The Washington Post reported this morning that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not make the stage for the first presidential debate set for next Thursday.
Here’s WaPo:
A Washington Post survey of state election officials found Kennedy is not on the ballot in several states where he has claimed he is — and he will not reach the requirement by Thursday’s deadline to qualify for the debate. The rules of CNN’s debate indicate candidates must appear on enough ballots nationwide to earn the requisite 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, along with earning 15 percent support in four national polls.
This isn’t a huge surprise. One of the goals of the debate deal cut by the campaigns of Donald Trump and Joe Biden was to keep Kennedy off the stage.
Why? Because he’s a giant x-factor in the race — and neither side wants to elevate him or expose him to more Americans unhappy with their current choices.
I talk about all of that — and why I continue to believe Kennedy and his impact on the race is being undercovered — in today’s edition of The Morning.
The Morning: No debate for RFK Jr.!