2024 Democratic Primaries: New Hampshire's Loss of First Place and the Potential Worry for Joe Biden

2023-06-20 21:51:17

Last February, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has revamped the timing of its primaries for the 2024 presidential election, stripping New Hampshire of the honor of holding the party’s first primary, as is tradition. According to the new official calendar, South Carolina will start the ball rolling on February 3, 2024, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada a few days later. But New Hampshire could still hold a Democratic primary before South Carolina, given thata state law obliges it to be the first state to hold such a ballot for the presidential election. If such a scenario occurs, Robert Kennedy Jr could well win this primary, which would be a mini-disaster for Joe Biden and the Democrats.

You should know that Joe Biden has already announced that his name will not appear on the ballot papers of any primary taking place before that of South Carolina. If New Hampshire held its primary before February 3, Kennedy would therefore have a good chance of winning, if we rely on recent polls, which place him second behind the president among the candidates preferred by Democratic voters.

Kennedy, it must be said, has nothing really to please the Democrats, except a famous name which undoubtedly contributes to his popularity in the polls. Otherwise, he often speaks like a Republican candidate. He is in favor of closing the southern border. He is opposed to the banning of semi-automatic rifles. And he’s still ranting about vaccines. However, as David Frum noted this Tuesday morning in a tweet, vaccines are even more popular among Democrats than Joe Biden.

But there is something even more popular among Democrats than Biden: vaccines. pic.twitter.com/Ov6XpZzlxO

— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 19, 2023

Of course, RFK Jr’s popularity may decline among Democrats as they become familiar with his views. Here are two clips circulating on Twitter these days, which demonstrate the evolution of the thinking of this environmental lawyer turned conspiracy expert:

No comment. https://t.co/uaxAkcudfB

— Richard Hétu (@richardhetu) June 20, 2023

???? https://t.co/9n7noOHouB

— Richard Hétu (@richardhetu) June 19, 2023

That said, an RFK Jr victory in New Hampshire would be sure to fuel media discourse on Biden’s vulnerability. Hence no doubt the support that the 69-year-old candidate is garnering from the media, strategists and conservative donors.

(Photo AP)