Evidence from the 2024 cycle indicates that long-form podcasts and other alternative, long-form online interviews were indeed a major way RFK Jr. got his message out and built what support he had, relative to traditional media.

Key points:

1. His campaign explicitly became “podcast‑centric.” Public radio reporting on his 2024 run literally described it as a “podcast‑centric presidential campaign,” noting that his media strategy relied on a flurry of podcasts including The Joe Rogan Experience, Jordan Peterson, Megyn Kelly, Russell Brand, and the All-In pod hosted by Sacks, Calacanis, Palihapitiya and Friedberg. These outlets were emphasized as a way to reach large audiences who are not tuning in to traditional news. (knkx.org) This is exactly the format and context Jason was talking about.

2. Analysts and reporters repeatedly labeled him the “podcast candidate” and tied his momentum to online shows. A Wired analysis described Kennedy’s bid as a digital‑first campaign driven by collaborations with influencers, many podcast appearances, and viral social media; it explicitly notes that this strategy positioned him as “the podcast candidate” and gave him unexpected momentum online even while mainstream outlets largely shunned him. (wired.com) A Washington Examiner piece similarly notes that his bid “picked up steam online after appearances on Rogan’s show and a host of other popular podcasts,” directly connecting those long-form interviews to increased interest in his candidacy. (washingtonexaminer.com)

3. His base and his own rhetoric emphasize podcasts/alt media over mainstream TV. PBS reporting on his events found that Kennedy and his supporters are disproportionately people who avoid mainstream media and instead rely on “podcasts and other alternative sources” for news; Kennedy himself contrasted baby boomers who watch MSNBC/Fox/CNN with younger voters who get information from podcasts and online alternatives. (pbs.org) In a Fox interview, he complained that major networks besides Fox rarely booked him and that a “monolithic media” aligned with the Democratic Party was telling Americans he couldn’t win, underscoring that he did not have traditional-media saturation and had to route around it. (aol.com)

4. Podcast exposure was treated as a significant driver of his polling and visibility. Coverage of Joe Rogan’s praise for RFK Jr. described Rogan’s huge audience (millions per episode) and framed that support as bad news for Trump because Kennedy’s campaign had already “picked up steam online” after those and other major podcast appearances. (washingtonexaminer.com) Politico later reported that endorsements and favorable treatment from major podcasters like Rogan and Russell Brand were aligned with Kennedy’s strategy of focusing on alternative/independent platforms and could boost his visibility and support late in the race. (politico.com) Another Politico piece noted he was “all over conservative media” including various right-leaning podcasts and was polling around 8–10% in key swing states at that time, suggesting those appearances were materially associated with his support levels. (politico.com)

5. He did, for a time, achieve unusually high interest for an insurgent/third‑party candidate. Throughout 2023, RFK Jr. posted strikingly strong favorability and vote-intention numbers for a non-major-party candidate: polls had him leading all major 2024 figures in net favorability, and some 3‑way matchups in late 2023 showed him at roughly 20–24% support nationwide or in key battlegrounds—levels rarely reached by modern third‑party contenders. (en.wikipedia.org) While that support shrank by Election Day (he ultimately finished under 1% of the popular vote), analysts consistently described that earlier surge as fueled by his online and podcast presence rather than by extensive positive coverage on mainstream TV.

Putting this together:

• Long-form podcasts and similar interviews were central, not peripheral, to RFK Jr.’s media strategy.
• Major outlets and campaign-watchers explicitly credited those podcasts with helping him gain online momentum and distinctive levels of early support, while also noting his marginalization on traditional TV news.
• His own comments and his supporters’ behavior confirm that many of his voters discovered and evaluated him via podcasts rather than legacy media.

So although his overall candidacy ultimately underperformed on Election Day, the specific prediction that long-form podcasts would materially raise interest in candidates like RFK Jr. and become an important driver of their public support—relative to traditional media—did come true in his case.