{"id":7185,"date":"2024-08-19T14:26:27","date_gmt":"2024-08-19T06:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185"},"modified":"2024-08-19T14:26:31","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T06:26:31","slug":"democrats-see-rfk-jr-s-recent-moves-as-signs-of-desperation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185","title":{"rendered":"Democrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Democrats say Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is showing desperation as he tries to keep his third-party presidential campaign afloat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest indication for them was confirmation that Kennedy tried to meet with Vice President Harris about a future role in her possible administration, a development that came weeks after he spoke with former President Trump about the same topic in Milwaukee during the Republican National Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kennedy\u2019s angling on both sides points to the problems the independent candidate faces as he struggles to build a base and lasting enthusiasm less than three months out from Election Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am not like most Democrats that view third-party challengers as a threat,\u201d said Hassan Martini, a progressive campaign operative. \u201cI welcome new ideas into our political stratosphere. If a Republican has a good idea, I will support it, but RFK does not do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe brings his famous last name and bank account,\u201d he said. \u201cHe is done. Good riddance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outwardly, Kennedy has spoken negatively about both Harris and Trump, which makes his behind-the-scenes courtship more puzzling. The countdown to November puts additional pressure on Kennedy to choose a strategy that will create more than just loud noise and attention around his long-shot campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, The Washington Post reported that Kennedy attempted to seek out a potentially high-ranking government position with Harris, the Democratic nominee, as his polling flatlines and as the pulse around Harris continues to rise after President Biden suspended his bid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kennedy appeared to confirm the reporting, telling the Post he thinks \u201cit is a strategic mistake for them,\u201d referring to Harris\u2019s team rejecting a discussion with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think they ought to be looking at every opportunity,\u201d Kennedy also told the paper. \u201cI think it is going to be a very close race.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an apparent attempt to course-correct, Kennedy\u2019s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, later released a statement distancing them from the Harris campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConfirming: We are NOT in talks with Harris. Speaking personally, they are a lost cause. Literally,\u201d Shanahan wrote on the social platform X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hill has reached out to Harris\u2019s campaign for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRFK Jr. might be desperate, but it\u2019s a desperation to avoid voters realizing that the purpose of his candidacy is to be a spoiler for Trump,\u201d said Josh Schwerin, a Democratic campaign veteran and founder of Saratoga Strategies, a political consulting firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schwerin, like other Democrats, saw the failed wooing as a cynical ploy to bolster his political career, irrespective of any shared ideology or common goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe and his campaign have made it clear they want Trump to win, and no amount of posturing about outreach to both sides will change that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democrats seized on the meeting-that-wasn\u2019t by pointing out Kennedy has shared policy ideas and personal beliefs that are far outside what their party stands for and has exhibited past conduct that some view as disqualifying. Liberals in particular traced back Kennedy\u2019s vaccine skepticism and comfort with GOP donors as defining differences between his White House candidacy and Harris\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Democrats suggested Trump, on the other hand, is more willing to engage with him than Harris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile Donald Trump is entertaining RFK Jr.\u2019s anti-abortion, conspiracy-theory nonsense, Vice President Harris won\u2019t give him the time of day,\u201d said Britt Jacovich, a spokesperson for MoveOn who has worked on anti-Kennedy efforts as part of a coalition of outside groups focused on third-party challengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRFK Jr.\u2019s campaign is disintegrating and his job search reeks of desperation,\u201d Jacovich said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kennedy already met with Trump, whose fans have been marginally more willing to consider welcoming Kennedy in their tent. The environmental lawyer said during the mid-July talk that he aimed to create more \u201cunity\u201d between the warring parties, but critics note he hasn\u2019t helped bridge any glaring ideological divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If anything, it has been the opposite. Kennedy has frustrated people on both sides of the aisle who view him skeptically as he relates to their desired outcome in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is nothing more than a lesson in a failed power grab for a man who has done severe damage to his family\u2019s name and legacy,\u201d said Ameshia Cross, a Democratic strategist and commentator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kennedy\u2019s been focused on collecting state ballot signatures, and while he had some earlier traction using Shanahan\u2019s Silicon Valley money, it\u2019s unclear whether he will make most ballots in November. Many secretaries of state still have to certify his petitions of support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also becoming less certain whether Kennedy even wants to get to that point. His goal of meeting with Harris and Trump signals he\u2019s already sketching out political alternatives if he isn\u2019t able to compete, with hopes of joining whoever wins the race for the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cross dismissed Kennedy as \u201cnever a serious contender\u201d but argues his campaign has been even worse recently as the news cyclone of the summer has drastically shaken up the state of play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs the months have waged on post-the Trump assassination attempt, Biden dropping out of the race and Harris\u2019s galvanizing power, RFK isn\u2019t on anyone\u2019s mind,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRFK knows he can\u2019t win or serve as a spoiler at this point, so he\u2019s desperately seeking a spot in any upcoming administration with appeals to Harris and Trump campaigns,\u201d she added. \u201cIt\u2019s a last-ditch effort for a failed political candidate that should\u2019ve sat this out in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt Corridoni, a spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee who is focused on Kennedy, echoed that sentiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite being propped up with millions of dollars from Donald Trump\u2019s largest donor, RFK Jr.\u2019s spoiler candidacy has sunk like a rock,\u201d Corridoni said. \u201cAny move he makes now is done out of desperation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Kennedy\u2019s private meeting attempt has now spilled into public view, he has also been trying to keep up in other ways that ring true for a Hollywood-style candidate. He\u2019s hosting a self-described \u201cstar studded sunset cruise\u201d in Marina Del Rey, Calif., a private dinner in Dallas and a rally in Omaha, Neb., in the coming days, according to his campaign website\u2019s public schedule. \u201cPicture yourself indulging in catered bites and exquisite cocktails while conversing with stars you know and love as the sun dips below the Pacific horizon,\u201d the cruise teaser reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kennedy has also been contending with bad press for some time, most recently when The New Yorker exposed that he once chucked a dead bear cub into Central Park and tried to cover it up. His problems only escalated when a judge ruled he is not allowed to appear on the New York ballot because he is not technically a resident of the state. The ruling, which Kennedy says he is appealing, threatens to complicate his 50-state ballot endeavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparing for their convention in Chicago next week, Democrats are happily watching things devolve for Kennedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDemocrats are not interested in helping him in his never-ending desire to seek attention,\u201d said Corridoni. \u201cHe\u2019s made his MAGA bed, he can lay in it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Democrats say Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is showing desperation as he tries to keep his third-party presidential campaign afloat. The latest indication for them was confirmation that Kennedy tried to meet with Vice President Harris about a future role in her possible administration, a development that came weeks after he spoke with former President Trump […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":7186,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[2078,2660,2659],"class_list":["post-7185","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","tag-democrats","tag-rfk","tag-see"],"yoast_head":"\nDemocrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation - LISTEN WORLD<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Democrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation - LISTEN WORLD\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Democrats say Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is showing desperation as he tries to keep his third-party presidential campaign afloat. The latest indication for them was confirmation that Kennedy tried to meet with Vice President Harris about a future role in her possible administration, a development that came weeks after he spoke with former President Trump […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"LISTEN WORLD\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-19T06:26:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-19T06:26:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240819142530.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"659\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"370\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Xenia\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/\",\"name\":\"LISTEN WORLD\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240819142530.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240819142530.jpg\",\"width\":659,\"height\":370},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185\",\"name\":\"Democrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation - LISTEN WORLD\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-19T06:26:27+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-19T06:26:31+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#\/schema\/person\/0858d87b9dca5080708652d8e71bab95\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\u9996\u9875\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Democrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#\/schema\/person\/0858d87b9dca5080708652d8e71bab95\",\"name\":\"Xenia\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/28b948f24823b0b7ad891b285d30c0f9eb58ea462ebe1e48936fbba5e46a42c2?s=96&d=wavatar&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/28b948f24823b0b7ad891b285d30c0f9eb58ea462ebe1e48936fbba5e46a42c2?s=96&d=wavatar&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Xenia\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?author=10\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Democrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation - LISTEN WORLD","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Democrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation - LISTEN WORLD","og_description":"Democrats say Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is showing desperation as he tries to keep his third-party presidential campaign afloat. The latest indication for them was confirmation that Kennedy tried to meet with Vice President Harris about a future role in her possible administration, a development that came weeks after he spoke with former President Trump […]","og_url":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185","og_site_name":"LISTEN WORLD","article_published_time":"2024-08-19T06:26:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-19T06:26:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":659,"height":370,"url":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240819142530.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Xenia","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#website","url":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/","name":"LISTEN WORLD","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240819142530.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/\u5fae\u4fe1\u622a\u56fe_20240819142530.jpg","width":659,"height":370},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#webpage","url":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185","name":"Democrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation - LISTEN WORLD","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2024-08-19T06:26:27+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-19T06:26:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#\/schema\/person\/0858d87b9dca5080708652d8e71bab95"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=7185#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\u9996\u9875","item":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Democrats see RFK Jr.\u2019s recent moves as signs of desperation"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#\/schema\/person\/0858d87b9dca5080708652d8e71bab95","name":"Xenia","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/28b948f24823b0b7ad891b285d30c0f9eb58ea462ebe1e48936fbba5e46a42c2?s=96&d=wavatar&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/28b948f24823b0b7ad891b285d30c0f9eb58ea462ebe1e48936fbba5e46a42c2?s=96&d=wavatar&r=g","caption":"Xenia"},"url":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?author=10"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7185","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7185"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7187,"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7185\/revisions\/7187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}