Alright, time to place your bets.
How many of you think Michigan's officials would have made an exception if RFK's exit from the 2024 presidential election benefitted Kamala Harris?
Kennedy said last week that he would withdraw his name from the ballot in the key swing states to avoid hurting former President Trump's chances in November.
But in Michigan, one of the states that could decide the election, it's too late for Kennedy to remove his name, per the secretary of state's office.
'Minor party candidates cannot withdraw, so his name will remain on the ballot in the November election,' Cheri Hardmon, senior press secretary for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement to Axios.
Jocelyn Benson is a Democrat. I'm sure, absolutely sure, that no human being would ever call in a technicality on the rules to protect their own tribe or party!
'The Natural Law Party held their convention to select electors for [RFK Jr.]. They cannot meet at this point to select new electors since it's past the primary.' Hardmon said.
This rule may very well be the case, but it begs the question:
Why is this the rule in the first place?
Random commenter Tricia is correct. The Democrats sued to keep RFK off the ballot in key swing states just two months ago.
Back when RFK was added to the Michigan ballot in April, the New York Post noted the slim margins in Michigan:
Biden, who won Michigan by fewer than 155,000 votes out of more than 5.5 million ballots cast in 2020, already faced an uphill effort to retain the state's 15 electoral votes after more than 100,000 people cast "uncommitted" ballots in the Feb. 27 Democratic primary to protest the president's handling of the war in the Middle East.
(LOL remember that guy Biden?)
Trump won Michigan by an even narrower margin of 0.3% in 2016.
The Detroit News noted in July how Kennedy enjoys a considerable amount of support in the state:
As a Michigander, I can tell you that my state has quite a few people who are enigmas on the political spectrum: They love their guns and want the government to stay the heck out of their business, but they also support union workers and government crackdowns on companies.
They have conservative family values, don't generally like abortion or transing the kids, hate inflation, and have gun stickers on their trucks (Subarus for the soccer moms) like these:
... But they also don't want abortion to be banned, support some gun control, and are okay with most of the LGBT stuff in schools.
Many of these political pariahs are flying "Kennedy 2024" flags over their homes.
By forcing Kennedy to stay on the ballot, one has to wonder if many of these voters - who are disillusioned with both Democrats and Republicans - will vote Kennedy as a big middle finger to the system instead of listening to Kennedy and voting Trump.
I'd bet the Democrats are counting on it!
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