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A recent CNN poll shows that 20 percent of Democrats favor Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for the party’s nomination, 8 percent want Marianne Williamson and another 8 percent want someone else. Do you think this is some kind of polling fluke or an ominous political sign for Joe Biden? Gail: I am absolutely sure that a lot of the people raising their hands for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Marianne Williamson have no idea who either of them actually is. Obviously, they recognize the Kennedy name, but I’ll bet most don’t know about his new career as an anti-vaxxer. Williamson touched a nerve — or summoned a spirit — as the “dark psychic force” lady from the last Democratic primary.

Persons: Bret Stephens, Gail, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Marianne Williamson, Joe Biden, Gail Collins, Bret, it’s, he’s, Kennedy, ., Williamson Organizations: CNN, vax, Democratic Locations: America

☆ Instagram lifts ban on anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after launch of presidential bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Instagram announced Sunday it had lifted its ban on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist who has launched a presidential bid, two years after it shut down Kennedy’s account for breaking its rules related to Covid-19. “As he is now an active candidate for president of the United States, we have restored access to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s, Instagram account,” Andy Stone, a spokesperson for Instagram’s parent company Meta said in a statement. Kennedy, who has a long history of spreading vaccine misinformation, was banned from Instagram in February 2021. A company spokesperson at the time said Instagram had removed his account for “repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines.”While Kennedy’s Instagram account was banned, his Facebook account remained active. Kennedy was a leading anti-vaccination voice during the Covid-19 pandemic, using his social media platforms to sow doubt and misinformation about the shots.

Persons: New York CNN — Instagram, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Jr, Andy Stone, Meta, Instagram, “, Cheryl Hines, Kennedy’s, Anne Frank, Hines, ”, Jack Dorsey, tweeting, “ Robert F, ” Dorsey, Elon Musk, Stone Organizations: New, New York CNN, Instagram, Meta, The Washington Post, YouTube, Trump, DeSantis, Democratic, CNN Locations: New York, United States, Nazi Germany, Silicon Valley

Mr. Kennedy said he now had “about 50 people” working for his campaign. Instead, he has used his campaign platform — and his famous name — to promote misinformation and ideas that have little traction in his party. Asked during the discussion by David Sacks, a top DeSantis donor who is also close to Mr. Musk, “what happened to the Democratic Party,” Mr. Kennedy spent nine uninterrupted minutes attacking Mr. Biden as a warmonger and claimed that their party was under the control of the pharmaceutical industry. “I think the Democratic Party became the party of war,” Mr. Kennedy said. “I attribute that directly to President Biden.” He added, “He has always been in favor of very bellicose, pugnacious and aggressive foreign policy, and he believes that violence is a legitimate political tool for achieving America’s objectives abroad.”

Persons: “, ”, we’ve, Kennedy, Marianne Williamson, Biden, renominating, David Sacks, ” Mr, Mr Organizations: Democratic, Democratic Party Locations: Mexican, Ukraine, America

☆ RFK Jr.'s presidential bid gains boost from Silicon Valley elite
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s bid for the Democratic nomination for president has gained a boost from several Silicon Valley executives. Block CEO Jack Dorsey endorsed Kennedy on Twitter on Sunday, while Twitter owner Elon Musk invited the contender to a live audio discussion on the platform. ET on Twitter on Monday and will be moderated by venture capitalist David Sacks, another prominent name in Silicon Valley. A recent Fox News survey found 19% of Democratic primary voters surveyed said they would support Kennedy in the primary, with a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. After he took over Twitter, the platform stopped enforcing its previous policy to remove misleading information regarding Covid.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Elon Musk, David Sacks, Musk, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Sacks, Joe Biden, Tesla, Dorsey, Andrew Yang, Tulsi Gabbard Organizations: Twitter Inc, Inc, Democratic, Twitter, Republican Florida Gov, Fox, U.S . Rep, CNBC, YouTube Locations: Miami , Florida, U.S, Silicon Valley, California

☆ Instagram reinstates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amid presidential bid launch - WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 4 (Reuters) - Meta Platform's (META.O) Instagram on Sunday lifted its suspension against the account of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of the late president John F. Kennedy, The Washington Post reported. "As he is now an active candidate for president of the United States, we have restored access to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s Instagram account," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement, according to the newspaper. On Thursday, Kennedy in a series of tweets said that Instagram had still not reinstated his account and that "to silence a major political candidate is profoundly undemocratic." loadingIn 2019, Kennedy's relatives, including Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Maeve Kennedy McKean - wrote a Politico op-ed, criticizing his previous statements on vaccines as "misinformation." In September 2021, Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) YouTube also banned channels associated with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other prominent anti-vaccine activists Joseph Mercola.

Persons: Instagram, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, John F, Kennedy, Biden, Jr, Andy Stone, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P, Kennedy II, Maeve Kennedy McKean, Joseph Mercola, Meta, Yana Gaur, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Sunday, The Washington Post, Democratic, YouTube, Thomson Locations: COVID, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Candidacy and What Might Have Been
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Lance Morrow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Images: AP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyWhen I was a kid in the mid-1950s, I used to play touch football with Robert F. Kennedy, the father, and his crew on a field in Georgetown. I remember one Saturday morning when—despite being conspicuously pregnant—Ethel Kennedy was in the game. Bobby, as usual, was captain and quarterback. Ethel faked right, then cut to the inside, and her husband threw her a perfect spiral. She bobbled it, the ball doing a little dance in midair for a second, and then she dropped it.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Biden, MAGA, Mark Kelly, Robert F, Kennedy, — Ethel Kennedy, Bobby, Ethel, cussed Organizations: Republican Locations: Georgetown

☆ Meet David Sacks, the friend of Elon Musk who could play kingmaker for Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Ron DeSantis — including hosting the candidate's kickoff event on Twitter — demonstrate how Sacks is working to become a GOP kingmaker. A DeSantis campaign spokesman did not return a request for comment before publication. Sacks, according to Puck, serves as one of the group's directors. Kevin McGrann, a lobbyist at government relations juggernaut Forbes Tate Partners, is also linked to Bay Strategies, according to Hall. And Sacks said during a recent episode that he plans to ask the DeSantis campaign for the Florida governor to agree to an interview.

Persons: David Sacks, Paul Chinn, Caroline Wren, Wren, Donald Trump's, Jan, president's, Sacks, George Soros, Puck, Ron DeSantis, Peter Thiel, Ro Khanna, didn't, Joe Biden, Thiel, Elon Musk, –, Joe Lonsdale's, Julie Samuels, Samuels, DeSantis, I've, Trump, Stewart Hall, Jill Kendrick, Hall, Sen, Richard Shelby, Kendrick, Kevin McGrann, juggernaut Forbes, McGrann, John Boehner, OpenSecrets, Musk, Bari Weiss, isn't, Peter, Jason Calacanis, David Friedberg, Chamath, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Biden, Nikki Haley, Calacanis Organizations: TechCrunch, Calif, San Francisco Chronicle, Hearst Newspapers, Getty Images Venture, Trump, U.S . Capitol, Republicans, Commission, Florida Gov, Twitter, GOP, PayPal, CNBC, Democratic, Microsoft, DeSantis, Purple Good Government PAC, FEC, Ron DeSantis PAC, PAC, Republican Party, Purple Good Government, Stewart, Public, Crossroads, Altria Group, Boeing, General Electric, Hearst Corp, Washington , D.C, Forbes Tate Partners, juggernaut Forbes Tate Partners, Forbes Tate, Association of Independent Mortgage Experts, United Wholesale Mortgage, SpaceX, Republican, YouTube, Biden, CNN Locations: San Francisco, Florida, Silicon, Trump, DeSantis, Puck, Washington ,, Ohio

☆ Factbox: Who are the candidates running in the 2024 US presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Here is a list of 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Only 1% of Republicans said he would be their preferred 2024 nominee in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted May 9-15. ASA HUTCHINSONThe former Arkansas governor launched his bid for the White House in April with a call for Trump to step aside to deal with his indictment. Biden allies say he is running because he feels he is the only Democratic candidate who can defeat Trump. MARIANNE WILLIAMSONThe best-selling author and self-help guru has launched her second, longshot bid for the White House.

Persons: Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, DONALD TRUMP Trump, Biden, Trump, RON DESANTIS, DeSantis, TIM SCOTT, Scott, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, MIKE, Pence, Trump's, CHRIS CHRISTIE, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, DOUG BURGUM Burgum, JOE BIDEN Biden, MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, ROBERT KENNEDY JR, Kennedy, Robert F, Ross Colvin, Colleen Jenkins, Nick Zieminski, Alistair Bell Organizations: New, Democratic, Republican, REPUBLICAN, Republican Party, Twitter, Trump, Walt Disney Co, Ukraine, TIM, Black Republican U.S, Reuters, United Nations, Biden, U.S . Capitol, Republican White House, Christian, New Jersey, ASA, White House, Microsoft Corp, DEMOCRATIC, White, Democrat, YouTube, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, New York, Florida, South Carolina, Pence, Iowa, Arkansas, U.S

☆ 2024 US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

May 24 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday he is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, joining former President Donald Trump in a growing list of Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden. Here is a list of declared candidates and other potential 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. The former Kansas congressman was one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants and initially backed his false claims of a stolen presidential election in 2020. Several of his key staff, though, have recently joined the DeSantis camp, suggesting that Youngkin is not going to run in 2024. She ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary but dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, JOE BIDEN Biden, DONALD TRUMP Trump, Biden, Trump, RON DESANTIS, DeSantis, SCOTT, Scott, NIKKI HALEY, Haley, ASA HUTCHINSON, Hutchinson, MIKE, Pence, Trump's, CHRIS CHRISTIE, Christie, CHRIS SUNUNU The, VIVEK RAMASWAMY, Ramaswamy, ROBERT KENNEDY JR, Kennedy, Robert F, MIKE POMPEO Trump's, GLENN YOUNGKIN, MARIANNE WILLIAMSON, Ross Colvin, Colleen Jenkins, Nick Zieminski, Mark Potter Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Biden, Trump, Republican Party, New, Walt Disney Co, Black Republican U.S, Reuters, United Nations, ASA, White House, U.S . Capitol, Republican White House, YouTube, Central Intelligence Agency, White, Democrat, Thomson Locations: Florida, U.S, New York, Ukraine, South Carolina, Arkansas, Pence, New Jersey, CHRIS SUNUNU The New Hampshire, England, Kansas, Virginia

Ambassador and South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley has walked a long and windy road when it comes to her one-time boss, former President Donald Trump. DeSantis’ announcement nears: NBC News’ Dasha Burns reports that Florida Republican Gov. And the New York Times reports DeSantis has been telling donors that out of the three “credible” candidates for president (Trump, himself and President Biden), only he and Biden can win. Raising eyebrows: Virginia GOP Gov.

☆ Meet the Wall Street executive funding Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine group
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A veteran Wall Street executive told CNBC that he has been helping bankroll Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine group and has become an informal advisor to the organization. Mark Gorton, founder and chairman of high-frequency trading firm Tower Research Capital, said he has given $1 million to the anti-vaccine nonprofit organization called Children's Health Defense since 2021. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic and a son of late senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, founded Children's Health Defense. Asked about Gorton's donation, a spokeswoman for the Children's Health Defense said in an email, "CHD's donor information is confidential and only communicated to the IRS in compliance with their rules/regulations." The Associated Press reported that Children's Health Defense played a key role in pushing back on Covid vaccines and helped elevate Kennedy's profile.

☆ Biden Faces Bleak Approval Numbers as He Starts Re-election Campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Maggie Astor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In hypothetical general-election matchups, Mr. Biden, who announced his re-election campaign last month, trailed the two leading candidates in the Republican primary, former President Donald J. Trump and Gov. Yet neither of them exceeded 45 percent in The Post’s poll, with many voters saying they were undecided or naming a different candidate. In the Biden-Trump matchup, 44 percent of respondents said they would definitely or probably vote for Mr. Trump, and 38 percent for Mr. Biden. In the Biden-DeSantis matchup, 42 percent said they would definitely or probably vote for Mr. DeSantis, and 37 percent for Mr. Biden. The Post did not ask voters about his primary challengers, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, but Mr. Biden led them by huge margins in other surveys.

☆ Opinion: Why US presidential debates have lost their luster
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Julian Zelizer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump is considering sitting out one or both of the first two Republican primary debates, three sources told CNN. Julian Zelizer CNNMeanwhile, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) doesn’t have any primary debates scheduled – a move that helps President Joe Biden and hurts his challengers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson. That would be a departure from the norm, since debates have been a big part of presidential politics since World War II. Meanwhile, the Republican primary debates in 2016 often felt like professional wrestling matches as Trump hammered away at a crowded field. The 2020 debates were not quite as thrilling, even though they continued to play a key role in the election.

☆ Sanders brushes aside concerns about Biden’s age: ‘Age is one thing. I think experience is another’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Jasmine Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday brushed aside concerns about President Joe Biden’s age following the president’s reelection bid announcement, saying “Age is one thing. Polls have consistently reflected concern about his age, even among Democrats. “(The American electorate is) going to see a race, and they’re going to judge whether or not I have it or don’t have it. I respect them taking a hard look at it. “With regard to age, I can’t even say I guess how old I am.

☆ Ron DeSantis is polling at RFK Jr.'s level
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Ron DeSantis has spent the past few months running to the right ahead of his expected entry into the 2024 Republican presidential primary campaign. So far at least, those efforts have not paid off in Republican primary polling, with DeSantis falling further behind the current front-runner, former President Donald Trump. Early polling problemsThe Fox poll is not alone in showing DeSantis floundering. Candidates polling the way DeSantis is now have gone on to win about 20% of the time. Moderates and liberals made up about 30% of potential Republican primary voters in the Quinnipiac poll.

☆ Biden might have already lost the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden might be forced to forfeit primary contests in Iowa and New Hampshire. New DNC rules championed by Biden demoted Iowa and New Hampshire on the primary calendar. The DNC rules prohibit candidates from adding their names to ballots in states that don't adhere to the calendar. The new primary calendar ratified by the Democratic National Committee – at Biden's request – downgraded Iowa and New Hampshire from their longstanding positions as the first electoral hoorahs of the primary season. Both Iowa and New Hampshire, who have long enjoyed outsized influence as early-voting states, plan to buck the DNC rules and hold their contests early anyway.

☆ Factbox: 2024 US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ross Colvin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Here is a list of declared candidates and other potential 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Scott, 57, has launched a presidential exploratory committee but not yet confirmed he plans to run. The former Kansas congressman was one of Trump's most loyal lieutenants and initially backed his false claims of a stolen presidential election in 2020. She ran as a Democrat in the 2020 presidential primary but dropped out of the race before any votes had been cast. She launched her latest campaign on March 23, saying she wants to challenge Biden in the Democratic nominating race.

A series of upcoming challenges, from the ongoing war in Ukraine to a still-uncertain economy, could provide hurdles to Biden’s reelection. The Washington beltway event may be indicative of what’s to come for the Biden reelection campaign strategy. “Just like four years ago—I’m off to teach and Joe’s launched his (re-election) campaign! Obama held his first reelection campaign rally in May 2012, 13 months after announcing his bid for a second term. The wait for a Biden reelection rally could be just as long.

☆ Biden vs. Trump? Why 2024 could be the most boring presidential primary season ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

At this point, Biden doesn’t look likely to break that streak. First, primary endorsements are as good a predictor at this point of primary success as polling is. Second, it’s true that Democratic primary voters tell pollsters they are open to listening to a credible challenger to Biden. So it’s not like Democratic voters will be kicking and screaming if they have to support Biden for another term. Trump, like Biden, seems to have two things going for him: a large share of Republican voters and the party behind him.

☆ Opinion: What happens when you knock on a door
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. In Kansas City, Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old White homeowner shot Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who rang his doorbell. And, “with Trump as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, Fox has resumed coverage of him which often veers into the free-advertisement category. Neither Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who announced his candidacy last week, nor Marianne Williamson represents a serious threat, Axelrod noted. “The calendar reads 2023,” wrote the Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia, Geoff Duncan, “but it feels like 2016 all over again.

☆ Members of the Kennedy dynasty explain why they will not support anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 2024 presidential bid against Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is challenging President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination. The nephew of former President John F. Kennedy officially announced his long-shot bid to challenge President Joe Biden for the nomination at an event in Boston on Wednesday. Kerry Kennedy, one of his sisters, told Insider in a statement that she will not be supporting her brother's bid. I will be supporting President Joe Biden." Not only have family members long opposed his views on vaccines, three of his siblings are diplomats for the Biden administration.

☆ Opinion | Will Biden Face a Democratic Challenger?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Biden has also avoided the kind of gambits and defeats that might leave a large constituency ready to revolt. None of this eliminates the difficulty of imagining his campaign for four more years. But it’s outstripped by the difficulty of seeing how any serious and respectable force inside the Democratic Party could be organized to stop it. However, as the Trump era has taught us, the serious and the respectable aren’t the only forces in American politics; disreputability has potency as well. Right now there’s no clear opening for a major rival like Newsom to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee.

☆ Opinion: Why Biden has little 2024 Democratic opposition
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( David Axelrod | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —President Joe Biden was the toast of Ireland last week, as he was treated to a hero’s welcome in a pageant-laden return to his ancestral home. Biden, who is expected to formalize his plans next week, has a significant body of achievements on which to run. So is the absence of a real primary challenge simply the luck of the Irish? Perhaps with that primary battle in mind, Biden has worked assiduously to court the progressive wing of the party, from which such Democratic primary challenges generally arise. Finally, there is former President Donald Trump, whose candidacy is a boost to Biden among Democrats.

[1/4] Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivers a speech announcing his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Brian SnyderApril 19 (Reuters) - Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a member of a storied U.S. political dynasty, announced on Wednesday a long-shot bid to challenge incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. He is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, and the son of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential bid. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy criticized social-distancing requirements and vaccine mandates.

April 19 (Reuters) - Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a member of a storied U.S. political dynasty, is due to announce on Wednesday a long-shot bid to challenge incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. He is the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963, and the son of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968 during his own presidential bid. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy criticized social-distancing requirements and vaccine mandates. Kennedy said on Twitter last month that he was considering a presidential run to "end the corrupt merger between state and corporate power."

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