Did you hear how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is liable for the dying of 83 Samoans, most of them younger youngsters? He’s objectively a horrible individual, one who has come after the Every day Kos group (and misplaced).
He’s additionally working for president as an unbiased after being unceremoniously tossed apart by the Democratic Get together. So how’s that going for him?
Not properly.
Kennedy is a well known liar, and the saga of his vice-presidential decide is exhibit A. On March 18, he mentioned he would by no means decide a working mate “based mostly on how a lot cash they’ve.” A month later, he handpicked philanthropist Nicole Shanahan, ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, based mostly on how a lot cash she had (reportedly over $1 billion). She had already donated $4 million to Kennedy’s tremendous PAC to air that notorious Tremendous Bowl advert that stole from John F. Kennedy’s 1960 advert.
It was estimated that Kennedy wanted to spend $15 million to get on the poll in simply 12 states, and was lagging far behind the fundraising of President Joe Biden ($306 million as of Could 21) and Donald Trump ($244 million). Shanahan’s pocketbook was simply too irresistible to move up.
Certainly, this withering article in The Washington Publish successfully highlighted how irrelevant Shanahan was to the marketing campaign path, headlining the piece, “RFK’s unusual non-relationship together with his VP decide.” He had no clue what she was doing, the place she was going, what media she was doing, or actually, something about her. The marketing campaign has completed nothing to coordinate her message with Kennedy’s, nor apparently even coach her.
“Group Kennedy dropped the ball by introducing an unfamiliar and unconventional alternative as his working mate, then neglecting to successfully set her up for good messaging below their information, as a substitute of letting rushed assumptions and paranoia form first impressions,” Jessica Reed Kraus — a California-based influencer who has posted approvingly about each Kennedy and former president Donald Trump — wrote on her Substack.
Kraus added that Shanahan’s “cash adjustments all the things,” however mused: “How do you promote monetary help as … inspiring to most people?”
Factor is, Shanahan’s cash didn’t change all the things, nor, apparently, something. “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential marketing campaign is on monetary life help,” wrote Politico in a hilarious piece, noting that his marketing campaign could be in debt with out a $10 million infusion from Shanahan. However that’s removed from what he must be a correct spoiler.
The marketing campaign began with the raffle program in December, providing a whale watching journey in Hawaii with Kennedy and his spouse, Cheryl Hines. Its later choices included a “Rocky Mountain journey” and a “VIP crusing expertise” at sundown with the couple in California. These raffle tickets had been $10 every and aimed toward rising grassroots donations — however the marketing campaign’s small-dollar hauls haven’t grown.
In February, it additionally spun up auctions aimed toward bringing in larger-dollar donors with new gadgets each month. Within the newest version, a “private cellphone name with Bobby” and a digital assembly with Shanahan garnered two bids and a single supply, respectively. A number of signed posters of Kennedy acquired zero bids. Three of the 4 “zip line with Kennedy” prizes went unsold. And an unopened situation of George journal, printed by Kennedy’s late cousin John F. Kennedy Jr., offered for simply $550. The “purchase now” worth was $2,500.
Rattling, simply two folks bid on a cellphone name with Kennedy? Even I might do higher than that, and I wager so might all of you! And wouldn’t or not it’s humorous if the one bid for a Zoom session with Shanahan was a marketing campaign staffer, attempting (and failing) to keep away from the general public humiliation?
Kennedy’s tremendous PAC is surviving because of $25 million from Republican mega donor Tim Mellon, who clearly is hoping Kennedy siphons help from Biden. Kennedy’s Republican-focused marketing campaign isn’t carrying out that purpose, and polls present that Kennedy is probably going hurting Trump extra. Deliciously ironic, huh? As for Shanahan, she’s already pissed away $14 million on Kennedy. How rather more is she going to throw away on a hopeless trigger, particularly with a marketing campaign overtly tired of lifting her up. This, from The Washington Publish article, is brutal:
Kennedy’s communications director, Del Bigtree, put a fair finer level on how the Kennedy operation appears to view its vice-presidential decide when requested by a Washington Publish reporter who within the marketing campaign may have the ability to converse on Shanahan’s behalf.
“I’ve by no means had a dialog together with her about who shares her perspective,” Bigtree mentioned. “The one perspective I’m actually centered on is Bobby’s.”
Daaamn.
The underside line is that almost all donors aren’t desirous about pissing their cash away on a candidate who has zero probability of successful, and Republicans are most definitely scared away by the newest polling displaying Kennedy hurting Trump. So Kennedy’s greatest wager now’s (free) earned media, and he’s acquired dangerous information on that entrance.
CNN, which is internet hosting the primary presidential debate on June 27 (assuming Trump reveals up), introduced that it’s unlikely any third-party candidate qualifies for the controversy. The necessities are being on the poll in sufficient states to achieve 270 electoral votes (Kennedy is at 89), and 15% of the vote share in 4 nationwide polls (he has three).
Kennedy is probably going screaming about CIA conspiracies to maintain him down, or one thing. (Oh wait, he is really claiming a conspiracy!) Too dangerous.
The truth is that third-party bids in our first-past-the-post political system are basically inconceivable. The Trump camp can now not fund him as a spoiler, as that’s backfiring. The Biden marketing campaign can’t threat Kennedy utilizing his identify to attract Democratic votes. Thus, Kennedy can’t count on assist from both camp. In reality, the alternative is occurring, with either side relentlessly blasting him. And his merry band of anti-vaccine nuts aren’t sufficient of a motion to maintain his marketing campaign.
Count on his share of the vote to dwindle as voters start specializing in the 2 precise candidates within the race.
As for Shanahan, one remaining bonus headline, this one from the Wall Avenue Journal: “Elon Musk’s Friendship With Sergey Brin Ruptured by Alleged Affair: Tesla chief’s liaison with Google co-founder’s spouse led to couple’s divorce submitting.”
Ewww.
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