RFK Jr. As a Vehicle of Discontent

John Ellis: “The fact that he won’t be the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee does not mean he won’t have a significant impact on the 2024 presidential campaign. Ask Lyndon Johnson if Sen. Gene McCarthy had any chance of being the Democratic presidential nominee in 1968. Ask George H.W. Bush if Pat Buchanan had any chance of being the Republican presidential nominee in 1992. Neither McCarthy nor Buchanan had a realistic chance of being their respective parties’ nominees. Both men had a measurable impact on the outcome of the general elections in 1968 and 1992.”

“McCarthy and Buchanan were ‘messengers.’ The ‘establishment’ reaction to their candidacies was ‘shoot the messenger.’ But they persisted, and subsisted, because they gave voice to discontent. That’s what some candidates become, sometimes. They become vehicles of discontent.”

Andrew Sullivan: “At this point, if RFK plays his cards right, I would be surprised if he doesn’t get to the mid-30s or higher in some polls. At which point, as I’ve written, watch New Hampshire, debate invitations, and online fundraising.”