Robert F. Kennedy Jr. didn’t make the debate stage. He faces hurdles to stay relevant

PHOENIX (AP) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., won’t be with his better-known rivals, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, when they debate Thursday in Atlanta.

And aside from a livestreamed response to the debate, he also has nothing on his public schedule for the coming weeks. Nor does his running mate, philanthropist Nicole Shanahan.

After a busy spring hopscotching the country for a mix of political rallies, fundraisers and nontraditional campaign events, Kennedy appears to be taking a breather.

Kennedy’s absence from the debate stage and the campaign trail carries risk for his insurgent quest to shake up the Republican and Democratic dominance of the U.S. political system. He lacks the money for a firehose of television commercials, and he must spend much of the money he does have to secure ballot access. Public appearances are a low-cost way to fire up supporters and drive media coverage he needs to stay relevant.

Kennedy himself says he can’t win unless voters know he’s running and believe he can defeat Biden and Trump. That problem will become increasingly acute as the debate, followed by the major party conventions in July and August, push more voters to tune into the race.

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