Did you hear how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is responsible for the death of 83 Samoans, most of them young children? He’s objectively a terrible person, one who has come after the Daily Kos community (and lost).
He’s also running for president as an independent after being unceremoniously tossed aside by the Democratic Party. So how’s that going for him?
Not well.
Kennedy is a well-known liar, and the saga of his vice-presidential pick is exhibit A. On March 18, he said he would never pick a running mate “based on how much money they have.” A month later, he handpicked philanthropist Nicole Shanahan, ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, based on how much money she had (reportedly over $1 billion). She had already donated $4 million to Kennedy’s super PAC to air that infamous Super Bowl ad that stole from John F. Kennedy’s 1960 ad.
It was estimated that Kennedy needed to spend $15 million to get on the ballot in just 12 states, and was lagging far behind the fundraising of President Joe Biden ($306 million as of May 21) and Donald Trump ($244 million). Shanahan’s pocketbook was just too irresistible to pass up.
Indeed, this withering article in The Washington Post effectively highlighted how irrelevant Shanahan was to the campaign trail, headlining the piece, “RFK’s strange non-relationship with his VP pick.” He had no clue what she was doing, where she was going, what media she was doing, or really, anything about her. The campaign has done nothing to coordinate her message with Kennedy’s, nor apparently even coach her.
“Team Kennedy dropped the ball by introducing an unfamiliar and unconventional choice as his running mate, then neglecting to effectively set her up for smart messaging under their guide, instead of letting rushed assumptions and paranoia shape first impressions,” Jessica Reed Kraus — a California-based influencer who has posted approvingly about both Kennedy and former president Donald Trump — wrote on her Substack.
Kraus added that Shanahan’s “money changes everything,” but mused: “How do you sell financial support as … inspiring to the general public?”
Thing is, Shanahan’s money didn’t change everything, nor, apparently, anything. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign is on financial life support,” wrote Politico in a hilarious piece, noting that his campaign would be in debt without a $10 million infusion from Shanahan. But that is far from what he needs to be a proper spoiler.
The campaign started with the raffle program in December, offering a whale watching trip in Hawaii with Kennedy and his wife, Cheryl Hines. Its later offerings included a “Rocky Mountain adventure” and a “VIP sailing experience” at sunset with the couple in California. Those raffle tickets were $10 each and aimed at growing grassroots donations — but the campaign’s small-dollar hauls haven’t grown.
In February, it also spun up auctions aimed at bringing in larger-dollar donors with new items every month. In the latest edition, a “personal phone call with Bobby” and a virtual meeting with Shanahan garnered two bids and a single offer, respectively. Several signed posters of Kennedy got zero bids. Three of the four “zip line with Kennedy” prizes went unsold. And an unopened issue of George magazine, published by Kennedy’s late cousin John F. Kennedy Jr., sold for just $550. The “buy now” price was $2,500.
Damn, just two people bid on a phone call with Kennedy? Even I could do better than that, and I bet so could all of you! And wouldn’t it be funny if the single bid for a Zoom session with Shanahan was a campaign staffer, trying (and failing) to avoid the public humiliation?
Kennedy’s super PAC is surviving thanks to $25 million from Republican mega donor Tim Mellon, who clearly is hoping Kennedy siphons support from Biden. Kennedy’s Republican-focused campaign isn’t accomplishing that goal, and polls show that Kennedy is likely hurting Trump more. Deliciously ironic, huh? As for Shanahan, she’s already pissed away $14 million on Kennedy. How much more is she going to throw away on a hopeless cause, especially with a campaign overtly uninterested in lifting her up. This, from The Washington Post article, is brutal:
Kennedy’s communications director, Del Bigtree, put an even finer point on how the Kennedy operation seems to view its vice-presidential pick when asked by a Washington Post reporter who in the campaign might be able to speak on Shanahan’s behalf.
“I’ve never had a conversation with her about who shares her perspective,” Bigtree said. “The only perspective I’m really focused on is Bobby’s.”
Daaamn.
The bottom line is that most donors aren’t interested in pissing their money away on a candidate who has zero chance of winning, and Republicans are most likely scared away by the latest polling showing Kennedy hurting Trump. So Kennedy’s best bet now is (free) earned media, and he’s got bad news on that front.
CNN, which is hosting the first presidential debate on June 27 (assuming Trump shows up), announced that it is unlikely any third-party candidate qualifies for the debate. The requirements are being on the ballot in enough states to reach 270 electoral votes (Kennedy is at 89), and 15% of the vote share in four national polls (he has three).
Kennedy is likely screaming about CIA conspiracies to keep him down, or something. (Oh wait, he is actually claiming a conspiracy!) Too bad.
The reality is that third-party bids in our first-past-the-post political system are essentially impossible. The Trump camp can no longer fund him as a spoiler, as that’s backfiring. The Biden campaign can’t risk Kennedy using his name to draw Democratic votes. Thus, Kennedy can’t expect help from either camp. In fact, the opposite is happening, with both sides relentlessly blasting him. And his merry band of anti-vaccine nuts aren’t enough of a movement to sustain his campaign.
Expect his share of the vote to dwindle as voters begin focusing on the two actual candidates in the race.
As for Shanahan, one final bonus headline, this one from the Wall Street Journal: “Elon Musk’s Friendship With Sergey Brin Ruptured by Alleged Affair: Tesla chief’s liaison with Google co-founder’s wife led to couple’s divorce filing.”
Ewww.
RELATED STORY: RFK Jr.’s latest icky opinion: Confederate statues are fine
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