Democrats Fear RFK Jr.'s Running Mate Nicole Shanahan
NewsweekMar 26
RFK Jr. Announces Shanahan as Running Mate
The 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.
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.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
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
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.
Nerd narrative
There is a 25% chance that a third-party or independent candidate will win at least 5% of the popular vote in the 2024 US presidential election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.