• catcarlson@beehaw.org
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    2 years ago

    The media definitely won’t help, but both of them are pretty weak contenders either way.

    RFK Jr. is a strident antivaxxer, which is a nonstarter for many people, especially those that vote in Democratic primaries. A good chunk of his press is arguably off the back of the Kennedy name, rather than the merits of his policies.

    Williamson is (or at least was) a self-help guru, which could cause people to see her as untrustworthy. And unlike RFK, she doesn’t have a political career or established name to draw on, just vaguely progressive “vibes”.

    I don’t think a more established figure like Sanders would be doing well in the polls right now, either. We’re a year out from the actual primaries, people’s thoughts on them are vague, and they’re more likely to just go with the default of Biden if asked. But RFK and Williamson don’t have particularly strong cases beyond being non-Biden choices.