PHOENIX (AP) – Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.will not compete with his better-known rivals, President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trumpwhen they debate in Atlanta on Thursday.
And apart from a live response to the debate, he has nothing planned for the coming weeks. Nor Vice-candidatephilanthropist Nicole Shanahan.
After a busy spring that saw him travel across the country with a mix of political rallies, fundraisers and unconventional campaign events, Kennedy appears to be taking a breather.
Kennedy’s absence from the Debate phase and the election campaign poses risks for his Insurgent Search to shake up Republican and Democratic dominance of the U.S. political system. He lacks the money for a flood of television advertising, and he must spend much of the money he does have on securing access to the ballot box. Public appearances are a cost-effective way to gain supporters and get the media coverage he needs to stay relevant.
Kennedy himself says he can only win if Voters know he is running and believe he can beat Biden and Trump. This problem will only get worse as the debate and the major party conventions that follow in July and August get more voters interested in the campaign.
Nevertheless, Kennedy continues to post regularly on social media and remains available for interviews, most recently with talk show host Dr. Phil.
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“Mr. Kennedy has a busy schedule in July with many public events, mostly on the East Coast, including a large rally,” said Stefanie Spear, spokeswoman for the Kennedy campaign. “We will begin announcing the events next week.”
For Thursday Debate on CNNthe network Invited candidates who showed strength in four reliable polls and Access to ballot papers in enough states to win the presidency. Kennedy fell short of expectations to both requirements.
He protested vehemently against the rules, accused CNN of collaborating with Biden and Trump in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission, and threatened to sue.
Sujat Desai, a 20-year-old student from Pleasanton, California, who supports Kennedy, said Kennedy’s absence from the debate was a major hurdle for him to overcome.
“I don’t think you can get attention if you’re not on the debate stage,” Desai said. “I think it’s a pretty fatal blow not to be in this debate, and it would be damaging not to be in the next one.”
Still, Desai said he would not be dissuaded from voting for Kennedy, even though his chances of being elected in November appear slim.
“I think this is probably the strongest independent candidate I’ve seen in a long time, so I’ll give him that,” Desai said. “I think he’s doing well, definitely. His policies are strong enough to win, I just don’t know if the awareness is there.”
Kennedy plans to answer the same questions asked of Biden and Trump in real time in a live stream.
Independent and third-party candidates like Kennedy have extremely slim chances, but Kennedy’s campaign has frightened partisans on both sides, they fear that Biden could turn the election against them. Biden’s supporters fear that his famous Democratic name and his commitment to the environment could lure voters away from the left. Trump supporters are worried his idiosyncratic views, especially his survey the scientific consensus that vaccines are safe and effective will appeal to people who might otherwise vote for Trump.
Christy Jones, 54, a holistic health and mindfulness coach from Glendora, Calif., worries that people won’t know Kennedy is running if he’s not standing next to Biden and Trump at the debate. But she said he’s still all over her social media feeds and she’s confident he’s making himself visible.
“I think he could still win if people are brave,” she said. “If all the people who really want change voted for him, he would be in. People are demanding change.”
Until recently, Kennedy advertised a variety of events, including public rallies and private fundraisers, on his website weeks or more in advance. He hosted comedy nights featuring prominent comedians in Michigan and Tennessee.
But since attending the premiere of a film about fighting addiction on June 15, Kennedy has grown somber, even as he continues to organize in-person and virtual events for his supporters.
