Inside the Beltway: Robert Kennedy counts on youth in push to get on all 50 state ballots

NEWS AND OPINION:

A determined independent presidential hopeful has not given up on his quest to win the White House. He may get some traction this week with young voters — with the help of a 15,000-square-foot nightclub.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is hitting the campaign trail to continue his bid for president of the United States of America. As an independent candidate, Kennedy has launched a huge grassroots effort to get on the ballot in all 50 states,” his campaign said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Normally, independent candidates pay companies millions of dollars to gather signatures. We’re taking a different route that starts with our thousands of volunteers in every state,” Mr. Kennedy said in the written statement.

The candidate is making the most of his events. At his upcoming campaign rallies, Mr. Kennedy’s fans will be offered the chance to add their signatures to the official ballot petition.

Mr. Kennedy’s next event takes place in Utah on Thursday, and his choice of location is of note. He’ll host his rally at Sky SLC — a spacious, open-air, three-level Salt Lake City nightclub and concert venue with a retractable glass roof, VIP suites, high-tech lighting and state of the art sound. The site can accommodate 1,000 people.

The campaign also pointed out that Mr. Kennedy is besting President Biden and former President Donald Trump among voters 18-34 in two new polls — by Quinnipiac University and by The New York Times and Siena College.

“We have a robust ballot-access team and RFK Jr.’s name will be on the ballot in all 50 states,” said Stefanie Spear, press secretary for the Kennedy campaign.

“We have begun signature collection in open states and are confident Mr. Kennedy will get the 270 electoral votes he needs to win the White House,” she said.

HERE COMES NO. 99

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has an important addition to his presidential campaign’s often relentless itinerary. Not surprisingly, the big moment takes place in Iowa.

“Ron DeSantis will complete his 99-county tour with a rally in Jasper County, Iowa on Saturday, December 2nd,” his campaign said Sunday in a written statement.

The big moment — titled “The 99th County Rally” — takes place at The Thunderdome — an entertainment facility in Newton, some 20 miles east of Des Moines.

And what is the significance of 99? Mr. DeSantis has promised that as a presidential candidate, he will complete “The Full Grassley” in his campaign visits to Iowa.

That particular term refers to Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa — who has made it a practice to visit all of Iowa’s 99 counties at least once every year for 43 consecutive years.

FOR THE LEXICON

“The Chaos Campaign.”

This newly minted phrase comes to us from the Association of Mature Citizens — a conservative interest organization.

“With just under one year to go until the highly anticipated 2024 presidential election, the only certainty is uncertainty,” the organization said in an online editorial.

It cited President Biden’s advancing age, the persistent presence of third party candidates, Mr. Biden’s “lawfare” against former President Donald Trump and overseas conflicts as contributing to the political chaos.

“These factors and many more are paving the way for a historically chaotic election next year. With less than 12 months until Election Day, voters can rest assured that 2024 will be politically unforgettable,” it noted.

JUST A THOUGHT

“We have elite Special Operations Forces who are specifically trained in hostage rescue. I do think we have to be deferential to Israelis, to the Israeli government and the Israeli Defense Forces about the tactical situation on the ground. But if American military forces are called upon and can provide a viable solution to get out American citizens and the citizens of Israel or other nations, we have to be open to that,” Sen. Tom Cotton tells Fox News, when asked about a strategy to deal with the hostage situation.

“It’s not just the small Special Operation units that we have trained. We have two aircraft carriers in the region. We’ve increased the number of troops and aircraft we have in the region. Yet, Hamas is still so contemptuous of President Biden that it hasn’t yet released American hostages,” the Arkansas Republican continued, speaking before Sunday’s first such release.

IN CASE YOU WONDERED

“The season’s holiday shopping results are coming in. Total season revenue to date: Americans spent $86.6 billion,” reports Adobe Analytics, which reveals that spending is expected to reach record levels during this holiday season.

Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation advises that Cyber Monday is the second most popular day to shop as the gift-giving season kicks off, bested only by Black Friday. The organization predicts that 71.1 million shoppers will be operating their computers Monday.

“Holiday spending is expected to reach record levels during November and December and will grow between 3% and 4%, totaling $957.3 billion to $966.6 billion,” the federation said in a statement.

POLL DU JOUR

• 35% of U.S. adults say social media is responsible for creating political divisions among Americans; 37% of Republicans, 33% of independents and 34% of Democrats agree.

• 32% of U.S. adults say political leaders are responsible for creating the divisions among Americans; 28% of Republicans, 31% of independents and 39% of Democrats agree.

• 28% say cable news is responsible for creating the divisions; 29% of Republicans, 29% of independents and 24% of Democrats agree.

• 1% cite other countries for creating the divisions; 1% of Republicans, 1% of independents and 1% of Democrats agree.

• 2% cite “other” reasons; 2% of Republicans, 4% of independents and 1% of Democrats agree.

• 2% don’t know about the issue; 2% of Republicans, 3% of independents and 1% of Democrats agree.

SOURCE: A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,574 registered U.S. voters conducted Nov. 9-13.