The two ads are typical election-year material. One supports Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who until last Friday was running as an independent, stating, “because you deserve better than the same old thing.” The other warns against Kennedy, labeling him as “the most dangerous man in American politics.”
What makes this situation unique is that both ads were created by the same agency. Even more interesting: They were produced by a political advertising boutique aligned with the Democratic Party.
Why would Three Point Media, which prides itself on aiding “Democratic officeholders and progressive causes all over the country,” invest resources in making videos both in support of and against the Kennedy campaign?
According to federal filings, Three Point’s primary client is Future Forward PAC, one of the largest super PACs supporting Kamala Harris’s campaign. Recently, Three Point has produced ads for several Democratic governors, including prominent figures like Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer and Colorado’s Jared Polis. Clare Gannon, the founder of Three Point, previously served as the deputy press secretary for the Democratic National Committee.
Three Point did not respond to inquiries from The Intercept regarding the videos, such as whether they were aired or in which markets.
However, the videos shared with The Intercept offer insights into how major-party strategists consider incorporating potential spoiler candidates like Kennedy into their messaging strategy.
Bernard Tamas, a political scientist specializing in third-party roles in American politics, noted the long history of major parties utilizing independents and third-party candidates. “From a strategic standpoint, for most parties, the ends justify the means, so there isn’t much hesitation about how they win those elections,” Tamas explained.
Republicans have more experience in supporting non-GOP candidates to draw votes away from Democrats, Tamas added. This month, GOP-affiliated attorneys attempted to place Cornel West on the Arizona ballot, which ultimately failed. In 2004, Michigan Republicans assisted Ralph Nader in gathering enough signatures to qualify.
Democrats have also invested money in supporting far-right Republicans, including an anti-abortion candidate, if they believe it can improve their electoral chances. In 2022, the House Majority PAC, another client of Three Point, funded ads endorsing a MAGA election-denier aiming to unseat incumbent Republican, Rep. David Valadao, who voted to impeach Donald Trump.
However, Tamas indicated that Democrats generally view most third parties, even those ideologically aligned with the Republican Party, as threats. “The Democratic Party’s primary strategy has been to hinder any candidate that could pose a threat to them from appearing on the ballot,” Tamas noted.
Recently, Democrats contested Kennedy’s ballot access in several states, including key battlegrounds like North Carolina and Nevada. The DNC recently attempted unsuccessfully to prevent Jill Stein from appearing on the Wisconsin ballot, as reported by The New York Times.
The Three Point videos suggest that some Democrats wanted to keep their options open regarding Kennedy and explored two strategies. One ad praised him for leaving “the Democratic Party to stand with law enforcement,” potentially attracting conservatives to choose Kennedy over Trump. Another ad criticized RFK Jr. as a “dangerous” radical and “too conservative,” possibly appealing to less-conservative voters to support the Democratic ticket.
“It makes strategic sense for a Democratic Party-aligned media company to produce both pro- and anti-RFK Jr. ads,” Tamas remarked, especially given that Kennedy’s campaign covered issues already addressed by both major parties.
“With rapidly changing circumstances and RFK Jr. appearing on the ballot in many states,” Tamas continued, “the Democratic Party likely opted to prepare for both scenarios — whether Kennedy would boost Harris over Trump or harm Trump more — and then evaluate based on circumstances (and polling results) which approach made more sense.”
Three Point even crafted contrasting “in his own words” videos about Kennedy — one positive and one negative — with similar scripts and video montages, differing mainly in tone and the final title card.
The positive version concludes with “Stand With Kennedy,” while the negative version urges voters to “Stand Against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.”
Earlier this year, Kennedy garnered relatively strong polling numbers as an independent candidate, sometimes reaching double digits. However, his prospects declined over the summer, particularly after Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee. When he exited the race and endorsed Trump, Kennedy stated that he believed continuing his campaign would harm Trump’s chances and benefit Harris.
Disclaimers on the pro-Kennedy ads reveal they were funded by “Civic Truth Action.”
A super PAC by that name registered in late July with the Federal Election Commission, although it has yet to submit spending reports. While Civic Truth Action lacks a website, its treasurer, Chris Koob, has strong Democratic connections, having previously worked for the Obama administration, multiple Democratic candidates, and the DNC, as indicated on his LinkedIn profile.
Koob did not respond to inquiries from The Intercept regarding Civic Truth Action’s involvement in the Three Point videos.
The attack ads against RFK Jr. by Three Point indicated they were funded by a different entity: “Citizens For Truth.” The Intercept was unable to locate an active committee under this name. Koob and Three Point did not clarify if Citizens For Truth is an alias for Civic Truth Action.
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