WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Recent polls show that Republicans have a more favorable opinion of Kennedy Jr. than Democrats.
During a speech in Arizona, Kennedy cited concerns that continuing his campaign would help Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Kennedy’s support has dipped in recent polls to find his political path in a race reshaped by the departure of Democratic President Joe Biden and his replacement by Harris. The developments left relatively little room for Kennedy’s presence — or departure — to make a difference in the outcome of the election. Recent polls give no clear indication that Kennedy’s presence in the race has had a major impact on support for a major party candidate.
Although some polls earlier in the year put Kennedy’s support in the double digits, his support has stabilized. Middle single digits Inside Latest polls. It’s unclear whether Kennedy would have received that level of support in the general election, given the frequency of third-party candidates. Don’t live up to their initial poll numbers When voters actually vote.
Discriminatory appeal
In recent months, former US Attorney General Robert F. Americans as a whole are divided over Kennedy’s son, the 70-year-old.
For one thing, many people had an unfavorable view of Kennedy July AP-NORC Hen It was held last month before Biden dropped out of the presidential race. That marked a decline from February, when Kennedy had a more positive than negative view, and 3 in 10 had no opinion.
In the most recent poll, 2 in 10 American adults did not know enough about Kennedy to form an opinion.
Republicans had a more favorable view of Kennedy than Democrats and independents. Those who have a positive opinion of Kennedy are more likely to have a favorable view of Trump (52%) than Harris (37%).
Kennedy also struggled to endear himself to the nonpolitical. Although he ran for president as an independent, polls show that 4 out of 10 independents don’t know enough to form an opinion. Those who did were evenly split between favorable and unfavorable opinions.
Basis of support
Kennedy’s appeal was largely as an alternative to Competition that many Americans dread When facing Trump in the 2020 election, which Biden won. A A Pew Research Center poll from July It found that half of voters who supported Kennedy said he, not Biden or Trump, was the main reason they supported Kennedy, compared with 3 in 10 who listed his characteristics or policies.
Harris’ move to the top of the Democratic ticket may have further damaged Kennedy’s chances. An August Pew poll suggested that Harris gained support at Kennedy’s expense. Kennedy appeared to gain support from some women and non-white voters who had previously considered him.
About that surname
Kennedy’s initial pitch was largely based on his family name and his father and his uncle, former President John F. Focused on his relationship with other famous Kennedys, including Kennedy. A CNN poll was conducted last summer When RFK Jr. was running for the Democratic nomination, he found that many Democrats said they considered supporting Kennedy because of his name or his family connections. Many members The Kennedy family supported Biden before he withdrew from the competition.
Things to know about 2024 elections
John F. Kennedy is the most highly rated former president Gallup’s retrospective approval ratingsAnd his appeal transcends party lines. Nine in 10 Americans approve of how Kennedy, a Democrat, has handled his presidency, according to data from last summer, with Democrats, independents and Republicans in agreement.
It’s been a week since the news of Robert Kennedy’s departure A New York judge ruled That he should not appear on the ballot in the state as he had listed a fake address in his nomination papers. Kennedy appealed the verdict, but faced many similar challenges across the country.
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This story was originally published on August 22, 2024. Updated August 23, 2024 to include independent candidate RFK Jr. suspending his campaign and endorsing former President Donald Trump.
