Nothing Up My Sleeve!

https://t.co/THhfHgw7Vu

— New York Times Pitchbot (@DougJBalloon) July 10, 2023

According to a Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey, carried out for Newsweek, 14 percent of 2020 Biden voters "strongly support" Kennedy "running in the Democratic 2024 presidential primary election," with another 17 percent saying they "support" the decision. By contrast, 14 percent are "strongly opposed," with a further 6 percent "opposed" and 33 percent saying they neither "support nor oppose" his run.

The fun part here is the sleight of hand:

The figures are similar to those for the United States public as a whole, where Kennedy's bid is either supported or strongly supported by 32 percent of voters. Another 13 percent are either opposed or strongly opposed, with the remaining 34 percent saying they are neutral.

Redfield & Wilton Strategies polled 1,500 eligible U.S. voters on June 25. Of these, 577 respondents said they voted for Biden in the 2020 presidential election. 

The survey also found 31 percent of eligible voters think Kennedy "fits best in the Democratic Party," with 29 percent saying he should be a Republican, 24 percent an independent and the remainder unsure.

The sleight of hand is: what does this have to do with the Democratic primaries? Or the general election still over a year away?

522 voters claimed they voted for Biden in 2022. Of those, 14% want to see Kennedy run in the Democratic primaries. That’s what, 73 persons out of 1500? Amortized equally across 50 states (we don’t have a national primary; not even a national election), that’s 1.46 persons per state Whew, it’s a groundswell!

And Kennedy’s bid is strongly supported by 32% of voters? At this stage 32% of voters claim they’d vote for a wet sock over the incumbent or any one whose name is being bandied about. 

But the laughable thing is the idea that all 522 of self-identified Biden voters are Democrats, or likely to vote in Democratic primaries. I think it’s a good idea for Chris Christie to be in the GOP primaries. But what difference does my opinion make, and what does it indicate about the electorate? I’ve actually voted in a Republican primary (trying to screw Dan Patrick off the ballot). That doesn’t mean I’ll ever vote in another GOP primary again. But really, surely Democratic primary voters are the only ones who matter to this…discussion?  Is that what this is?

Or is it just filling space talking about the horse race that, at this point on the Democratic side, isn’t? But hey! RFK, Jr. gas the “surprising support” of 73 people! That’s something, isn’t it?