Staff Reports
In a bizarre twist of political fate, the Michigan Secretary of State’s office has declared that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can’t wriggle his way off the state’s general election ballot—despite his recent decision to support Donald Trump. This delightful bureaucracy comes just as Kennedy announced he was suspending his independent presidential campaign to throw in his lot with the elephant party. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place, but in this case, that rock is a hefty ballot sheet.
Kennedy had hoped to cash in on what could be a game-changing endorsement for Trump in the battleground states, claiming he’d remove his name from 10 ballots. However, as it turns out, “Too little, too late” seems to be the motto of Michigan’s election officials. Cheri Hardmon, the press secretary for the state’s Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, explained that once a minor party candidate takes the plunge into the election pool, they can’t swim back to shore. So, RFK Jr. will remain an “official” candidate on the ballot—though there’s a good chance he will be about as effective as a wet paper towel in a rainstorm.
Two months after the DNC sued to keep RFK Jr. off the ballot, Michigan’s Democratic Secretary of State won’t let him leave. https://t.co/7iRLZTv0Lf
— Derek P. Gilbert (@derekgilbert) August 27, 2024
This amusing predicament is quite the head-scratcher when one considers that the Democratic National Committee has made it clear they would prefer it if Kennedy were nowhere in sight, much less on the ballot. The irony is rich; two months after the DNC filed a lawsuit aimed at keeping RFK Jr. off the ballot, they find themselves with him refusing to leave, courtesy of Michigan’s election laws. One might even think they’ve opened a can of worms so big it has its own zip code.
Polls suggest that Kennedy, despite his questionable views on certain issues, might be siphoning votes off Trump more than he is from Kamala Harris. Recent surveys reveal a modest but not insignificant number of RFK Jr.’s supporters are planning to back Trump instead of the Democratic nominee. With figures like 41 percent pledging their allegiance to the former president versus 27 percent leaning towards Harris, it’s evident Kennedy’s presence holds potential sway in this tight electoral race. Trump could snag a crucial bump of one or two percentage points in battleground states, a detail that might just tip the scales in what promises to be a true nail-biter of an election.
Throughout this political circus, Kennedy has successfully managed to extricate himself from some ballots, including those in Arizona, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Yet, like a bad cold that just won’t go away, he continues to linger on ballots in Nevada, Wisconsin, and maybe even North Carolina. Speculation is rampant that the ongoing legal battles will see him removed from the Georgia ballot after a recent ruling. The chaos continues to build around this campaign, leaving many to wonder how this drama will unfold as the election date creeps closer.
Kennedy’s unusual predicament encapsulates the absurdity that often accompanies politics, especially in a year when the battle lines are drawn so sharply. As candidates shift gears, endorsements fly, and parties scramble to solidify their support bases, every twist in the narrative brings a new layer of entertainment to the electoral showdown. For conservative voters, the question now is whether RFK Jr.’s quirky journey will fortify Trump’s campaign or merely serve as a comedic subplot in the theatrical performance of American politics.
