One of the most interesting developments in politics recently is Robert F. Kennedy Jr, deciding that he’s going to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent. That wasn’t his original goal. I think he felt when he started, that as the son of Bobby Kennedy, and the nephew of John F. Kennedy, that his name was of sufficient power on the Democratic Party, that clearly he would be accepted as a serious contender. I think what he hadn’t thought through was, he is accepted as a serious contender, and therefore the Biden model, which is eliminate the competition, so you can’t lose because there’s nobody else on the ballot went to work. 

The Democrats are essentially the party of lawyers. And they had lawyers everywhere, trying to block Bobby Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Jr. from getting on the ballot, trying to minimize his chances. And I think he got fed up with it. I’ve recently been talking with the no labels people, who’ve been involved in a very serious, nationwide effort to develop a real third party. And they’ve talked to me about the fact that every single place they go, there are democratic lawyers, trying to stop them from getting on the ballot. Combine that with the attacks on President Trump through the legal system, and what you find is the New Democratic Party model, which is how you have the right to vote, but you don’t have the right to have anyone to vote for. 

Now, Robert Kennedy Jr’s answer that was to say, Fine, I’m going to run as an independent, he’s going to find it’s very challenging. You have 50 states, every state has a different set of rules for getting on the ballot as an independent. It often takes organizations several years to get this done. He’s from a standing start going to work right now. But on the other hand, what does it say about the modern Democratic Party, that even Robert F Kennedy Jr. is not acceptable? 

Now, he’s clearly a maverick. He’s very deeply against vaccinations. He has been very tough in his description of how sick Washington is. He is sort of a libertarian liberal, which is an unusual blend. And I think he’s been getting a lot of attention. A good friend of mine was in a graduate school class recently, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s name came up. And she told me that she was really surprised that there was a real interest in him. This was mostly conservative students, to business majors. And they said, you know, he said some interesting things he’s worth listening to, he certainly deserves a chance to be heard. 

My personal guess is that if he does get on the ballot, he will take more votes away from President Biden, who every single day looks weaker and weaker. The most recent stumbling incident, I think, really shook people. In the middle of a war in Israel, in the middle of a war in Ukraine, with all the pressures from the Chinese Communist to have a commander in chief who clearly doesn’t seem to be totally there, and clearly doesn’t seem to be fully physically there is kind of sobering. And I think in that context, that Robert F Kennedy Jr. may turn out to be a formidable part of the story of the 2024 election.