Politico. Of course, these moves to impede Kennedy’s ballot access and attack his candidacy are a product of winner-take-all electoral rules. Under, say, ranked-choice voting, there wouldn’t be the same incentive to stop minor party challengers.

There is a deep concern that Kennedy and other third-party candidates “pose real threats to the Republic by helping Trump win,” said Matt Bennett, president of Third Way, a center-left group that’s involved in efforts to cut Kennedy down. . . .

The push to undercut Kennedy — as well as Green Party candidate Jill Stein and academic Cornel West, both of whom are also running third-party bids — comes from Democrats who say they are motivated by the 2000 and 2016 elections, when third-party candidates played a role in Al Gore and Hillary Clinton’s respective losses. . . .

To date, the campaign against Kennedy has largely focused on research and legal challenges. The Democratic National Committee hired veteran staffers to coordinate their push back against Kennedy, particularly through media stories about Kennedy. They’ve also filed Federal Elections Commission complaints against Kennedy’s allies. The outside groups, like Clear Choice PAC and American Bridge, are diving into opposition research and messaging. MoveOn, a 10 million-member organization, reassigned staffers from No Labels-focused efforts toward Kennedy, as well as bringing on additional staff.