Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for what he perceives as an effort to manipulate the primary process in favor of President Joe Biden. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Kennedy accuses the DNC of disenfranchising Democratic voters and undermining the democratic process.
Kennedy’s primary grievance centers on the DNC’s refusal to host debates and its manipulation of the primary schedule to favor Biden. He points to the DNC’s decision to replace New Hampshire, where Biden lost in 2020, with South Carolina as the first-in-the-nation Democratic primary state. This change in the schedule raises concerns about the DNC’s impartiality and its influence on the primary outcome.
The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee demanded that New Hampshire and Iowa modify their voting laws to secure primary dates. New Hampshire law requires both Republican and Democratic primaries to be held on the same date, which presented a challenge. Despite multiple deadline extensions, New Hampshire has not made any law changes, and its Secretary of State remains committed to keeping the state as the first-in-the-nation primary.
Kennedy highlights the DNC’s punitive measures against candidates participating in unsanctioned primaries. The DNC can punish such candidates, even if they win by a significant margin, by denying them any delegates. This rule further restricts the candidates’ options in an already constrained primary process.
Kennedy also expresses concern about superdelegates, or “Pleos,” who he believes could impose the will of party insiders on Democratic voters. While some superdelegates were removed from the first round of voting in 2018 to respect voters’ choices, Kennedy suggests that he may struggle to gain their support.
He argues that the DNC’s recent actions contradict the purpose of the modern primary system, which aims to replace behind-the-scenes politics with transparency and democratic processes. Kennedy’s campaign has reached out to the DNC to seek information about the candidate selection process but claims to have received little communication since June.
In conclusion, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. accuses the DNC of undermining the democratic primary process, raising questions about transparency and fairness in the selection of Democratic candidates. He emphasizes the importance of running a fair and free primary election to restore faith in the political system.
