It’s an interesting proposition, but if Republican Sen. John Kennedy does run for the presidency, that might be a bridge too far because of something illegal in employment law, but not when ratified by voters.
At a recent speech, Kennedy averred that he might eschew reelection, which he could garner without difficulty, and instead take a stab at the presidency. He said that donors were encouraging him.
Kennedy has solid conservative credentials in his time in the Senate but, perhaps more importantly from a national political perspective, has gained a reputation as an effective and witty communicator of those ideas. In fact, an online search will turn up, both in text and by video, sites that proclaim Kennedy’s “greatest hits” in terms of witticisms. As well, Kennedy also has built a reputation as a bulldog in interviewing nominees and testifiers of both parties, calling things as he sees them.
These qualities can play great in the post-Pres. Donald Trump era. Kennedy’s entertaining interview value makes him a favorite of media, even those generally hostile to his views, raising his profile beyond that of most senators. Regardless, in terms of profile Kennedy is well behind figures often mentioned as 2028 candidates such as GOP Vice Pres. J.D. Vance and Sec. of State Marco Rubio.
Thus, Kennedy’s big hurdle would be fundraising, which on the political totem pole he’s at presently would require some effort with campaign dollars not flowing as freely to him as with Vance or Rubio. And while he has a better capacity to garner attention than most, at the same time his greatest impediment to that is his age, 74.
Trump will leave office at 82, and his predecessor Democrat former Pres. Joe Biden was almost as old and looked it and acted it, causing consternation to the point a reelection bid was pulled. Trump’s relatively good health demonstrates age isn’t everything, but a two-term Kennedy presidency would have him leaving at 84. Backers want to put resources down on a longer-term candidate — two terms — and would become more hesitant to stump for somebody that seems more likely to serve just one term.
And even willingness to back a single-term nominee might evaporate given that the previous 12 years will have seen geriatric presidents in office. GOP activists may wish for a younger and presumably more energetic standard-bearer. Of course, if Kennedy conducts a vigorous campaign (like this), that can dispel some doubts, but it seems unlikely that this would be enough to erase the age factor among a sufficiently large proportion of the activists likely to decide the nomination.
The same dynamic applies to the strategy of running for the vice presidency by running for the presidency. Perhaps even more than with the presidency age would matter, as a relatively younger running mate adds a picture of vigor and preparedness to the ticket.
So, the long shot nature of the candidacy should behoove Kennedy to stick around for easy reelection in Louisiana (although it’s quite possible to make a stab at the nomination since campaigns start many months before the first primaries in early 2028, then drop out and qualify for reelection just prior to presidential preference primaries if it doesn’t look likely to succeed). For conservatives, it’s a good notion for him to aim for the top of the ticket, but political age discrimination probably makes it infeasible.
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