With third-party and independent candidates often playing a minor role in presidential elections, the rise of alternative contenders in the 2024 election, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is generating attention. Kennedy, who is polling in the low double digits, has become a significant player in this election. With his unique political brand, it is unclear who his candidacy would ultimately harm in November – President Biden or Donald Trump. To address this potential threat, the Democratic National Committee has established a war room dedicated to monitoring third-party candidates, with Lis Smith leading the communications effort against candidates like Kennedy.
Smith’s role at the D.N.C. involves tracking third-party candidates like Kennedy and ensuring that voters are well-informed about their candidacies. Kennedy’s appeal to voters stems from dissatisfied individuals who are disenchanted with the two-party system and are drawn to his famous last name. However, a significant percentage of supporters may not know much about him beyond his name, as highlighted by the vast majority of the Kennedy family opposing his candidacy and supporting Joe Biden.
In the effort to combat Kennedy’s candidacy, the focus is on highlighting the negatives and vulnerabilities of third-party candidates, particularly Kennedy. The campaign aims to educate voters on the ties between Kennedy’s candidacy and Trump allies, emphasizing that a vote for Kennedy is essentially a vote for Trump. By pointing out Kennedy’s positions on key issues contradicting Democratic values, the campaign hopes to dissuade Democratic-leaning voters from supporting him.
The campaign’s strategy involves targeting younger, women, voters of color, and lower propensity voters who may be open to supporting Kennedy. By leveraging social media influencers and traditional media outlets, the goal is to reach these audiences and educate them on the potential implications of supporting Kennedy. Particularly on contentious issues like Israel and Gaza, where Kennedy has made controversial statements, the campaign aims to dissuade voters concerned about peace and humanitarian efforts.
In states like Michigan, where third-party candidates had a significant impact in the 2016 election, the campaign is focused on underscoring the stakes of the election for Democratic-leaning voters. By emphasizing the potential consequences of a vote for Kennedy, the campaign hopes to prevent a repeat of past election outcomes where third-party candidates affected the final results. With abortion rights being a key issue in the state, the campaign is targeting Michigan voters with ads highlighting Kennedy’s past statements on the issue.
As for Kennedy’s vice-presidential candidate, Nicole Shanahan, the campaign sees her as being largely absent from the public eye, reinforcing the perception that she was chosen for financial reasons rather than qualifications or visibility. Kennedy’s potential beyond the 2024 election is uncertain, with his popularity appearing to decrease over time as voters become more aware of his controversial views and conspiracy theories. Ultimately, the campaign aims to expose Kennedy’s dangerous beliefs and disinformation to dissuade voters from supporting him.
