With his campaign floundering, RFK Jr. has started the process that was teased earlier in the week of dropping out of the race.
The independent US presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has filed paperwork to withdraw from presidential ballots in the state of Arizona, the Arizona secretary of state, Adrian Fontes, said.
The withdrawal came as Kennedy was set to address the nation on Friday in Arizona amid reports that his presidential ambitions are coming to a close, with falling numbers both in fundraising and in the polls.
A Super Pac supporting Kennedy told Reuters on Wednesday that Kennedy wanted a deal with Donald Trump in which he endorsed his Republican rival in exchange for a job in a potential Trump administration.
Trump told CNN this week he would “certainly be open” to Kennedy playing a role in his administration if the independent candidate dropped out of the race and endorsed him.
The Kennedy and Trump campaigns are reported to have been in discussions for several weeks. “It would be so good for [me] and so good for you,” Trump said in a recorded phone call to the former Democrat last month.
Kennedy also reached out to the Kamala Harris campaign last week to discuss dropping out of the race and endorsing the Democratic candidate in exchange for a job in her administration, according to multiple reports. Harris did reportedly not respond.
The actual timing of today has likely been chosen in conjunction with the campaign of creepy Trump to take attention away from what seemed to be a smooth Democratic convention. That is a well-established tactic. But this announcement is going to be just a blip in the news cycle since RFK Jr.’s support was dwindling rapidly. This is completely unlike the blockbuster announcement by Joe Biden that he was quitting. That was a trifecta, simultaneously wiping out the news of the Republican convention, creepy Trump getting shot (remember that?), and the choice of weird JD Vance as his running mate.
Why anyone other than a toxic character like creepy Donald Trump would offer this toxic character a job in their administration is hard to conceive. He was clearly courting creepy Trump, as seen by his refusal to answer a reporter’s questions about creepy Trump and climate change.
He has used his early work as an environmental lawyer to get support among young people, and his anti-vax, anti-semitic conspiracist thinking attracted some in the MAGA-adjacent camp. What the relative sizes of those two groups are is unclear. Only some of the former are likely to drift towards the Harris-Walz campaign while the latter will likely go towards creepy Trump. Creepy Trump likely gains by this move, which is why he seems to have been courting him. But a significant number could decide to sit out this election since their support of RFK Jr., an unappealing candidate in so many ways, shows the depth of their displeasure with the two main parties and that may be hard for them to overcome.
It will be interesting to see upcoming polls in case many of his followers choose to sit the election out instead of voting for the Orange one.
Best outcome: the post DNC bump eats up any Trumpean boost from Kennedy voters.
OT (but fun!)
News of the week with Seth Meyers:
Kamala Harris’ Wedding Anniversary, Mike Lindell Undercover at DNC:
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=qVlpMfL8OPA
“…Always Test the Cocaine!”
While waiting for post-Kennedy polls, here is “Trump At War With His Own Strategists” (because he makes the best choices).
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=qfU0VLByrWk
Word is now that Kennedy has dropped out of at least the swing states, and that he’s endorsed Trump! So much for his alleged political positions.
Harris must have told him that he’d never get a job with her, as he’s a madman and a fool. And, good on her if so. Certainly will not encourage the 5% or whatever it was of voters who polling for him, to vote for Trump.
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!
I’d say we’ll miss you,
but it would be a lie.
One more fool is piped off into irrelevance.
I like the trend.
If a candidate is someone you consider a worthy leader, the principled thing to do is endorse them with need for recompense. If you only endorse them for a reward, your endorsement is purchased and hence says nothing about the worth you see in that candidate. And if you are courting two opposites with willingness to endorse either, you have no moral compass worth shit.
The guy with the ethics of a guy for sale to the higher bidder found the guy with the ethics of a guy willing to pay for the guy for sale to the higher bidder. Glad we have such principled people seeking to run our country.
The brainworm endorses the felon.
RFK Jr. is jumping on the Trump bandwagon just as Republican senators realise it was a terrible idea.
“Republicans Now Think Trump Will Cost Them The Senate As His Campaign Fails”
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=mmJ_vXvY6yY
A senate without Rick Scott?
Tethys @ 5 if the Republicans like creepy, I will give them creepy!
Laibach -- So Long, Farewell
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=qOfkwm_Yz0Q
More creepiness (in the name of making the country great again)
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=fQyGBinRB04
“Der morgige Tag ist mein”