‘He Can Tip the Election’: Veteran Political Journalists Warn ‘Establishment Press’ to Stop Ignoring RFK Jr.

Ringo Chiu via AP

Veteran political journalists Joe Klein and Olivia Nuzzi spoke to New York Times opinion writer Frank Bruni this week for an online conversation about the 2024 presidential election and warned the media to stop ignoring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s third-party presidential bid.

At one point in the lengthy conversation, Bruni asked the pundits to sound off on the odds for both Donald Trump and Joe Biden going into the election.

Bruni asked, “Tell me more about ‘Trump is underperforming.’ Is there a case to be made that Trump’s numbers in these contests are a greater concern for his side than Biden’s terrible polling is for his side?”

Nuzzi, a writer for New York magazine, replied, “They should both be terrified. If I were Biden, I would not feel particularly good about the fact that my opponent, who is campaigning in between court dates after leaving office a certified loser in disgrace, is nevertheless narrowly beating me in almost every survey.” She added:

If I were Trump, I might consider getting myself indicted again — the indictments seem only to improve his standing. It is early, and we have compelling reasons to peer at the polling with some healthy skepticism. However, both likely major party nominees are so unpopular that they would each be the most historically unpopular nominee were it not for the other one. It’s a remarkably precarious situation.

Klein added, “Trump has a ceiling of, say, 47 percent, with the wind at his back. But his supporters are the most coherent force in American politics, which puts the burden on Biden. A lot of people are going to just say, ‘I’m bored and tired of these geezers.’ It may be a big year for ‘uncommitted.’ Or, more accurately, ‘unengaged.’ Two key factors in November will be turnout and third parties.”

Nuzzi agreed and added, Yes, we’re forgetting or purposefully ignoring something rather important about this election: It’s not a two-man race.”

She continued, “It’s a three-man race. A majority of Americans say they are unhappy with another ‘lesser of two evils’ contest, and they’re in luck, as they have a range of third-party candidates to choose from. One of those candidates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is polling competitively, especially among young people, and he’s steadily gaining ballot access across the country. Last Tuesday, the campaign announced it had collected enough signatures to qualify in Arizona and Georgia, crucial swing states.”

Bruni asked Klein to weigh on Nuzzi’s analysis. “I agree that RFK Jr. should be taken more seriously — not just because he can influence the election, but because his antiwar, pro-environment views (if not the anti-vax stuff) represent a real movement among young people,” Klein replied.

“If they vote. If he can tip a few states — like Arizona — he can tip the election,” Klein continued, concluding:

Cornel West can also be a factor if he draws enough Black votes in Milwaukee, Detroit, Philly and Pittsburgh — though the third parties (except the Greens and Libertarians) are going to have a tough time getting on the ballot in enough states.

Nuzzi agreed, adding, “The establishment press has been reluctant to cover Kennedy like a serious contender because they fear they will face criticism for ‘platforming an anti-vaxxer.’ But the establishment press doesn’t get to decide who voters take seriously. In 2016, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein earned enough of the vote in enough swing states to cost Hillary Clinton the election. Kennedy is performing way better than either of them ever did.”

Read their full conversation here.