Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the presidential candidate of the third party, is one of the most popular people in American politics. The most recent SurgeInsights Poll shows that 34% of Americans have a negative impression of him, while 45% of Americans have a very or somewhat positive opinion of him. Only Donald Trump is seen positively by as many Americans as the other 16 political personalities featured in the survey, which includes the president, vice president, four senior congressional leaders, and Republican presidential hopefuls. And 50% think poorly of Trump. All other candidates, namely Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley, do not meet Kennedy’s favorable number.
More people like RFK Jr. than the majority of national leaders.
To what extent do you think positively or negatively about the following individuals? (percent of adult U.S. citizens)
But this popularity isn’t translating into votes. According to the most recent SurgeInsights poll, 1% of registered voters selected Kennedy in a hypothetical general election—much less than the 44% who selected Joe Biden and the 43% who selected Donald Trump.
Kennedy’s popularity explained
What therefore accounts for the peaks and valleys of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s public image?
It everything boils down to politics in the end. Despite hailing from a well-known Democratic family, Republicans like Kennedy far more than Democrats do. Just 33% of Democrats had a positive opinion of Kennedy, compared to 61% of Republicans.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is more likely to be seen favorably by Republicans than by Democrats.
To what extent do you think positively or negatively about the following individuals? Kennedy, Jr. Robert F. (%)
However, Republicans do not particularly like Kennedy, even if they are more inclined to think well of him. Specifically, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, two Republican presidential candidates this year, enjoy significantly greater Republican support than Kennedy did. Thus, Republicans who may find Kennedy appealing may find other presidential candidates equally or even more so. In an election with Biden, 91% of Republicans who think well of Kennedy say they would vote for Trump; only 2% would choose Kennedy.
Kennedy is less divisive than the majority of other contenders, which contributes to his high level of popularity overall. Kennedy is the most popular politician among Democrats among the six politicians favored by the majority of Republicans in the most recent SurgeInsights survey. Kennedy’s 33% favorability rating among Democrats may not seem impressive, but among Republicans, none of the lawmakers in the poll had a greater favorability rating with Democrats than Kennedy does.
More people like RFK Jr. than the majority of national leaders.
To what extent do you think positively or negatively about the following individuals? (percentage with positive views minus percentage with negative views)
Despite the fact that he doesn’t have many followers, Kennedy has managed to find some level of national popularity in an era of extreme polarization by remaining relatively well-liked by voters of both parties.
Older Democrats are one segment of the American population that does not really like Kennedy, despite the fact that they would normally be expected to think well of a member of the Kennedy political family.
Regarding Kennedy, young Democrats are similarly split, with comparable percentages having positive and negative views. Across the age range, almost similar numbers of Republicans had favorable opinions of Kennedy. However, 80% of Democrats 65 years of age or older have an unfavorable impression of Kennedy, while just 13% have a good opinion, indicating that they are heavily against the senator.
Check out more details at https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/48441-what-do-americans-think-about-robert-f-kennedy-jr
Author: David Montgomery – Senior data journalist
Source:
https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/48441-what-do-americans-think-about-robert-f-kennedy-jr
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