Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may pose a bigger threat to President Joe Biden as a third-party candidate than a Democratic primary competitor.
According to a new Quinnipiac University national poll, Kennedy’s net approval is much higher among independent voters than among Democrats, who primarily have a negative view of him.
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He is running for president as a Democrat in 2024 and looking to defeat Biden in a primary matchup.
In the new poll, 21% of Democratic voters reported having favorable opinions of Kennedy, while almost half said they had unfavorable opinions. Altogether, he has a net favorability rating of -26 among Democrats.
When it comes to independents, 39% were favorable of him, and 27% were unfavorable. His net favorability was 12 with the group, marking a significant contrast with Democrats.
In a hypothetical Democratic primary matchup, Biden bested Kennedy and Marianne Williamson with 71%. Kennedy received only 14%.
Biden already faces a possible third-party challenge from the national movement No Labels. The group is speculated to launch a bid for the presidency headed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). The West Virginia senator hasn’t ruled out the possibility, either.
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On Monday, Manchin took part in a New Hampshire town hall with the group, intensifying Democratic worries that he’ll take on Biden.
After the event, he told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that Biden has “been pushed too far left. He knows that. And we’re still friends. We can talk. I just think that basically — and a lot of the ways they’re interpreting and trying to implement pieces of legislation that never have the intent of what they’re trying to do to make something that wasn’t passed.”
