Outliers who enter the presidential derby usually broadcast their plans before running, as Trump did, forming an exploratory committee for the office in 2000, before finally running in earnest in 2016. But outside of Dwight D. Eisenhower — a genuine war hero — almost never does a figure without a political resume and not so much as a previous head feint toward the White House launch a serious presidential campaign out of the blue as Kennedy did in April. Some people give more forethought to picking a dressing for their salad than Kennedy seems to have given to his run for president.

But Kennedy doesn’t care that he’s losing because winning the White House isn’t his objective. …

What Kennedy does undeniably desire is public attention, something his presidential campaign is delivering, with critical profiles in the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time, the Atlantic and a particularly damning and comprehensive one by Rebecca Traister in New York magazine. In just a couple of months, Kennedy has gone from “that anti-vaccine guy” to a staple of cable news coverage, making him The Top Kennedy for now, even if much of the publicity is bad.

[Honestly, I looked at the headline and was prepared to skewer Shafer, but … he makes a pretty good argument in terms of dynasty politics. And it does seem surprising that the media is cooperating with this to the extent they are. That in itself is a signal that they see Biden as an anchor rather than a sail. Shafer is always worth a read, which this demonstrates. — Ed]