Shanahan, 38, is an attorney as well as the director of a charity that supports left-wing issues like combating climate change, criminal justice reform, and abortion rights. The Wall Street Journal claims that Shanahan had a history of backing Democratic causes, including Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, before he teamed up with Kennedy. Tuesday’s gathering in Oakland, California, Shanahan’s hometown, is likely to be the formal introduction of Shanahan as Kennedy’s running mate.
“The Journal stands by its reporting, according to a Journal spokesman. Shanahan told the New York Times that she had given $4 million to the Kennedy-aligned superPAC that produced the Super Bowl advertisement in favor of his campaign, in addition to giving to Kennedy’s campaign. In addition to footing a large chunk of the contentious advertisement—which reused a commercial from his uncle John F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign and stirred controversy with some of his family members—Shanahan also played a crucial role in the ad’s development.”
“She has stated that she supports Kennedy’s positions on matters including the environment and vaccine skepticism. Kennedy is infamous for his assertions—refuted by specialists in public health—that childhood immunizations cause autism and that the COVID-19 vaccine is not entirely safe. Kennedy stated that, while he was not against vaccines in an interview with the Journal last year, he thought they needed closer examination. In her interview with the New York Times, Shanahan made a similar statement.”
The inclusion of a radical leftist on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ticket is hardly surprising, but it will be intriguing to observe the reactions of the conservatives who have gravitated towards Kennedy’s campaign. They have so far failed to accept his left-wing background, which includes generous donations to Democrats, admiration for Louis Farrakhan and Bernie Sanders, and support for radical ideas like the Green New Deal, fossil fuel divestment, unrestricted abortion on demand, and massive tax increases.
Kennedy has claimed that his independent presidential run harms Donald Trump more than Joe Biden’s, but new polls appear to show otherwise. Kennedy could have been more popular across party lines if he had selected a moderate or centrist Republican as his running mate. However, Shanahan’s potential to alienate conservatives who previously refused to accept Kennedy’s extremism on the left is a serious risk to Biden.
I do not think Shanahan’s presence on the ticket will be good news for Biden, but it will take some time to see if it affects the race.
