Robert F Kennedy Jr lambasted for failing to improve poll numbers despite disastrous week for Joe Biden

WASHINGTON, DC: Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr has not seen a significant increase in support following President Joe Biden's lackluster performance in the debate against former President Donald Trump.

Following President Biden's widely criticized showing in Atlanta, Kennedy Jr had an opportunity to attract voters from both candidates for his third-party presidential campaign.

Despite the POTUS's troubles, Kennedy Jr has also encountered difficulties in his presidential campaign. He didn't experience a notable rise in the polls this week and was the focus of a Vanity Fair report that detailed allegations of sexual assault, which he did not refute, per The Hill.

“If RFK Jr was a truly viable candidate, he’d be making a credible push to supplant Biden as the main alternative to Trump,” said Kyle Kondik, an elections analyst and managing editor at the forecasting outfit Sabato’s Crystal Ball. “Clearly that is not happening in the slightest and to the extent he’s making news, it’s bad news.”

What are difficulties Robert F Kennedy Jr facing in his bid?

Robert F Kennedy Jr faced more negative publicity on Friday, July 5, when he stated online that he “won’t take sides” regarding the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Kennedy Jr later explained that he was responding to a report on CBS's ‘60 Minutes’ about potential Saudi involvement in the al Qaeda attacks.

However, his comments sparked discussion due to their perceived similarity to longstanding conspiracy theories about 9/11. Democrats have consistently criticized Kennedy Jr for promoting various conspiracy theories, including unfounded claims about vaccines, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the supposed link between wifi and cancer.

Brandon Weathersby, who manages communications for presidential campaigns at American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC, implied that Kennedy Jr was suggesting US government involvement in the 9/11 attacks, and he added that there “are few conspiracy theories that RFK Jr won’t repeat.”

“Whether it’s about Americans dying at the hands of a terrorist attack or a global pandemic, RFK Jr. will parrot any conspiracy theory he thinks will bring him attention and dollars,” Weathersby said. “His rhetoric is as harmful as it is offensive and he cannot lead the country as president.” 

This latest development indicates that despite ongoing uncertainty regarding President Biden's candidacy, Kennedy Jr’s endeavor to establish himself as a viable presidential candidate continues to face challenges.

According to a New York Times/Siena College poll conducted after the Atlanta debate, RFK Jr received 8 percent support in the race, a figure consistent with an aggregate of surveys from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

Kennedy Jr's attempts to differentiate himself from Biden's age-related issues and Trump's criminal record have been hindered by unfavorable media coverage.

There is growing concern among some influential members of the Democratic party that Kennedy, formerly a prominent party member as recently as October, could undermine the election, potentially leading to a second Trump victory.

However, recent events have highlighted Kennedy's own susceptibility to criticism.

“I’ve said this from the beginning. I am not a church boy,” RFK Jr said during his appearance on the ‘Breaking Points’ YouTube show addressing the recent Vanity Fair article about him, which claimed that he inappropriately groped a woman who was his babysitter. “I had a very, very rambunctious youth. I said in my announcement speech that I have … so many skeletons in my closet, that if they could all vote, I could run for king of the world.”

Kennedy Jr did not elaborate on the sexual assault claim, and he described the article as “a lot of garbage.”

Such comments, coupled with his abysmal polling, have given some Democrats hope.

“What you have seen the last few weeks is exactly what many of us have been saying for a while, the more voters hear about Kennedy the less they are going to like him,” said Doug Gordon, a Democratic strategist. 

“When a graphic and disturbing photo comes out of you eating a dog and it is not even the worst story about you that week, that’s not a good week,” Gordon said referring to a separate part in the article that showed RFK Jr eating an animal carcass, which Vanity Fair reported was a dog’s carcass.

Kennedy Jr denied the report, claiming it was a goat and that the photo had been taken while he was in Patagonia.

Kennedy Jr's public standing, according to experts, has not met the expectations for a serious contender this close to Election Day.

He failed to reach 15 percent in the four polls designated by CNN as the debate threshold, preventing him from sharing the debate stage with Biden and Trump.

Moreover, it remains uncertain whether he will be listed on most ballots in November. His campaign website's ballot tracker indicates that Kennedy Jr needs approval in around two dozen more states to achieve his goal of being on all 50 state ballots.

Currently, only six states have confirmed his placement on the ballot, as reported by The Hill/DDHQ.

“While the presidential race is at [a] critical and fluid moment when it comes to Trump and Biden, one truth remains — Kennedy has no path to winning,” Gordon said. “And as this week has proven, he has plenty from his past that is beyond disqualifying.”

Internet lambasts Robert F Kennedy Jr for failing to improve poll numbers 

One X user remarked, "Saying he’s up in the air on whether 911 was an inside job didn’t help."

Another user said, "could there be a worse third-party candidate and thank God for that."

Another user claimed, "He admits a worm eat his brain. He’s not competent."

One user wrote, "Kennedy is nearly as psycho as Trump."

Another X user quipped, "I knew bbq dog was gonna derail him."

Finally, this user tweeted, "Dude is strange."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.