've heard him speak, and he comes across as a quack to me, but I'm concerned that he will appeal to many Democrats. I heard a couple of Biden voters on a panel today saying as much.

 

[samiam5211]

You're looking at what JFK Jr.'s campaign managers have put in writing.

His campaign managers who wrote those policy positions are pro-Trump and trying to use JFK Jr. to pull votes from Biden.

Voters are going to focus more on what JFK Jr. actually says and has said.

What JFK Jr. says now and has been saying for years runs very contrary to what his campaign managers have written down.

I don't think many voters are going to be influenced by the article you quoted. I think they are going to be more influenced by the words that actually come out of JFK Jr.'s mouth and how he sounds when he says them.

If JFK Jr. thinks he's being attacked by Biden and Trump now, just wait until Biden and Trump actually start attacking him full on.

The other thing that I think people who focus on politics a a lot (everyone posting here) don't realize is that for most people, the concern over being anti-vax was a covid era topic, that the majority of people just don't place very high on their priority list in a non covid environment, which is where we are increasingly entering.

There aren't many people who are going to have vaccine acceptance on their minds when they vote in November.

It all depends on how RFK's campaign is run, and I don't really expect them to start doing much until the summer. If he focuses on his progressive policies, he's going to take more liberals who are tired of the mainstream democratic party.

They are going to have money, so i have no doubt that by the meat of the campaign, he is going to have competent people running the campaign. Who ends up running his campaign in July and August is going to determine how much success he has.

It is only going to take RFK pulling a couple of percent more from Biden than he does Trump in a few states to change the election.

Biden's people really need to be trying to get RFK to drop out and endorse him, even if that means giving crazy concessions. I think RFK being on the ballot is going to end up making it nearly impossible to beat Trump.

I hope no one takes this post as an endorsement of RFK. No one should be voting for him.

 

[LA - L.A.]

The other thing that I think people who focus on politics a a lot (everyone posting here) don't realize is that for most people, the concern over being anti-vax was a covid era topic, that the majority of people just don't place very high on their priority list in a non covid environment, which is where we are increasingly entering.

I think this underestimates the many parents who are worried about their vaccinated children getting infected by unvaccinated children.

The far right keeps fighting against mandatory vaccinations which keeps the topic more of an issue.

The biggest issue to voters right now is women's autonomy. JFK's Jr's stance on that I don't think is a comfortable one to those who support Biden's stance on that issue. JFK's Jr's VP stance that IVF is a lie and a scam, further drives away Biden voters from JFK Jr.

I think people mistakenly started their logic at, "he's a Kennedy, so of course more Democrats will support him," before they heard much from JFK Jr. himself. Now that they have, I see a lot of logic twisting to try to justify their original mistaken assumption instead of just adjusting to the reality of how things are unfolding so far.

All indications are that JFK Jr. will not actual pull many votes at all and most likely not enough to change the outcome in any election. He's been pouring millions of dollars into getting enough signatures to get on states's ballots and has been struggling. He's struggling so bad to get enough people to sign his petitions, that he's trying to outsource the effort in a way that the Federal Elections Commission has indicated is illegal.

I don't think Trump or Biden need to fear JFK Jr. Historically, the more public presence he has, the less he's generally liked. That's why he's focusing mostly on a short-form social media presence. He can't get enough votes to sway the election doing that and if he moves beyond that, he'll lose more support than he gains.

Biden and Trump don't have to deal with him until he's on enough ballots in enough states to make any difference. If that happens, Biden will make it clear, using videos of JFK JR's own words, that make it clear he's more like Trump than Biden. If and when that happens, Trump will have no choice but to attack JFK Jr too, and that will be the end of JFK Jr's presidential bid.

JFK Jr's got the luxury of skating by without opposition right now, because he's not a real threat until he actually gets on ballots. Look at how well Haley did before she was a threat versus how much she dropped once Trump treated her as a threat.

Remember just a few months ago when so many people were either worried about or championing the No Labels party?

 

[samiam5211]

I think this underestimates the many parents who are worried about their vaccinated children getting infected by unvaccinated children.

The far right keeps fighting against mandatory vaccinations which keeps the topic more of an issue.

The biggest issue to voters right now is women's autonomy. JFK's Jr's stance on that I don't think is a comfortable one to those who support Biden's stance on that issue. JFK's Jr's VP stance that IVF is a lie and a scam, further drives away Biden voters from JFK Jr.

I think people mistakenly started their logic at, "he's a Kennedy, so of course more Democrats will support him," before they heard much from JFK Jr. himself. Now that they have, I see a lot of logic twisting to try to justify their original mistaken assumption instead of just adjusting to the reality of how things are unfolding so far.

All indications are that JFK Jr. will not actual pull many votes at all and most likely not enough to change the outcome in any election. He's been pouring millions of dollars into getting enough signatures to get on states's ballots and has been struggling. He's struggling so bad to get enough people to sign his petitions, that he's trying to outsource the effort in a way that the Federal Elections Commission has indicated is illegal.

I don't think Trump or Biden need to fear JFK Jr. Historically, the more public presence he has, the less he's generally liked. That's why he's focusing mostly on a short-form social media presence. He can't get enough votes to sway the election doing that and if he moves beyond that, he'll lose more support than he gains.

Biden and Trump don't have to deal with him until he's on enough ballots in enough states to make any difference. If that happens, Biden will make it clear, using videos of JFK JR's own words, that make it clear he's more like Trump than Biden. If and when that happens, Trump will have no choice but to attack JFK Jr too, and that will be the end of JFK Jr's presidential bid.

JFK Jr's got the luxury of skating by without opposition right now, because he's not a real threat until he actually gets on ballots. Look at how well Haley did before she was a threat versus how much she dropped once Trump treated her as a threat.

Remember just a few months ago when so many people were either worried about or championing the No Labels party?

We will see. I hope I'm wrong and Biden wins easily.

 

[MT15]

I don’t think RFK Jr will stand up to any sort of major scrutiny. Not to democrats, anyway. Rs have no scruples left since they have supported Trump, so who knows with them.

He has so many scandals in his past, and I’m only a casual reader about him.

 

[LA - L.A.]

We will see. I hope I'm wrong and Biden wins easily.

I hear you and the same. I'm not predicting so much as just saying how I see things unfolding based on right now. Something could happen a second after right now that changes everything.

 

[SFIDC3]

I don’t think RFK Jr will stand up to any sort of major scrutiny. Not to democrats, anyway. Rs have no scruples left since they have supported Trump, so who knows with them.

He has so many scandals in his past, and I’m only a casual reader about him.

FWIW.....anecdotal and all but, I know 2 folks that are RWNJ's (my wife's cousin and her husband) that were very much Trumpers and now appear to be supporting RFK Jr......

These folks are so far gone nothing would surprise me but I take it as at least a chance that he siphons away some of the Trump vote....we will see....

 

[Optimus Prime]

 

[Optimus Prime]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine former President Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, niece of former President John F. Kennedy and sister of the current presidential contender, will deliver the endorsements of Biden, his campaign announced.

The decision to highlight the Kennedy family endorsement more than six months from Election Day is an indication of how seriously Biden’s team is taking the threat of the long shot bid potentially using his last name’s lingering Democratic magic to siphon off support from the president.…..

Biden scores endorsements from Kennedy family, looking to shore up support against Trump and RFK Jr

President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia as he aims to undermine former President Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F.

apnews.com

 

[superchuck500]

 

[MT15]

The people who know him best know he has no business running for president.

 

[J-DONK]

If Trump gets convicted, I do think this guy shaves off a decent single digit, if not double digit amount of Republicans. No matter what they are screwed, there are Republicans who won't vote for convicted felon, and any replacement won't have the full support of the party(god help them if the replacement is pro-vax like Trump).

 

[superchuck500]

 

[MT15]

 

[MT15]

 

[Optimus Prime]

"The Wuhan Cover-Up" blares the subject line of a recent presidential campaign email. Inside, it's all impenetrable conspiracy theory language that reads more like a QAnon post than a normal political fundraiser:

Why wasn’t Dr. Anthony Fauci charged with a crime, when he lied under oath about his relationships with Peter Daszak and Ralph Baric in order to cover-up Wuhan Coronavirus research? Apparently, lying under oath is only a crime when it contradicts established narratives.

Zombie COVID-19 conspiracy theories? False and defamatory accusations? QAnon-style rhetoric designed to overwhelm and bamboozle the reader?

These abusive tactics are all the red flags of MAGA communication. To be certain, fundraising emails across the partisan spectrum can be alarmist and hyperbolic, but accusing innocent people of crimes and spreading lies about deadly diseases are lines most candidates don't cross.

The exception, of course, is Donald Trump and his imitators, like Arizona's Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake. But outside of the MAGA universe, such tactics are frowned upon for two reasons. One, it's downright evil. Two, it wouldn't work on voters who are outside of the MAGA bubble, as normal people tend to be turned off by slander and overt disinformation.

But curiously this email did not come from Trump or Lake or any other figures associated with the ethics-free world of MAGA campaigning. It came, readers may not be surprised to learn, from the campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate.

The conventional wisdom in Washington has long been that Kennedy is running a spoiler campaign against President Joe Biden, trying to siphon off enough Democratic votes that Donald Trump wins the election. After all, Kennedy used to be a Democrat and his name is so famous his family had to hold a presser disavowing his candidacy.

This email, however, seems squarely aimed at would-be Trump voters, the only people so soaked in pandemic paranoia and conspiracy theories that any of this would even make sense to them. It's a weird choice for someone trying to undermine Biden's chances!

It makes sense, however, if we assume that Kennedy's main priority with his fake run for president is not to spoil the race, but to draw attention and recruit new marks for his longstanding anti-vaccination grift. If you're looking for gullible people who will give you money to lie to them, you will be far more successful appealing to Trump voters than Biden voters.

For months, polls have shown that Kennedy is taking away more voters from Biden than Trump, based mostly on Democrats who are dissatisfied with Biden and who knew little about Kennedy besides his name. That's shifted recently. A new NBC News poll shows Biden is two points behind Trump in a two-way race, but two points ahead of Trump if Kennedy is an option.

In a Marist poll, Biden's three-point lead widens to five points if Kennedy is on the ballot. It appears the more voters learn about Kennedy — that he's anti-vaccine, a conspiracy theorist, and an all-around weirdo — the more Democrats are turned off and the more MAGA voters are intrigued.............

RFK is openly gunning for Trump voters now

Kennedy wants more marks for his anti-vaccination grift — he'll find way more of them by marketing to MAGA

www.salon.com

 

[LA - L.A.]

"The Wuhan Cover-Up" blares the subject line of a recent presidential campaign email. Inside, it's all impenetrable conspiracy theory language that reads more like a QAnon post than a normal political fundraiser:


Zombie COVID-19 conspiracy theories? False and defamatory accusations? QAnon-style rhetoric designed to overwhelm and bamboozle the reader?

These abusive tactics are all the red flags of MAGA communication. To be certain, fundraising emails across the partisan spectrum can be alarmist and hyperbolic, but accusing innocent people of crimes and spreading lies about deadly diseases are lines most candidates don't cross.

Channeling Ross Perot, "that giant sucking sound is votes being sucked away from Trump."

RFK Jr. is running to appease his own ego and hubris. Since Trump is attacking and insulting RFK Jr., RFK Jr. is going to hit back at Trump by trying to take away as many votes from Trump as he can.

The best thing Biden can do is stay out of the fray and let Trump and JFK Jr. have at each other.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Robert F. Kennedy Jnr, the presumptive third-party candidate in the 2024 presidential election, summoned the nation’s media on Wednesday to an office building in downtown Brooklyn, next door to Norm’s Pizza, to make a “major announcement.”

Admittedly, the threshold for major announcements at this point in the campaign calendar, the dead zone between primaries and the conventions, is extremely low, but even by those standards, he fell drastically short.

What he delivered, instead, was a meandering PowerPoint presentation that he used to demonstrate that he was not a spoiler candidate (that’s the term given to when one political candidate who will clearly lose draws enough votes away from another candidate to ensure their defeat). Given that “spoiler candidate” has become something of an unofficial slogan for Mr Kennedy’s campaign, he faced an uphill battle.

After an uncomfortable minute spent trying to find his opening slide, Mr Kennedy presented a dizzying array of maps and polls and tweets to make his argument.

He brought to the screen a “mammoth” Zogby poll commissioned by his campaign, with a sample size of 26,408 people — statistical overkill, in other words — that showed president Joe Biden would lose to former president Donald Trump in a head-to-head race if the election was held today.

The same poll showed Mr Kennedy narrowly beating Trump, he said, in a head-to-head-race. He invited the press to check his numbers at (www.kennedy24.com/spoiler).

The problem here, of course, is that Mr Kennedy is not the Democratic Party candidate, and unless he convinces the Democrats not to field a candidate for the first time in the party’s history, head-to-head polls don’t mean much.…..

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/Robert%20F.%20Kennedy%20Jr%E2%80%99s%202024%20presidential%20campaign%20is%20him%20promising%20that%20he%E2%80%99s%20not%20the%20spoiler%20candidate