For a man who claims to be written-off and censored by the mainstream media, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s campaign for president has thrived online. In recent months, Kennedy has suddenly been everywhere.
“He is the podcast candidate,” says Mike Rothschild, an author who writes about conspiracy theories. “Vivek Ramaswamy was someone in the GOP who had some of that, but RFK Jr. is the podcast, Substack, terminally online candidate.”
In short, the internet has become Kennedy’s campaign headquarters, where likes and shares have replaced the retail politics of more traditional opponents like President Joe Biden. And Kennedy’s digital determination may well make a big difference: According to some experts, he could disrupt the 2024 election.
The support Kennedy has received from mega-famous celebrities and billionaires has become one of the campaign’s most powerful marketing strategies, but it’s not the only way they’ve worked to reach voters: The American Values 2024 PAC has started blasting the candidate’s message through networks of influencers with far smaller followings than Rogan or Clapton.
“The reason why campaigns use these micro and nano influencers a lot of the time is because those people are seen to have more authentic relationships with particular demographics,” Woolley told WIRED. “The influencers are seen as a natural conduit to those spaces.”
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