{"id":2330332,"date":"2024-08-23T20:55:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-24T00:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rogan-democrats-how-rfk-jr-could-still-swing-presidential-election-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-23T21:01:52","modified_gmt":"2024-08-24T01:01:52","slug":"rogan-democrats-how-rfk-jr-could-still-swing-presidential-election-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rogan-democrats-how-rfk-jr-could-still-swing-presidential-election-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Rogan Democrats: How RFK Jr. could still swing presidential election &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frogan-democrats-how-rfk-jr-could-still-swing-presidential-election-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2330332&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses \u200cthe political \u200cimplications of Robert \u2062F. Kennedy\u2064 Jr.&#8217;s decision to suspend his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nearly-a-dozen-staffers-fired-by-desantis-campaign-amid-fundraising-woes\/\" title=\"Dozens of DeSantis campaign staffers fired due to fundraising troubles.\">presidential \u200dcampaign<\/a> and endorse \u200cformer\u200b President Donald Trump. Kennedy, who was\u2063 once seen as a potential major contender in the third-party landscape, now aims to \u200credirect his supporters&#8217; \u200dvotes towards Trump in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/huge-sidney-powell-witness-whom-ny-times-described-as-always-the-smartest-person-in-the-room-concludes-hundreds-of-thousands-of-votes-transferred-from-trump-to-biden-in-all-battleground-states\/\" title=\"HUGE! Sidney Powell Witness Whom NY Times Described as &quot;Always the Smartest Person in the Room&quot; Concludes Hundreds of Thousands of Votes Transferred from Trump to Biden IN ALL BATTLEGROUND STATES\">key battleground states<\/a>, potentially\u2063 influencing the\u200c outcome \u200cof the election.\u2063 <\/p>\n<p>Despite initially representing \u2063a challenge\u2064 to Joe \u200dBiden in the Democratic primaries, \u200cKennedy&#8217;s\u200b shift to an independent candidacy saw him\u200d align more with \u2063Trump&#8217;s anti-establishment messaging, focusing\u200b on issues like \u200cfree speech and opposition \u200dto government policies. His \u2064endorsement comes at \u2064a\u2062 strategic time, right after Vice \u200dPresident\u2064 Kamala Harris accepted\u2062 the Democratic nomination, as he attempts to disrupt \u200bthe Democrats\u2019 \u200cmomentum.<\/p>\n<p>Although \u2062Kennedy did not\u200c garner the level of support expected,\u2063 his involvement \u2063in the race could still sway critical votes, drawing parallels \u200dto past third-party candidates like Ross Perot. Democrats\u200c have historically\u200b perceived \u2063Kennedy as a\u2062 threat that could\u2062 siphon votes away from their party, a fear that may\u200d still \u200chold true as \u2064the election \u200capproaches.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Rogan Democrats: How RFK Jr. could still swing presidential election<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1736971\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/rfk-jr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Robert F. Kennedy Jr.<\/a> blew a chance to be the most successful third<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/manufactured-this-russian-collusion-lie-tulsi-gabbard-levels-hillary-clinton-over-durham-report\/\" title=\"\u2018Manufactured This Russian Collusion Lie\u2019: Tulsi Gabbard Levels Hillary Clinton Over Durham Report\">-party presidential candidate<\/a> since <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ross-perot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Ross Perot<\/a> but could still be consequential if he swings the battleground states and therefore the election to his preferred candidate.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Kennedy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3132445\/rfk-jr-trump-endorsement-speech\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>suspended his presidential campaign<\/a> on Friday and endorsed former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump<\/a>. As with everything involving Kennedy, he made it more complicated than that &mdash; he played up that he was &ldquo;suspending,&rdquo; not &ldquo;ending&rdquo; his long-shot independent bid and urged people to still vote for him in safe red and blue states.<\/p>\n<p>But Kennedy is urging his supporters in the states that will likely decide the Electoral College majority to vote for Trump and is taking his name off the ballot in the battleground states where it is still possible to do so. His endorsement could help Trump consolidate anti-establishment voters turned off by both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/venezuelas-opposition-held-congress-extends-term-after-disputed-vote\/\" title=\"Venezuela\u2019s opposition-held Congress extends term after disputed vote\">major parties<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Both the timing of Kennedy&rsquo;s announcement, the day after Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a> accepted her party&rsquo;s nomination at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic-national-convention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Democratic National Convention<\/a>, and his messaging were meant to blunt the Democrats&rsquo; recent momentum.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"2024 ELECTION: LIVE UPDATES\"><strong>2024 ELECTION: LIVE UPDATES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a campaign rally at the Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo\/Evan Vucci)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;Three great causes drove me to enter this race in the first place, and these are the principal causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent and now to throw my support to President Trump,&rdquo; Kennedy said. &ldquo;The causes were free speech, the war in Ukraine, and the war on our children.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy, who hails from an iconic Democratic family and is the son of the former attorney general, senator, and 1968 presidential candidate assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan, was initially going to be President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Joe Biden<\/a>&rsquo;s main primary challenger. As the longtime progressive activist gravitated toward conspiracy theories that generally have a greater following on the Right than the Left, he decided to strike out as an independent.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats long viewed him as a stalking horse for Trump, first trying to drive up Biden&rsquo;s negatives in the primaries and then trying to siphon away votes from their party by appearing on state ballots as independent with the Kennedy surname. Congressional Republicans elevated Kennedy by having him testify about social media censorship and supported misinformation upon taking the House.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But as Democrats made the switch from Biden to Harris, disaffected progressives started to come home and it began to appear Kennedy was taking more votes from Trump. Kennedy said Friday that was what his own campaign polls found.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy failed mightily to capitalize on the opportunity presented by being the biggest-name alternative to Biden and Trump, major-party choices voters repeatedly told pollsters they disliked. Biden&rsquo;s reelection campaign collapsed after a June 27 debate with Trump, but this did nothing to arrest Kennedy&rsquo;s own drop in the polls.<\/p>\n<p>Based on past history with third-party candidates, Kennedy&rsquo;s numbers were likely to continue to fade as the general election approached and voters decided they must choose between Trump and Harris. Once in the double digits, he was at 5% nationally in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/president\/general\/2024\/trump-vs-harris-vs-kennedy-vs-stein-vs-west\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><em>RealClearPolitics <\/em>average<\/a> when he called it quits, more than Ralph Nader&rsquo;s actual vote share in 2000 and Gary Johnson&rsquo;s in 2012 or 2016 but significantly less than Perot&rsquo;s in 1992 or 1996, John Anderson&rsquo;s in 1980, or George Wallace&rsquo;s in 1968.<\/p>\n<p>That is still more than the difference between Harris and Trump nationally or in many battleground states. Nader and later Green Party nominee Jill Stein were able to swing states with less. Democrats blamed them for their losses in 2000 and 2016, respectively.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, there is a type of voter that has since 2016 floated between the Bernie Sanders Left and the MAGA Right that was drawn to Kennedy. Top podcaster Joe Rogan and his large audience are examples of this phenomenon. Conservative attitudes about the COVID-19 vaccine have hardened since the end of the pandemic despite Trump&rsquo;s role in its development, and now there is no significant anti-vaccine candidate in the race.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>How many voters exist in this orbit is unclear, but disenchanted Sanders supporters and other anti-establishment types were important in the 2016 presidential election Trump won and could be again this year. While Harris has been on an upward trajectory since replacing Biden and could see a convention bounce, most polls nationally and in the battlegrounds still show a close race, often within the margin of error.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>While Kennedy still teased a scenario in which a deadlocked Electoral College could revive his ambitions, tossing the election to Trump,&nbsp;which many Democrats always suspected he really wanted to do,&nbsp;would certainly have an impact no previous independent candidate has ever had.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1736971\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1736971\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Rogan Democrats: The Potential Impact of RFK Jr. on the Presidential Election**<\/p>\n<p>Robert F. Kennedy Jr. missed the opportunity to become the most successful third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot, but he could still play a significant role in influencing battleground states and potentially swaying the election in favor of his chosen candidate. On Friday, Kennedy announced he was suspending his presidential campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump. However, true to form, he complicated matters by emphasizing that he was &#8220;suspending&#8221; rather than &#8220;ending&#8221; his independent campaign and encouraged supporters to vote for him in solid red and blue states.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy is urging his backers in key Electoral College states to support Trump while also removing his name from ballots in those battleground areas where it&#8217;s feasible. His endorsement may help Trump unify anti-establishment voters disillusioned with both major parties. The timing of Kennedy&#8217;s announcement\u2014just after Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party&#8217;s nomination at the Democratic National Convention\u2014along with his messaging aimed to counteract recent Democratic momentum.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy stated that three main causes motivated him to enter this race: free speech, the war in Ukraine, and concerns about children\u2019s welfare\u2014all factors that led him to leave the Democratic Party for an independent run before ultimately supporting Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Coming from a prominent Democratic family as the son of a former attorney general and senator who was assassinated during his 1968 presidential campaign, Kennedy initially sought to challenge President Joe Biden in the primaries but shifted towards an independent candidacy as he embraced conspiracy theories more popular on the Right than Left.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats have long suspected that Kennedy might serve as a spoiler for them by drawing votes away from Biden while appearing on state ballots under their famous surname. Congressional Republicans have bolstered Kennedy&#8217;s profile by having him testify about social media censorship issues upon taking control of Congress.<\/p>\n<p>However, as Democrats transitioned their support from Biden to Harris, disenchanted progressives began returning home politically; it appeared that Kennedy might be siphoning votes away from Trump instead. According to polls conducted by his own campaign, this trend seemed evident.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being positioned as a notable alternative amid widespread voter dissatisfaction with both major-party candidates\u2014Biden\u2019s reelection efforts faltering after a June debate against Trump\u2014Kennedy struggled significantly at polling time leading up to dropping out; when he suspended his campaign, he had only garnered around 5% nationally according to RealClearPolitics averages\u2014a figure higher than Ralph Nader or Gary Johnson received but far below what Perot achieved historically.<\/p>\n<p>This percentage still exceeds margins between Harris and Trump nationally or within many battleground states; past experiences show how candidates like Nader influenced elections despite lower vote shares leading Democrats blaming them for losses during pivotal years like 2000 and 2016 respectively.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, there exists a segment of voters who have fluctuated between Bernie Sanders&#8217; progressive ideals and MAGA sentiments since 2016\u2014a group drawn toward Kennedy\u2019s candidacy exemplified by influential podcaster Joe Rogan&#8217;s audience base among others.<\/p>\n<p>While conservative views regarding COVID-19 vaccines have solidified post-pandemic\u2014even with Trump&#8217;s involvement\u2014the absence of any significant anti-vaccine contender complicates matters further regarding voter dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>The exact number within this demographic remains uncertain; however discontented Sanders supporters alongside other anti-establishment individuals played crucial roles during Trump&#8217;s previous electoral victory\u2014and could again influence outcomes this year.<\/p>\n<p>Although Harris has gained traction following her ascension replacing Biden\u2014which may yield convention advantages\u2014the majority polling data indicates tight races persist nationally along critical battlegrounds often falling within error margins.<\/p>\n<p>Kennedy continues hinting at scenarios where an Electoral College deadlock could reignite ambitions allowing potential outcomes favoring Trump\u2014a possibility many Democrats suspect has always been part of his strategy\u2014with implications unprecedented compared against prior independent candidates\u2019 impacts!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2659,"featured_media":2330333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/RFK-Trump-rally-2-scaled-1024x684.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[3685,32183,32458,12066,32076],"class_list":["post-2330332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-democrats","tag-presidential-election","tag-rfk-jr","tag-rogan","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/RFK-Trump-rally-2-scaled-1024x684.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2330332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2330332"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2330332\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2330333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2330332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2330332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2330332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}