Anti-Biden and anti-Trump voters vary nationwide. NC military veterans who vote for Kennedy may also vote GOP down the ballot, but they don't trust Trump as commander in chief.
The GOP won't suffer from those votes, but they will diminish Trump's support and give Biden a lower "winning" number to carry North Carolina. Biden will win North Carolina if he can reach 47%. Kennedy might also be used to store votes for those unhappy with Biden's foreign policy, especially with Israel and Gaza.
If a large number of progressive voters in Michigan or Wisconsin determine Trump and Biden share the same Israel policy and vote for Kennedy as a protest vote, that math problem might hurt Democrats. That might not hurt Democrats down the ballot in either state, but it would lower Trump's winning number. In Wisconsin or Michigan, Trump will win if he can reach 47%, like in North Carolina for Biden.
Kennedy may not reach “none of the above” by Election Day, but he may poll in double digits until October. If he qualifies for the national debates, we could enter uncharted ground.
If Kennedy is in the debates, he could benefit. I don't think he can capitalize on that opportunity because every time he's had a chance to gain mainstream attention, he's either eagerly gone down rabbit holes marked “vaccines” and “Jan. 6” and “Kennedy conspiracies” or gotten so defensive when asked about them that it derails him.
In a period when both Trump and Biden are openly targeting Kennedy, I wonder if the independent benefits from being attacked by both major-party nominees, especially if they're attacking him for different reasons.
But outside that example, I struggle. I don't think Simpson's cameras helped the public. Same with Johnny Depp. Though I don't use cameras, I'm not anti-transparency. I think audio-only trials, which the Supreme Court temporarily allowed during the COVID-19 outbreak, should become the standard.
The more I see cameras in courtrooms, the less I think they've helped me understand the courts and justice system. The only thing televised courts have given us is cheap and free reality TV. Click.
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