Campaign Coverage

December 05, 2023

RFK Jr Files Lawsuit Against Utah for ‘Unconstitutional Early Deadline’ Practices

KSL TV reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has filed a federal lawsuit against Utah’s state officials, claiming they are limiting his presidential bid on Monday. According to the filed complaint, Kennedy Jr. is accusing Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and Ryan Cowley, Director of Elections of the State of Utah, of enforcing an “unconstitutional early deadline imposed only on unaffiliated independent candidates for the Office of President of the United States.” “Independent/unaffiliated candidates for the Office of President of the United States must collect and verify 1,000 petition signatures before they may file their ‘2024 Certificate of Nomination for Unaffiliated Candidate’… which must be filed between the dates of Jan. 2, 2024 and Jan. 8, 2024,” the complaint states. According to the complaint, Kennedy Jr.’s campaign must collect and file 1,000 valid petition signatures, which must be validated by election clerks and filed to the State of Utah before the deadline. “No state in the history of the United States has sought to impose such an early date to collect, validate and file ballot access petitions to secure ballot access for the general election to be held on the far-off date of Nov. 5, 2024,” the complaint states. The complaint alleges that the early deadline for Utah’s 2024 election is “a severe violation of rights guaranteed under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution for which the State of Utah has no compelling nor legitimate interest to enforce.” Read the full article here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

December 04, 2023

RFK Jr. Allies Say They’ll Spend Over $10 Million on Ballot Access

New York Times reports: A super PAC backing the independent presidential candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is planning to spend $10 million to $15 million to get Mr. Kennedy on the ballot in 10 states, a substantial effort that, even if partly successful, could heighten Democratic concerns about his potential to play the role of spoiler in 2024. The states, which include several battlegrounds, are among the country’s most populous and carry, between them, 210 Electoral College votes — Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York and Texas. Mr. Kennedy’s campaign, as well as efforts from No Labels, the Green Party and other independent candidates, have worried President Biden’s campaign and its Democratic allies. They fear that such campaigns could siphon votes away from Mr. Biden and tilt the election toward his likely Republican opponent, former President Donald J. Trump. States make their own rules governing ballot access. Independent candidates must navigate a labyrinthine network governing signature collections and financial reporting requirements. The effort is time-consuming and expensive. Tony Lyons, the super PAC’s co-founder, said that the goal was to get Mr. Kennedy on the ballot in every state, but that the group was focusing on the 10 states where it expected the most difficulty, particularly in terms of expensive legal challenges. “That’s where we believe we can have the most impact,” he said. Read the full article here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

December 04, 2023

The Falconer

The Front Porch Republic reports: Months ago when our interest in Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was first kindling, a friend said to me, “How can we not be curious? He’s a falconer for Christ’s sake.” A joke, yes, but a revealing one. RFK Jr. didn’t merely stick out because he wasn’t the other candidates; RFK Jr. stuck out because of a quality of aliveness—an intensity and fullness of aliveness. In a time which can seem an all-out attempt at collective disassociation, a general rapturing into the false heaven of the Internet, it was refreshing to stumble upon a presidential candidate enamored of primary things, of the holiness of the real. Here was a man who seemed only interested in everything; here was a red-blooded existence. And that RFK Jr. spoke and wrote in defiance of a host of prevalent attitudes and in defiance of our government did not concern us; in fact, his stance was a relief, a sign that he could perhaps actually see. We knew none other than Thomas Jefferson urged such seeing, nudging us citizens to a watchful skepticism of the government (“for nothing can keep it right,” said Jefferson, “but their own vigilant and distrustful superintendence.”). In short, we were curious about Mr. Kennedy, about his life and character, and wondered if he was the sort of human who could help call down the falcon lost in the gyre. Throat Clearing But before I continue I’d like to share a bit about my background. For starters, I’ve never had much interest in current national politics. I don’t reliably follow the news. And in my 46 years I recall only a fleet thin flame of ardor for Barack Obama, a flame which soon faded as the drones continued to drone. Like many others, I’ve come to believe the sanest game-plan for humanity is a devotion to the great nearby, to the gospel of the local. I appreciate Brother David Steindl-Rast who said, “The future will not be a new, big tower of power. Our hope in the future is…well-trodden paths from house to house.” And I appreciate Basho who wrote: Journeying to and fro, to and fro, cultivating a small field. Well-trodden paths from house to house. Cultivating a small field. Such are the images that move me; such are my talismans. I also want to say that despite a piece published in this forum a few months ago, a piece in favor of Mr. Kennedy, I am suspicious of missionaries. I don’t want to convert anyone one way or another. Any species of boosterism—or cancellation—should be met with a flinty eye. “The root and seed of Democracy,” said Emerson, “is the doctrine, Judge for yourself.” May it be so. Read the full opinion piece here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

December 01, 2023

RFK Jr. on the Charge: Republicans, Democrats Alike Say ‘I’m In’ on Kennedy

The New York Post reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. drew hundreds from across the political spectrum to a rally in Utah’s capital Thursday night, as the political scion crisscrosses the US in a push to make the ballot in all 50 states. Spectators lined up outside the SKY nightclub an hour in advance to get good seats, with some telling The Post they felt energized enough to get politically involved for the first time in their lives. “I am definitely for Kennedy,” said Lynn Cleland, who added that some of his Republican friends are also on board with the 69-year-old. “I’ve never voted independent in my life. Not only am I voting, but I’ve applied to volunteer, to get the signatures. I’ve bought all the signage. I’ve never, ever done that, and I’m 74.” Read the full article here If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

December 01, 2023

Who Are the Voters Supporting Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s Candidacy?

CNN's Lucy Kafanov speaks to Robert Kennedy, Jr.'s supporters in Utah to learn why they hope to see him in the White House. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

December 01, 2023

Once Upon A Time, Democrats Knew How To Appeal to the Working Class

Newsweek reports: Though the labels "Republican" and "Democrat" occupy so much of our political conversation, they are an inadequate way to understand many people's needs. That disconnect may explain why about one in three eligible voters sat out the most recent presidential election. After the 2020 election, eight in ten Americans who did not vote said politicians did not care about people like them. This perception is very much a part of the alienation felt by many who were once proud Democrats, like my extended family members and friends who are considering the surprising candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now rising in public esteem and awareness. A transformation of the Democratic Party's base in particular has left out working-class Americans who make up the economic backbone of the country. A philosophical divorce between them and younger, mostly college-educated voters is tearing the party apart. Anyone looking to revive enthusiasm for America's oldest political party must make an appeal for the forgotten Democrat, whose practical needs and economic stresses are just as important as newer agendas. The Democratic Party was once known for serving the least of these. Once led by the likes of President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, they were characterized not by an angry agenda but a determined hope. Read the full opinion piece here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

November 30, 2023

60 Years After Famous JFK Speech, RFK Jr Returns to Salt Lake City

Deseret reports: Most of the attendees at Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s presidential rally on Thursday afternoon arrived long before the candidate did. While potential voters crammed into the Sky SLC nightclub in Salt Lake City, awaiting the rally’s start, Kennedy walked around downtown. Sixty years prior, his uncle — then-President John F. Kennedy — delivered a famous speech at the Tabernacle, the historic meeting hall on Temple Square. Kennedy’s 1963 speech, part of a tour through the western U.S., was considered by those in his inner circle to be among the best he ever gave. Two months later, Kennedy was assassinated. “He did this national tour, and one of the stops that he made that was really earth-shaking is here,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told the Deseret News Thursday, in an interview prior to the rally. Sixty years ago, at the peak of the Cold War, John F. Kennedy pled with his Utah audience for support for his stance on the Soviet Union, including a newly negotiated ban on nuclear testing. Kennedy told Utahns that the country “cannot turn our back on the world outside.” Now, with the U.S. backing Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia, the younger Kennedy says that were his uncle alive today, “I think he’d be very much against the Ukraine War.” Some of the rally’s attendees spoke about their frustration with the two-party system and said that there was something they liked in Kennedy that they didn’t see in other candidates. A self-described “big supporter of Kennedy,” Beth Peacock said she supports him because “if you listen to the speech, it’s everything that I believe in.” Read the full article here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

November 30, 2023

Campaign Stop Brings Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Salt Lake City

Fox 13 reports: Running for president as an independent candidate, Robert F Kennedy, Jr. continued his campaign Thursday with a stop in Salt Lake City. Kennedy has been a lifelong Democrat, but for the past decade he said he’s been drifting away from the party. In October, he announced he would be running as an independent for president. According to Kennedy’s campaign, Utah has the first ballot access deadline in the country, so they are trying to collect more than 1,000 signatures in the next three weeks. Standing in front of about 700 people in downtown Salt Lake City, Kennedy said he worked to get the support he needed to be on a presidential ballot in 2024. “My plan for the next 12 months and the over the next 8 years in the White House, is to end this division among regular Americans," he said. Read the full article here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

November 28, 2023

Small Bookstores Shun Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Upcoming Book

The Wall Street Journal reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is a member of the most famous political family in the U.S. and a bestselling author. But it may be hard to find his newest book at the local bookstore when it comes out next week. Tony Lyons, publisher of Skyhorse Publishing, said he printed 100,000 copies of Kennedy’s new title, but said there have been “hardly any” orders from independent bookstores. “Most copies are going to Amazon,” he said. A spokeswoman for Amazon declined to comment. Sarah Bagby, owner of the Watermark Books & Cafe in Wichita, Kan., said her store didn’t order any copies. “We took a pass on this one,” she said. “People are weary of doomsayer books. We’re seeing a surge in romance.” If people ask for “The Wuhan Cover-Up,” Bagby said the store will place a special order for it. Kennedy expressed disappointment that independent bookstores may not be stocking his new book. “Independent bookstores are the traditional bulwarks against corporate propaganda and government censorship,” he said. His new book has gained significance because Kennedy is rising in the polls as an independent candidate and his candidacy is widely expected to affect the outcome of next year’s presidential election. Read the full article here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

November 28, 2023

RFK Jr. Seizes on Voter Dissatisfaction With Potential Biden-Trump Rematch

The Washington Times reports: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.‘s independent bid for president is exposing the electorate’s deep-rooted desire to have someone not named Joe Biden or Donald Trump on the ballot. The sentiment has shined through in numerous polls that show Mr. Kennedy siphoning away a solid chunk of votes that otherwise would be divvied up between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump, adding a curveball to the race. “Kennedy represents this sense that neither party truly represents me, that government ought to be reinvented, that we need a new and different approach,” said Don Levy, director of the Siena College Research Institute. “Voters who are dissatisfied with Biden and Trump, dissatisfied with the party system, dissatisfied with what they perceive as inaction and general quagmire in Congress, they say, ‘Sure we want someone who is going to do it differently.’” For that reason, Mr. Levy said the sole thing the Biden and Trump camps may agree on in the 2024 race is “that Kennedy could be a problem.” “Nobody really is thrilled about either of the people I am running against,” Mr. Kennedy said in an interview with the Dallas–Fort Worth ABC affiliate. “I would say those are the two weakest candidates for president from major parties in recent decades. So I feel very good about my chances.” Read the full article here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

November 28, 2023

Can Bobby Kennedy Win the Presidency Now? Of Course

Fair Observer reports: It may come as a surprise, but Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. can win the 2024 presidential election. The dominant message to the American public is that if you’re not voting Democrat or Republican on Election Day, you are “throwing your vote away.” This is the knee-jerk response to any discussion about a candidate that does not have a D or an R next to their name. A recent Quinnipiac poll showed Kenedy with a surprising 22% share of the electorate in a head-to-head matchup against Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Another poll shows Kennedy pulling ahead of both major party contenders among voters under 45 in several key battleground states. This is a significant breakthrough. Unexpectedly, Americans are becoming aware that 2024 could be a three-way race: An independent candidate could potentially upset the two-party hammerlock on power. But is this a surprise? Joe Biden and Donald Trump are hugely unpopular. According to 538, a majority of Americans holds an unfavorable view of both candidates: 54% for Biden, same for Trump. To say that the people are not jazzed about a replay of the 2020 election is supreme understatement. In contrast, more view Kennedy favorably than unfavorably. Herein lies the irony of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s campaign for president. He is the most establishment candidate, strictly on the strength of his family and the privileged personal position and connections the Kennedy name confers on every member, and yet he possesses an anti-establishment streak. This candidate spent his entire career as an environmental attorney (and if a job like that doesn’t make a person distrustful of what corporations or bureaucracies tell them, nothing will). He is somehow establishment and anti-establishment all rolled into one. It is precisely this combination of factors that might make him the perfect candidate for this moment. Independent voters, a huge plurality according to recent polling, have an unfavorable view of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden. They are looking for something that neither major-party candidate is offering. If Kennedy gives independents reason to show up on Election Day, he can win. Read the full article here. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.

November 27, 2023

Poll With RFK Jr. As Most Favorable Candidate Shows Voters Are Shopping Around

NewsNation reports: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leads the pack in favorability ratings, ahead of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll. Political commentator James Carville unpacks what he thinks this means for the 2024 presidential race on NewsNation's CUOMO. If you resonate with this message please subscribe to our newsletter to learn more.