RFK Jr. Announces Shanahan as Running Mate

Facts

• Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that Nicole Shanahan, a California lawyer, will be his running mate. The 38-year-old attorney and philanthropist runs the Bia-Echo Foundation and has never held elected office.¹
• Kennedy made his announcement at a rally in Oakland, Calif., and the move will help the independent ticket make progress in attaining ballot access. Nearly half of US states require a vice presidential nominee before allowing a candidate on its ballot.²
• RFK Jr., a former Democrat from the notorious Kennedy family, had floated several big names as potential running mates, including New York Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, former Minn. Gov. Jesse Ventura, former US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), and TV host Mike Rowe.³
• However, RFK chose the wealthy tech magnate who already contributed millions of dollars to his campaign. Shanahan was involved in producing Kennedy's Super Bowl ad, and a group affiliated with her venture fund, Planeta Ventures, donated $4M to his American Values 2024 super PAC.⁴
• Shanahan is an Oakland native from a disadvantaged background, and she went on to become one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent lawyers and philanthropists. Her Bia-Echo Foundation has worked extensively on issues such as reproductive longevity and criminal justice reform.⁵
• She has frequently supported Democratic candidates in the past, and now that she is on the ticket, Shanahan can contribute an unlimited amount of money to help RFK’s campaign, including the $15M cost of attaining ballot access in all 50 states.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²CNN, ³CBS, ⁴NBC (a), ⁵NBC (b) and ⁶KPRC.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Newsweek. The Washington establishment, particularly those in the Democratic Party, is starting to sweat as RFK Jr. takes a major step in advancing his independent campaign. Kennedy’s name recognition and populist platform have made him a unique threat. On top of that, with Nicole Shanahan in the fold, he now has a very wealthy running mate who can contribute an unrestricted amount to the campaign. In addition to her wealth, Shanahan has a history of supporting causes that voters care deeply about, and it will be hard for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to match this energy and excitement.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Vox. While the media attention fixates on Joe Biden and Donald Trump, RFK Jr. remains a relative unknown compared to those two. This, along with his last name, may lead some people to believe that Kennedy is a benign and moderate figure, but this is not the case. For years, RFK Jr. has pushed dangerous, anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and has even been disavowed by members of his own family. Luckily, RFK doesn't stand a reasonable chance of winning, and his pick of Nicole Shanahan will do very little to gather any steam for his campaign. Kennedy will try to play spoiler, but he won't get enough support to even make a meaningful difference in that role.

Predictions

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