Democrats can’t agree on how much time, money or brain space to spend on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Since RFK Jr. made the ballot in Michigan last week, operatives in the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee have had different views than those in the state party on when and how to attack the third-party candidate who could — at the very least — play a spoiler role in the battleground state Joe Biden barely won in 2020.
The Biden campaign and the DNC haven’t taken the threat Kennedy poses lightly. Kennedy is polling around 9% in Michigan, well behind former President Donald Trump and Biden, but more than enough that his name on the ballot could easily siphon votes — and Democrats believe those votes will come from Biden. The DNC in March, more than a month before Kennedy qualified to be on Michigan’s ballot, put together a team to push back on third-party and independent candidates. They’re also pouring money into attacking Kennedy as he makes campaign stops, running ads and bringing in Biden supporters to Kennedy appearances.