# RFK Junior and another candidate running Independent **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 10, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342 "2023-10-10T00:21:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/1 "2023-10-10T00:21:27Z")
I fear that they would draw votes from Biden, but NPR suggested that RFK would draw Republican voters. I don’t see why, unless it is because of his dislike of vaccines. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/2 "2023-10-10T00:44:35Z")
Because MAGA cult members will believe that RFKjr will reveal John-John as his running mate. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/3 "2023-10-10T00:45:47Z")
Ah. Yes, of course. The airplane crash didn’t happen. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/4 "2023-10-10T00:47:42Z")
Too early to know for sure, but in addition to being anti vaccine, RFK Jr has praised Trump, criticized Ukraine (and spread bullshit conspiracy theories about Ukraine), expressed skepticism about COVID, and more. I’m sure the Biden campaign team has a strategy ready to try and use him against Trump. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/5 "2023-10-10T00:48:25Z")
Good Lord. Thanks, I was not aware of that. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/6 "2023-10-10T00:59:03Z")
I don’t see RFK Jr. peeling off any Democratic voters aside from the whackadoodle Kucinich/Williamson/Gabbard crowd who were likely not going to vote for Biden in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/7 "2023-10-10T01:00:19Z")
That is good. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/8 "2023-10-10T01:08:27Z")
A lot of right wing media has been bugging up RFK as a challenger to Biden. It’s pretty telling that as soon as he announced his independent bid they started calling him “liberal”. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/9 "2023-10-10T01:35:54Z")
I can’t imagine RFK Jr. being a competitor to anyone. Would anyone be willing to be his running mate? That could be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/10 "2023-10-10T01:40:59Z")
I presume John-John. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/11 "2023-10-10T01:44:15Z")
Some other John-John, perhaps; not that one. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/12 "2023-10-10T01:57:03Z")
Any other Presidential candidate ever have his announcement followed by a joint statement of all his siblings urging people NOT to vote for him? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/13 "2023-10-10T02:21:10Z")
A significant percentage of Trump’s voters could easily be persuaded that John-John Kennedy, son of JFK, will be chosen as RFKjr’s vice-president in the waning days of the 2024 election. They will vote for him, sight unseen, on faith alone. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/14 "2023-10-10T03:52:43Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Too early to know for sure, but in addition to being anti vaccine, RFK Jr has praised Trump, criticized Ukraine (and spread bullshit conspiracy theories about Ukraine), expressed skepticism about COVID, and more. Not to mention his recent covid rantings where he claims that Covid was engineered to spare Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese. [Link for preview context which is paywalled, followed by gift link to read.] > **[Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Airs Bigoted New Covid Conspiracy Theory About Jews and...](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/15/us/politics/rfk-jr-remarks-covid.html)** > > The long-shot candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination has a history of embracing conspiracy theories. His latest comments claimed the virus spared certain ethnic and religious groups. [NYTimes gift link](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/15/us/politics/rfk-jr-remarks-covid.html?unlocked_article_code=qIOiyYC3ehu322CeQ0-HSgMRhKY5pNIusnqVCqbEdHuyfqa_4fWHEGL0C6cj9jPA84wSxPRVG2jgDG_xYu2S7ObRlGHV8PxwPwrGljiuJh68gTeDf06uwP8n9WSHLTarq94lzvDtLs4mKNIkXKZdG2SR0FgkK_izaCE7pNhio4tagDd8igNWLJngKNksjbKBevJ5LoFjovnkMa-jEfIbCuhV92opKCBmrGyJptOtYxKr74g8sbBHJ_Eidn4KJWEH1yPOW1JyZkxjvH-SlvG6ge1F5ghV8ln2BVtrG18H1KfUr2Yth7PVGA3HKpVtV-5iUIBl9hjGbCji6Pk0WZ6__-Jq&smid=url-share) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/15 "2023-10-10T13:41:48Z")
Well, there’s [some actual polling that suggests just that](https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/2024-election/poll-rfk-jr-would-pull-more-support-from-trump-than-biden/) - he pulls more voters from Trump than Biden. > The poll, which examined a hypothetical general election scenario featuring Trump, Biden, and a generic independent candidate, revealed the following results: > – Trump garnered 40% support > – Biden secured 38% support > – The generic independent candidate obtained 17% support > However, when Kennedy was introduced as the independent candidate, the numbers shifted. Trump and Biden were tied at 38% each, while Kennedy garnered 19% support, indicating a decline in Trump’s backing. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/16 "2023-10-10T14:07:42Z")
This is what I was thinking. Biden ops should troll Trumpers by suggesting they vote for Kennedy in the general as a way to own the libs. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/17 "2023-10-10T14:09:44Z")
Good plan. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/18 "2023-10-10T14:09:56Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Good Lord. > Thanks, I was not aware of that. That only scratches the surface of MAGA Jr.s looniness. Here’s [a partial list](http://forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/07/18/rfk-jrs-family-denounces-claim-that-jews-chinese-are-immune-to-covid-here-are-all-the-other-conspiracies-he-promotes/) of his conspiracy theories, not counting the one about antidepressants inducing gender dysphoria in children. And there’s this: “They’re putting in 5G [high-speed broadband service] to harvest our data and control our behavior. Digital currency that will allow them to punish us from a distance and cut off our food supply.” - RFK Jr. You might think the conspiracy stuff would only draw support from Republican voters, but a disturbing minority of Democratic voters buy into it too. As for who’d run as his VP candidate, they must be lining up for the honor. Cranks crave that sort of visibility, as it helps drive book and personal appearance revenues as well as boosting their egos. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/19 "2023-10-10T14:10:49Z")
Who will be RFK’s running mate? I’d say it’s between Elvis and Bigfoot. Anti-vax-a-doodles may find him attractive if they can’t stomach voting for Dolt 45, but I can’t see him pulling significant votes from Biden. I’m more worried about the No Receipts- I mean No Labels- Party. They very well could hand the White House to a fascist and end democracy. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2023, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342/20 "2023-10-10T21:54:44Z")
They keep ranting on and on about dead people voting. What about voting for a dead person? (Yeah, I know that’s happened.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rfk-junior-and-another-candidate-running-independent/991342.md?page=2)