PHOENIX (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long argued that the biggest hurdle of his presidential campaign is the perception that independent candidates can’t win. He has looked to the debates as a singular opportunity to stand alongside Joe Biden and Donald Trump in front of a massive audience. But to make the first debate stage, he’ll have to secure a place on the ballot in at least a dozen more states and improve his showing in national polls in one month. With a famous name and a loyal base, Kennedy has the potential to do better than any third-party presidential candidate since Ross Perot in the 1990s. Both the Biden and Trump campaigns, who fear he could play spoiler, bypassed the nonpartisan debate commission and agreed to a schedule that leaves Kennedy very little time to qualify for the first debate. Publicly, Kennedy is expressing confidence that he will make the stage. |
Netanyahu says Hamas No. 4 killedSouth Korea slows plan to hike medical school admissions as doctors' strike drags onRivalries on tap with BarcelonaBrazil's president calls for IMF reform to reflect today's worldJANET STREETAP Week in Pictures: AsiaVirginia fathers narrowly avoid being crushed while sitting by backyard fire pitUN envoy urges unified government to lead Libya to electionsIran hints it will build a NUKE if Netanyahu carries out a strike on its atomic sitesChicago's response to migrant influx stirs longstanding frustrations among Black residents