Robert Kennedy Jr.'s strong early poll results will cause concern among Joe Biden supporters. Photo: Reuters/Marco Bello
Support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s long-term presidential campaign appears to have skyrocketed, revealing the extent of Democrats' dissatisfaction with Joe Biden.
Polls show a fifth of Democrats support the challenge the son of a former US Attorney General and a prominent vaccine campaigner since he launched his campaign in April.
His strong start in the polls means he has challenged his status as a fringe candidate, he claims. that the Democratic Party is «on the wrong track.»
The 69-year-old has no hope of denying Biden the Democratic nomination in 2024, given the president's leadership.
But his double-digit poll results are very embarrassing for Biden's campaign and illustrate the extent of the Democratic apathy towards his re-election bid.< /p>
Polls show that about half of Democrats want someone other than 80-year-old Biden to be their candidate in 2024, with most citing concerns about the president's age.< /p> 1304 Biden is the oldest person ever to or a former President of the United States
Mr. Kennedy's entry into the race could further highlight these electoral vulnerabilities.
There is a historical precedent that no sitting president has won re-election in the last 50 years since faced an intra-party rival with double-digit numbers.
It was Mr. Kennedy Jr.'s uncle, Ted Kennedy, whose insurgency campaign against Jimmy Carter dealt the political death blow to a Democratic president in 1980.
A USA Today/Suffolk poll found that Mr. Kennedy Jr. won 14% of the Democratic vote on April 19, the day he announced his bid.
Later polls, including one by Fox News and another by Emerson College, showed that Kennedy Jr. scored 19% and 21% respectively.
Mr. Kennedy Jr. told The Telegraph: «I wouldn't be running if I didn't have reasonable hopes of winning.
«The speed with which our campaign has gained momentum is a huge acknowledgment… that America is ready for the vision and priorities we bring to American politics.”
The results of Mr. Kennedy Jr.'s polls can be attributed to his famous surname. Some sociologists argue that his association with America's most famous political dynasty greatly increased his numbers.
But his early popularity is of particular concern to the White House, given that Mr. Kennedy Jr. is a well-known vaccine skeptic who has often espoused conspiracy theories.
Despite his famous last name, Kennedy Jr. has little political experience, and many of his views were dismissed by his more prominent relatives.
Many in the Kennedy family publicly support Biden's re-election. Three of them work for the Biden administration.
Joe Kennedy III, grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, is the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland. He accompanied the President on his recent trip to Belfast.
Ted Kennedy's widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, and Caroline Kennedy, daughter of former US President John F. Kennedy, serve as ambassadors for Mr. Biden.
< img src="/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/d4d2a4296998abd0a146ceb27a9370f2.jpg" />Mr. Kennedy Jr. is a member of a prominent political dynasty, including former US President John F. Kennedy. Photo: Paul Schützer/Time and Life Pictures/Getty Images
Mr. Biden isn't just giving way to Mr. Kennedy.
Another Democratic nominee, self-help guru Marianne Williamson, has come close to 10% in recent polls, suggesting a significant number of Democrats are ready to vote in protest against Biden.
Many political scientists argue that both contenders have reached their apogee in the polls.
They play down comparisons to Pat Buchanan's challenge to George W. Bush or Ronald Reagan's attack on Gerald Ford, who both won a higher share of the vote than Kennedy Jr. was predicted to receive.
Joe Caiazzo, veteran campaigner of the Democrats, said he «didn't attach much importance» to polls that showed Kennedy Jr. has about 20 percent.
There's always a segment of the electorate that will be essentially oppositional. This is a moment in time, it will pass,” he said.
“The president remains incredibly strong among Democratic voters in the primary and, frankly, is really well placed to make headway against the Republicans in November 2024. .”
Experts also say Mr. Kennedy Jr. lacks the political skills of his father and uncles.
When asked about Mr. Kennedy Jr.'s challenge, Simon Sanders Townsend, a veteran of Mr. Biden's 2020 campaign, said: «I'm trying not to laugh. There will be no problems.”
«I really think that soft-spoken Democrats, as I like to call them, and some of their progressive friends who would like to live in fantasy land, should come back to reality.»
Poll: President Joe Biehn's approval ratings
Mr. Kennedy Jr., who is also the nephew of John F. Kennedy, was once celebrated on the left for his environmental work. movement.
He made numerous references to the Nazis when discussing Covid-19 restrictions such as masks against vaccine requirements.
Public health experts and members of his own family have characterized him work as misleading and dangerous.
In 2022, he was forced to apologize after suggesting that the public health restrictions imposed on people's lives today are worse than they were for Anne Frank.
< p>His wife, actress Cheryl Hines, of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, called the reference «reprehensible and insensitive».
Свежие комментарии