So…600,000 Americans voted for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in this election. Yeah, that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The guy who very publicly, very clearly ended his campaign months ago and threw his support behind Trump. Imagine you’re at a wedding, but the bride walked out ages ago, and half the guests are still there cheering like the ceremony is happening. That’s basically what just happened in the voting booths.
Now, in case anyone forgot, Kennedy’s name was still on the ballot in a bunch of states. Just hanging out, doing nothing, like the extra tofu your roommate left in the fridge. “Vote for RFK Jr.? Well, he’s still here; what’s the harm?” But surprise! The harm is 600,000 people didn’t get the memo that he was no longer running. Even his campaign didn’t want those votes! “No, no, we’re good – please don’t.”
But people saw RFK Jr. on the ballot and thought, “Hmm, not Biden, not Trump, this guy seems good.” You know, the same guy who dropped out so hard he practically took out a restraining order against the White House. But hey, who doesn’t love a mystery box? Sometimes you just want to check it and see what happens. Or maybe this was America’s equivalent of saying, “I’m fine with anything but what’s on the menu.” Except they didn’t notice the chef had quit!
Some might call this a “protest vote,” as if that makes it any more rational. You’re mad, so you vote for the guy who quit. That’s like saying, “I don’t want chicken or fish at this wedding; I’ll just take the exit sign for my meal, thank you very much.” It’s a big “stick it to the man” moment, only…what man? The guy who isn’t running? RFK Jr. is probably on a beach somewhere right now, squinting at the news, like, “Wait, they did what?”
Now, here’s the kicker: in a tight election, 600,000 votes are no small deal! We’re talking about people who might’ve swung things differently, who could’ve actually put their stamp on history, but instead threw their voice behind someone who wasn’t even at the dance. That’s like paying for the concert ticket but staying in your car to watch the empty stage on your phone. You don’t change the show that way—you just miss it.
And look, we get it. Some people just don’t like the two-party system. They’re saying, “Give me a choice!” So what do they do? They vote for someone who made the choice for them…by leaving the race. Like, maybe the political parties need to get it together, but maybe voters need to…you know, read the program before casting the ballots.
In the end, these votes scream loud and clear: America’s political system needs options that people feel are truly for them. They need someone who stays on stage, doesn’t ghost them mid-act. Or maybe we just need a ballot that has a giant label on it that says, “Please confirm your candidate is still actually running.” Because democracy is too important to be treated like an open-mic night. So here’s hoping we can find candidates who stay on stage, a system that gives people real choices, and voters who don’t cheer for the empty chair.
