Democrats are taking extraordinary steps to prevent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from hindering their efforts to keep the White House in November.
From rallying Kennedy’s family around President Biden, to dumping opposition research and holding press briefings about how he helps former President Trump, Democrats watching Kennedy qualify for more state ballots are pulling out all the stops to prevent him from hurting Biden in the fall.
With both challenges now in the rear view, Democrats are focusing on what could come next.
While Biden doesn’t criticize Kennedy, he’s taken some not-so-subtle steps to show voters that RFK Jr. is an outlier among members of his political dynasty.
As an independent, Kennedy’s supporter base is not neatly defined, but Democrats say he most likely will draw from Biden’s voters.
That thinking has worried pro-Biden Democrats who see their mission this election as preserving democracy from a second Trump presidency.
While Democrats groan about an anti-establishment candidate funneling millions to fuel his campaign, Kennedy allies view it positively.
Democrats are urging each other to come together, arguing the Trump political operation is working to build him up.
Democrats are acting remarkably to stop Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from impeding their intentions to hold onto the White House in November.
Democrats, witnessing Kennedy qualify for additional state ballots, are doing everything in their power to keep him from harming President Biden come fall, from uniting Kennedy’s family around Biden to discarding opposition research and hosting press conferences about how he supports former President Trump.
Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, who has counseled Biden’s presidential campaigns, stated, “There’s no education in the second kick of the mule.”. “In 2016, we witnessed the influence of non-governmental candidates on the electoral process. Additionally, we observed what might be a problem with the lack of knowledge regarding the long-term implications of voting for those candidates for the nation. “.
He continued, “The effects of the 2016 election are now being felt in 2024.”.
In recent weeks, Kennedy has made a number of noteworthy choices that have drawn the attention of Democrats, such as declaring he would not run on the Libertarian Party ticket and selecting Nicole Shanahan as his wealthy running mate.
His approach worries Democrats hoping to maintain Biden’s electoral coalition. Kennedy’s financial struggles were alleviated by the fact that he might not finish the campaign, given the high cost of requesting votes in every state. They also had high hopes that he would weaken Biden’s support base and instead gain ground on Trump when he was considering a Libertarian candidacy.
Democrats are concentrating on what might happen next now that both challenges are behind them.
Representative Matt Corridoni of the Democratic National Committee, which has established a new department tasked with thwarting Kennedy’s White House bid, stated that voters will have a clear choice in November and that the more they learn about RFK Jr., the more they will realize that a vote for him is a vote for Donald Trump.
“We’ll make sure he’s following the rules and we’ll educate voters about his extreme positions and the people who are supporting his spoiler candidacy,” Corridoni declared.
Kennedy spent a large portion of his campaign considering running as a Libertarian, just in case things in the Independent lane didn’t work out. On the other hand, he categorically rejected the notion on Sunday, claiming it was outside the scope of his calculations and voicing assurance that he would receive enough votes to qualify for a third-party showing in November.
“We won’t be running Libertarian because we won’t have any trouble getting on the ballot ourselves,” Kennedy said to ABC News this past weekend.
A few days later, he was eligible for Michigan, the most important state thus far, making four states total—New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, and Michigan—in his battleground portfolio. His campaign is running in nine different states.
Democrats have been fiercely retaliating. This week, Biden was spotted with Kennedy family members who have united to support the president-elect. Despite not criticizing Kennedy, Biden has demonstrated to voters through some less than subtle actions that RFK Jr. is the exception among his dynasty of political figures.
Rahna Epting, the executive director of MoveOn, the progressive Democratic organization that spearheaded the anti-Kennedy campaign, stated, “His own family is endorsing President Biden today because they know that his ideas are dangerous and he will only help Donald Trump’s reelection.”.
Although Democrats believe Kennedy will most likely attract Biden’s supporters, his base of support is not clearly defined as an independent. Democrats in favor of Biden, whose goal in this election is to protect democracy from a second Trump presidency, are concerned about that line of thinking. All of that is thrown off balance by Kennedy’s campaign, which also sparked a Democratic resource frenzy aimed at undermining his chances of making it to the general election.
According to Seawright, “you’re starting to see the various corners of the Democratic square intersect and come together at a critical time in the campaign season because base consolidation is so important.”.
He declared, “A lot more people ought to believe that you can sit on ignorance and shout about substance.”.
Kennedy’s future now rests on a more thorough state-by-state plan, which pollsters say is challenging but doable given enough time and resources. By selecting a vice president who had recently contributed to his campaign’s funding, he successfully handled the financial issue.
For both Democrats and Kennedy allies, the selection of Shanahan—a tech patent attorney and multimillionaire from Silicon Valley—marked the beginning of a more serious campaign that might last until the fall.
Democrats suspect that Shanahan tapped Kennedy in part to help fund what is expected to be an expensive bid for nationwide ballot access. This week, Shanahan contributed $2 million to Kennedy’s campaign, shortly after he announced her as his running mate.
Kennedy is benefiting even though he disputes selecting Shanahan for her money. His victory to gain ballot access in Michigan marked the beginning of his new mission to quickly cross off several states. “We plan to add two to three states every week,” he stated to ABC News.
The Hill requested a statement from Kennedy’s campaign.
The most significant support Shanahan’s campaign is expected to receive is the amount of his money, which Democrats are speculating on. Kennedy supporters see it favorably, despite Democrats’ complaints that an anti-establishment candidate is using millions of dollars to support his campaign.
A source with knowledge of Kennedy’s operations conjectured to The Hill, “I would say she’s a billionaire.”. Shanahan has not disclosed to the public her net worth or liquid assets.
The funds are crucial because they help the campaign advance its tactical goals and give it a distinct appearance from that of the presumed Democratic and Republican nominees.
“If necessary, you can employ foot soldiers to gather signatures,” the Kennedy ally remarked. Then, in order to counter all of the arguments that the two parties are making, you can also engage the most capable and astute flood gate piped-in ballot access political lawyers. “.
Democrats are also attempting to draw a stronger link between Kennedy and Trump in an effort to highlight his opinions on vaccine skepticism and other scientific and medical advances. Democrats are trying to place him more in the Republican camp on issues like abortion and in vitro fertilization (IVF) since his ticket’s position on women’s rights has come under scrutiny more recently.
Kennedy, Robert Jr. argues that Epting, whose organization mobilizes popular grassroots support for those social issues, is leading an anti-IVF, anti-vaccine, and anti-abortion ticket that has no chance of garnering 270 electoral votes.
In his part, Trump is manipulating Kennedy in his own way. He has supported the independent’s candidacy and given him credit for running in a more overtly positive manner. The former president has declared that he “knows him very well” and that he thinks Kennedy will cause Biden pain in their impending rematch.
Democrats, claiming that Trump’s political operation is bolstering him, are pleading with one another to unite.
In reference to the Democratic Party’s approach, Seawright remarked, “We can do more than one thing at the same time.”. To be quite honest, we currently have the means to accomplish it. The players we have on the field are capable of doing it. “.
“It’s true about education at this point in the cycle,” he stated. “Teaching the American people not only about what we’ve done, but also about those who are opposing and will eliminate that.”. educating people about the current threats and the potential for them to grow more serious and widespread,” he stated. But also educating people about the negative effects of a divided electorate. “.
Seawright continued, “This cycle doesn’t present a one-time opportunity.”. “It’s not a binary decision. “.
