Briefly Noted: Independent Run For RFK Jr.?

PJ Media has a rather interesting article that’s been republished at Zerohedge. The core of the article is a quote from RFK in an interview with Forbes in which he recognizes that the Dem party is pulling every string available to rig the primaries against him.

RFK Jr. Telegraphs Threat To Abandon Democrat Party

Authored by Ben Bartee via PJ Media,

The Democrat Party has a latent disaster on its hand vis a vis one RFK Jr.

Bartlee’s argument is worth reading, but the key is the RFK quote from Forbes:

If the DNC is gonna make it, is gonna rig it so that it is simply impossible for anybody to challenge President Biden, and you know I need to look at other alternatives. Because I can’t go back to the people who support me, to my donors, and say you know, I’m just going to, I’m just in this to make a point, I need to show them a road to victory.

That appears to be an open declaration that RFK is open to running independently of the Dem party.

A number of points.

First, I agree with those, among them Bartlee, who say that RFK is no more acceptable to the Dem power elite than was Bernie. RFK will not be allowed to win the nomination.

Second, I agree with Alexander Mercouris that the Dem power elite is actively looking for a way to sideline Zhou. From that standpoint, the threat of impeachment may do the Dems a favor—as I’ve argued in the past—if it can lead to a Zhou resignation. It might fire up the Dem base’s will to get out the vote with the improbable—to rational people—portrait of Zhou and Hunter as victims of the “right wing.” At the same time it would likely, IMO, short circuit a thorough examination of Zhou’s corruption—it would certainly be shut down in the MSM as moot, and the GOPe would probably go along with that result.

Third, confirmation that the Dem power elite is actively looking for an exit strategy for Zhou can be found at TGP: Joe Scarborough Reveals What “Every” Democrat Tells Him in Private, Off-Air Conversations About Joe Biden. What “every Dem” is supposedly saying is that Zhou is “too old,” but you can bet they can see a lot more problems than simply age. The point is they want Zhou to make way for someone else.

The problem for the Dems is that RFK has inserted himself into the mix. That greatly complicates removing Zhou from the picture. You can see that by perusing the headlines at this search: where does rfk jr. stand in polls.

What you’ll find is not objective discussion of polling results, but instead attempts to convince readers to pay no attention to the polls, to argue that the polling results can’t be trusted, that RFK’s support is actually stronger among Republicans rather than Dems. In other words, it’s all about undermining RFK’s appeal to Dems but, especially, to persuade liberals to ignore RFK as either unable to beat Trump or as not a true Dem.

What the state of RFK’s support really is, how much of a threat he may present to the Dems, I can’t say. But all of the above does suggest that they’re scared. Which is interesting. Certainly reason to keep an eye on him.