Both Republicans and Democrats view the campaign as a threat.
The Epoch Times talked with RFK Jr. supporters and asked three primary questions:
Why are you voting for RFK Jr.?
Who did you vote for in the last presidential election?
Shifts in the Two-Party Political System
Tysin Gibson, a mortgage broker based in Marysville, Michigan, and the creator of the “RFK Jr. for President, America’s Future” Facebook page, shared his thoughts in an interview. Mr. Gibson mentioned that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s message of unity initially caught his attention. In contrast, he finds President Trump’s mean-spirited rhetoric off-putting, making it challenging for him to support Trump as a candidate.
“I was going to vote for Donald Trump but couldn’t pull myself to do that,” Mr. Gibson said. “I was solidly a supporter of Trump—along with the rest of his family. If you start from a place of division, you’ll never get to unity.”
Mr. Gibson maintains that seeing politicians like Mr. Kennedy consider various perspectives on policy issues is refreshing. He appreciates hearing all sides regardless of his personal beliefs.
“Both parties suppress outsiders to protect their personal interests and the two-party system,” Mr. Gibson told The Epoch Times. “Having another candidate is good. Since when has competition been a bad thing?”
Mr. Kennedy’s independent campaign is branded as an alternative for voters who dislike the two-party system that governs the nation and those disenchanted with former President Donald Trump or President Biden.
Both Republicans and Democrats view the campaign as a threat that could divert enough of their supporters from them in crucial swing states to swing the election in the other direction. Mr. Kennedy has made it clear that he is running to win, not simply to be a spoiler.
Mr. Gibson is convinced Mr. Kennedy is taking away votes from both candidates. “I think he’s impacting both sides evenly at this point,” Mr. Gibson said. “The RFK Jr. supporters I have met are an evenly split of former Biden and Trump supporters.”
Characteristics of an RFK Jr. Supporter
Ed Chase, a construction manager from Allentown, Pennsylvania, told The Epoch Times that he represents a segment of the American electorate whose political affiliations and support have shifted based on disgust with the current hostile political environment. Mr. Chase said he plans to vote for Mr. Kennedy this fall. His case highlights several trends and factors shaping voter behavior in recent years.
“Bobby is the only one who seems reasonable,” Mr. Chase said. “We have had bad presidential choices in the past three elections.”
Mr. Chase voted for Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. His support for Trump was influenced by the former president’s promises to revitalize the economy, focus on American jobs, and his outsider status in the political establishment, which appealed to many blue and white-collar voters.
“My standards are elementary,” Mr. Chase told The Epoch Times. “I want to vote for a candidate, not simply against someone else. Politicians don’t seem to campaign on their policies, but why vote against the other candidates.”
Mr. Chase says his interest in Mr. Kennedy has increased over time. He attended a fundraiser in New Jersey where he heard Mr. Kennedy speak in person for the first time. “I was impressed,” said Mr. Chase. “He is relatable and talks about things that matter, like the cost of homes, health care, and the border.”
He then heard Mr. Kennedy on the Joe Rogan radio program, which piqued his interest even more, but hearing him at an event in Philadelphia sealed his vote.
“There is no reason we should have government employees swapping jobs with big pharma,” Mr. Chase said. “The same is true in the education system. At the very least, a significant conflict of interest with the government suggests something shady.”
The Illusion of Democracy
Michael Finger told The Epoch Times that he created his political Facebook page Robert F. Kennedy J. – America’s Best Hope eight years ago to support Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Four years later, he altered the page to support presidential candidate Andrew Yang, but ultimately voted for Jo Jorgenson, the libertarian nominee in 2020.
Since converting the focus of his Facebook page to RFK Jr., Mr. Finger said his followers have grown from 6,300 to just over 21,000.
“I’ve had trouble being pigeonholed into one political party,” said Mr. Finger. “I’ve been a mix of the various parties. Growing up, my parents were hardcore liberals and Democrats. Both Democrats and Republicans are completely corrupt.”
Mr. Finger, a real estate broker in Westchester, New York, believes electoral corruption happened when Hillary Clinton was favored over Mr. Sanders for the 2019 Democratic nomination. He was equally saddened when Mr. Sanders capitulated.
“I started hearing about RFK Jr. during COVID-19,” Mr. Finger said. “I am not vaccinated and appreciated what he had to say about alternative science. I was disappointed when so many fell for the propaganda.”
Mr. Finger says he would like to see Mr. Kennedy be included in the presidential debates. In a new election complaint, Mr. Kennedy claimed CNN is working with Democratic President Joe Biden and likely Republican nominee former President Donald Trump to exclude him from the debate the network hosts on June 27.
“I am trying to use my Facebook page to build interest in RFK Jr. participating in the debate,” Mr. Finger told The Epoch Times. “There is an illusion of democracy. It’s hard to imagine that an independent candidate with the last name Kennedy and good polling can’t get on the debate stage.”
Mr. Kennedy said in a statement, “By demanding our campaign meet different criteria to participate in the debate than Presidents Biden and Trump, CNN’s debate violates FEC law and is a large prohibited corporate contribution to both the Biden and Trump campaigns.”
The Kennedy campaign has raised concerns regarding the criteria set by CNN for the upcoming presidential debates. Mr. Kennedy claims that CNN’s requirement for candidates to be on enough state ballots to secure 270 electoral votes is being applied unfairly. According to the Kennedy campaign, Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump are being admitted to the debate without meeting this electoral vote threshold, whereas Mr. Kennedy must fulfill it. The campaign argues that this discrepancy violates the Federal Election Commission’s mandate that debate criteria must be “pre-established” and “objective.”
“It is anything but fair,” said Mr. Finger. “It’s a rigged democracy. Everything is set up against independents like RFK Jr. being taken seriously.”
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