COLOMBIA, SC – Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. failed to qualify for next week’s debate in Atlanta, according to host network CNN, falling short of benchmarks for both state voter qualification and required polling.
The missing markers mean the June 27 matchup will be exclusively between Democratic President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. This denies Kennedy a unique opportunity stand alongside the main candidates in an attempt to give legitimacy to their unlikely bid and convince potential supporters that he has a chance of winning.
Both the Biden and Trump campaigns fear that Kennedy could be a spoiler in what is predicted to be a close general election.
According to the criteria defined by CNN, candidates would be invited to participate in the debate if they had guaranteed a place at the polls in states that totaled at least 270 votes in the Electoral College, the minimum necessary to win the presidency.
Biden and Trump easily surpassed the voting threshold, but will not be certified for the vote until their parties formally nominate them later this summer. Both secured enough delegates to secure their nominations.
Kennedy’s campaign says he met the requirements to appear on the ballot in 22 states, with a combined total of 310 electoral votes, although not all have said his name will be listed. California, the biggest prize on the electoral map with 54 votes, will not certify any candidate until August 29th.
Candidates were also required to meet a 15% polling threshold in four credible national polls by June 20, another metric that CNN said Kennedy failed to meet. According to the network, Kennedy has received at least 15% in three qualifying polls so far and is currently on the ballot in six states, making him currently eligible for 89 Electoral College votes.
Last month, Kennedy filed an election complaint alleging that CNN is colluding with Biden and Trump to exclude him from the June 27 debate, alleging that the participation requirements were designed to ensure that only Biden and Trump qualify and claim he is being held to a higher standard.
CNN said the complaint is without merit. Kennedy’s campaign did not immediately respond to a message Thursday seeking comment on the CNN ad and asking whether he planned to take any further action on its deletion.
Last month, Biden and Trump agreed with the CNN debate and a second on September 10, organized by ABC, bypassing the non-partisan commission that has organized debates for almost four decades.
After winning the coin toss, Biden’s campaign chose the right podium position, meaning he will be on the right side of viewers’ screens, with Trump on the left, according to CNN. Trump’s campaign then chose to make its final statement after Biden.
Both campaigns have agreed to appear at podiums and microphones will be muted except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak.
___
