In that last New York Times/Siena poll of swing states, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was included as a third option against President Biden and former president Donald Trump. The poll found Kennedy running third but winning about a quarter of the total votes — 26 percent in Arizona and Michigan, 24 percent in Georgia, 23 percent in Nevada and Pennsylvania, and 22 percent in Wisconsin.
That might be a sign that lots of Americans love Kennedy’s stances on vaccinations, etc. But I think it’s more likely a sign that with the prospects of a Biden–Trump rematch, a significant chunk of the electorate is reacting with, Ugh, what other options do I have?
In light of that, why shouldn’t West Virginia Democratic senator Joe Manchin think about running for president? He has already announced that he’s not running for reelection in what would have been a difficult bid in West Virginia. Why shouldn’t Manchin pitch himself to America as the man who has worked with both parties and who has also proven independent and unpredictable enough to drive both parties crazy?
Manchin isn’t likely to win if he runs on the No Labels ticket, but the stage is set for somebody to turn in the most consequential and popular third-party bid since H. Ross Perot in 1992. Manchin has proven that he enjoys being the center of attention, and an independent bid would definitely keep him in the spotlight.