West Des Moines, Iowa – Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launched a one-day blitzkrieg on Saturday to gain access to Iowa's presidential vote as an independent candidate. Whether he succeeded is an open question.
Kennedy sought to qualify by holding a convention with at least 500 Iowa voters representing at least 25 counties. Before the convention closed Saturday, Chairman Dave Owen announced that 686 delegates representing more than 35 Iowa counties attended, but that number could not be immediately confirmed.
President Kennedy and his allies are pushing allies of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to make an all-out bid for a bid they fear will lose enough votes to sway the election. They are working to secure voting slots in 50 states. So far, Utah is the only state to confirm he is on the ballot.
A spokesperson for the Iowa Secretary of State's office confirmed before Saturday's event that the office had been contacted by the Kennedy campaign and had responded by providing a guide to candidates published this year.
As people limped into music venues Saturday, announcements from campaign staff blared over the speakers. The audience was told to be 300 people as of 2:36 p.m. Central time. 400 after about 20 minutes. At 3:08 p.m., it was announced that the number of employees had exceeded 500.
As with other campaigns, Mr. Kennedy has attracted longtime fans of his message as well as those frustrated by the impending 2020 election rematch.
Jeremy Youngers of Waukee, Iowa, said he doesn't like either Biden or Trump. Youngers has been listening to Kennedy's podcast and other podcast appearances over the years, and he was excited when Kennedy announced his candidacy, he said.
“This is an opportunity where we really have to make a change,” said the 42-year-old, accompanied by his wife and two children.
Christy Tierney, 45, drove about 170 miles from eastern Iowa to give voters another choice on the November ballot.
“All they need is 500 people to come here to put Bobby on the ballot,” the Bettendorf resident said. “So I thought I could make that happen by driving a few hours.”
Tierney said he is tired of the two-party system and voting against candidates rather than for them.
“I haven't made up my mind yet,” he said about November's presidential election, “but I think it's important to have another option.”
Kennedy is the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of former attorney general and U.S. senator Robert F. Kennedy. Both his father and his uncle were assassinated. He has since built a reputation as an environmental activist, author, and lawyer.
Along the way, his activities have taken a turn toward conspiracy theories and contradicting the scientific consensus, particularly regarding vaccines. Some members of his family have publicly criticized his views.
Mr. Kennedy chose Nicole Shanahan as his running mate, and both men began their bids for the White House as independent Democrats.
Mr. Kennedy's famous name has drawn attention to him as an alternative to the major party candidates who dominate the U.S. electorate, but in recent decades independent candidates have won the Electoral College. It doesn't get any votes. Taking the stage to applause and cheers from a standing crowd, he immediately addressed his own campaign and how voters in the room who had supported him had been rejected.
“If you want more of the same, you should vote for them,” Kennedy said of Biden and Trump. “Does anyone want more of the same?” A chorus of “no”s responded.
President Kennedy's anti-vaccination group has accused multiple news organizations, including The Associated Press, of violating antitrust laws by taking steps to identify misinformation about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. A lawsuit is being filed against the other party. Mr. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his presidential bid, but is listed as one of the group's lawyers in the lawsuit.
Anne Charleson said she has Republican values and Democratic values. She eats organic food and she wants to be selective about what she puts in her body, so when the Biden administration talked about mandating vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic She was “appalled”. She found herself “on the same side as people who want gun freedom.” She is,” she said — she is not what she believes.
“Kennedy is the best of both worlds,” said Charleson, 58, of West Des Moines. “I really believe what he says.”
Republicans and Democrats alike have rallied to criticize Kennedy, motivated in part by concerns that his candidacy could undermine Biden and Trump.
The Iowa Republican Party said Friday that Kennedy is a “distraction.”
“Instead of talking about the problems Americans are facing caused by the Biden administration, he is promoting harmful conspiracy theories,” Chairman Jeff Kaufman said in a statement. “Iowans want solutions, not distractions.”
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