RFK Jr.'s coalition encompasses various political views, which might impact November's results.
Dale Stenbroten and Katie Zimmerman are residents of Wisconsin who have never volunteered for a presidential campaign before. However, they spend their weekends trying to persuade others to find the same inspiration in the independent candidate that they have. Stenbroten urges his friends to look at Kennedy's videos and listen to his views. According to him, while one may not agree with everything Kennedy says, the crucial issues are there, and he will tackle them.
These supporters, who come from a wide range of political backgrounds, make up Kennedy's voter base and could potentially change the game in battleground states like Wisconsin, where the votes have been by a very narrow margin in the last few cycles.
Stenbroten, an "independent-leaning conservative," didn't vote for president in 2016, but he did in 2020 for Trump, whom he considered a better choice among the two candidates. However, Stenbroten doesn't see Trump appealing to independently-minded voters this time around. He feels frustrated with Trump's obsession with the results of the 2020 election and his claims of victimization in the legal system.
Stenbroten finds Kennedy more trustworthy and authentic.
"He brings a lot of integrity to the table," Stenbroten said. "I feel that I can trust him. I can believe him."
Katie Zimmerman recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and came across Kennedy's videos on YouTube, which left a strong impact on her. She appreciates Kennedy's focus on bringing people together rather than dividing them.
"I want to own a house in the future," she mentioned. "I haven't necessarily heard Biden say things like that, that appeal to me as a person or as a voter."
Marco Cordero, a 22-year-old from Bayview, cast his first presidential vote for Biden but is now disillusioned with him due to rising inflation rates and conflicts in the Middle East.
"I think he focuses more on the middle class," Cordero said about Kennedy. "National debt, affordable housing, and student loans are issues where Kennedy appeals to voters like me."
According to a New York Times/Siena College survey conducted in May amongst registered voters in six crucial battleground states, including Wisconsin, Kennedy got 10% of the votes. This places him after Trump's 40% and Biden's 33%. Among those who supported Kennedy, 19% revealed that they didn't vote in the 2020 presidential election, compared to 8% for Biden and 6% for Trump.
Douglas DeNicola, a long-time Democratic voter, believes that Kennedy is narrowing the division between the two parties.
"This division that we have can only be solved if one of those two men isn't president, as a Biden voter will never vote for Trump, and a Trump voter will never vote for Biden," he stated.
On a gray Saturday morning in Wauwatosa, the volunteer coordinator spoke to an ardent Trump supporter for more than 20 minutes, urging him to explore what Kennedy's campaign website has to say.
"You haven't even given him a chance," DeNicola told him.
"No, because he doesn't have a chance," the Trump supporter responded.
During the political debate, a passerby heckled DeNicola, saying, "Fix the worms in your brain," likely a reference to the medical abnormality Kennedy experienced in 2010 that he said was due to a worm entering his brain and then dying.
"I'd rather vote for the worm," DeNicola jokingly retorted.
DeNicola later admitted he struggles to comprehend the intense polarization of politics, which serves the interests of the elite and not the common people.
"I don't understand how we continue to focus on these insignificant matters," he said. "I mean, 95% of people want the same thing in life."
Kennedy's underdog campaign might struggle to win the White House, but his dedicated supporters are determined to vote for the candidate who best represents their values. They are unafraid of being categorized as spoilers and acknowledge the difficulty of Kennedy's path forward but believe that the candidate with whom they align deserves their support.
"Chips may fall as they may, and I'll take whatever comes," Stenbroten remarked, also admitting that it would be "disappointing" if Biden won Wisconsin due to Kennedy capturing a portion of Trump's prospective voter base.
Facing the potentiality of Trump victoriously winning the election due to Kennedy attracting some of his voters, Zimmerman proclaimed, "I'm not okay with that."
"I consider it might be a tight election for both of the primary parties. However, I wouldn't say I would be okay with it," she stated.
Nonetheless, Zimmerman remains steadfast in her choice to endorse Kennedy, regardless of the electoral consequences.
"I wouldn't necessarily feel any guilt because I had the option to pick the candidate I preferred," she said.
"Many Kennedy supporters view his campaign as straddling the political center, connecting the divide between Democrats and Republicans. According to a CNN national poll conducted in April, 60% of Kennedy backers identify as moderates, with 28% identifying as conservatives and 12% as liberals," the article disclosed.
A significant portion of Kennedy's support base comprises those who despise both Biden and Trump as well as those who are discontented with the two-party system and perceive Kennedy as a disruptive force who can overhaul Washington.
Steve Constantine, a recent Wisconsin transplant who previously resided in Texas, indicated, "I didn't participate in the last two presidential elections because I couldn't align with the choices provided." The 36-year-old private chef stated he's contemplating voting for Kennedy because he finds the independent candidate's "centrism" appealing.
"I'm not that engrossed in politics, truthfully, but the fact that he's unique piques my interest," he said.
CNN interacted with numerous Kennedy supporters who stated they initially learned about him through his dissent over policies implemented by Trump and Biden in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. Some followers revealed they started following him via his anti-vaccine promotion with Children's Health Defense, a significant propagator of false claims regarding vaccines. They refuted criticisms of his standpoint on vaccines and pandemic-era policies, arguing Kennedy is concentrating on improving the country's health.
Amy Funck, a 60-year-old Milwaukee independent and a subscriber to the Children's Health Defense newsletter, shared, "I first heard of Kennedy through the organization." Contrasting with her 2020 vote for Biden, she stated she'll be casting a ballot for Kennedy with zeal this year.
"I believe the president's principal responsibility is to defend our individual civil liberties," she said, expressing trust that this role was "overlooked" during pandemic-era leadership.
Stenbroten disclosed he shares Kennedy's skepticism about vaccines, though he disagrees with certain of the candidate's viewpoints. However, he stated the controversies surrounding the subject don't trouble him, as he believes it won't be a top consideration for the majority of voters.
"I don't think they're the considerable problems troubling our nation. Like Bobby says, you'll never concur on all the issues. Whether you like vaccines or not, I don't view that as a deal-breaker," he reasoned.
DeNicola also disregarded the idea that some Americans might be dissuaded from voting for Kennedy owing to his vaccine views, saying, "If you're a one-issue voter, it's hard to choose a candidate."
Kennedy has gathered backing by maintaining a firm stance against American involvement in foreign wars and regularly calling for the US to discontinue aiding Ukraine in its struggle against Russia's invasion. While supporting US aid to Israel, some Kennedy supporters view his anti-war discourse as a novel foreign policy strategy when compared to Biden and Trump.
Stenbroten highlighted ending "forever wars" as a prime reason behind Kennedy's allure, insisting that belligerent foreign policy, combined with partisan bickering, contributes to a shortage of freedom and choices for ordinary Americans.
"It needs to cease. Unless it does, it'll merely lead to more corruption," he expounded, trying to clarify, "all this results in a lack of freedom and choices."
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Stenbroten encourages his friends to explore Kennedy's stance on various issues, believing that despite disagreements, the candidate's focus on crucial matters is commendable.
Kennedy's voter base, which consists of individuals from various political backgrounds, is vital in battleground states like Wisconsin, where election results have been narrow in recent cycles.
