Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. may be here to stay as new polling shows Democratic voters are unenthusiastic about re-electing President Biden 2024.
Kennedy’s polling numbers have remained steady since he launched his 2024 presidential campaign, and the most recent Fox News Poll from this week shows the challenger commanding 16% of the Democratic primary vote, a sizable chunk for a primary challenger against an incumbent president.
Biden’s other primary challenger, author Marianne Williamson, took 8% of the vote while the president stagnated, maintaining 62% of Democratic primary voters’ support since April.
Williamson shifted down one point from controlling 9% of Democratic primary voters.
Although Kennedy’s Fox News polling numbers are 3% lower than where he found himself in April, maintaining double-digit support since April shows President John F. Kennedy’s nephew has some political staying power.
The polls also suggest that even many Democratic voters remain unenthusiastic about backing the 80-year-old president for another term.
Other polling shows Kennedy’s share of blue primary voters staying in the same range, with CNN’s most recent polling showing the environmental lawyer controlling 20%.
Biden does not fare much better in the CNN poll either, receiving support from 60% of Democratic primary voters while Williamson took 8%.
The president can breathe a sigh of relief though. The Democratic National Committee announced it would not be hosting primary debates for the 2024 cycle.
Still, a lack of primary debates does not mean Biden is out of the woods.
With enough money and support, Kennedy could potentially mount an independent campaign without the Democratic Party’s backing that could damage Biden’s re-election effort.
Kennedy could be a spoiler in the election if he keeps his momentum up, plays his cards right and keeps up his media push that will likely take him to Twitter for an interview with billionaire owner Elon Musk.
That possibility also becomes more of a reality should Williamson drop out of the race and the majority of her supporters fall into Kennedy’s camp.
However enticing that path may be to some, becoming a presidential spoiler in America’s two-party system is a rare feat that requires that a candidate spend a lot of money and for the planets to align.
Still, Biden’s political bleeding serves as a warning to his campaign that his re-election is not as buttoned-up as the campaign may believe it is.
