RFK Jr. seeks major boost with VP announcement https://t.co/EUthd3RQb0
— The Hill (@thehill) March 24, 2024
It’s supposed to happen Tuesday, but who knows?
… Kennedy’s decision to unveil his vice-presidential pick next Tuesday shows a longevity to his bid that many Democrats hoped would have fizzled out by now. Announcing a running mate means the independent candidate has met a necessary benchmark required by two dozen states to be listed on the ballot, something that will bring even more attention to his campaign…
Team Kennedy’s search for a No. 2 has gotten noticed for the unconventional names it produced. While many believe Kennedy is likely to choose Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer and mega-donor, others have been privately mused about, with mixed reactions.
Kennedy has publicly talked up a number of people. He previously said that he was considering NFL star Aaron Rodgers, who shares much of Kennedy’s anti-vaccine outlook toward public health.
Rodgers fell into the background, however, after comments he made questioning the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School surfaced, sparking outrage. Known to look beyond the bounds of convention, Kennedy also expressed support for wrestler and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who each have nontraditional ideologies, as well as tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
As his event in Oakland, Calif., grew nearer, Shanahan became a front-runner. The West Coast lawyer, who has deep ties in Silicon Valley and is the ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, would theoretically bring more money to put toward his ballot access effort…
Vulgar skeptics will express a certain schadenfreude for Cheryl Hines, but the woman knew what she was getting into when she married him.
The common clay of the new West!…
RFK Jr. is activating a whole new kind of political donor https://t.co/mmsfWtF4ku
— POLITICO (@politico) March 24, 2024
… Kennedy’s deep ties with anti-vaccine and environmental activism coupled with his campaign’s dedication to new media is engaging people like Michelle Frank, a yoga studio owner who is not registered to vote but has already chipped a few hundred dollars to Kennedy’s campaign.
“I haven’t voted in about over 15 to 20 years, actually,” Frank told POLITICO.
After hearing Kennedy on a podcast, Frank hosted an aerial yoga class for local Kennedy supporters at her studio outside of Austin, Texas, attracting a small group of fellow political neophytes. She said one attendee came to the event because of the Super Bowl ad, paid for by the super PAC American Values 2024, that aired the week before.
“Knowing that he has this great, this most pure intention like his uncle and his dad did. I feel like the purity and the intention is really what drew me to him,” she said…
Roughly 21,000 donors have given Kennedy’s campaign at least $200 since he declared his independent run in October, and a POLITICO analysis found that 74 percent of them did not make any political donations during the 2020 cycle. And interviews with numerous Kennedy backers reveal it’s made up of a powerful bloc of people not only drawn to Kennedy but turned off by the general election matchup…
Which reminded me — I’ve been meaning to post a link to this excellent read:
How RFK Jr. hiring a bird smuggler threw his environmental group into turmoil: an ambitious phony who greenwashed his record and stabbed his mentor in the back https://t.co/j1wHH9b5wl
— Wanda (@itsWanda) March 2, 2024
Late Night Reading Open Thread: RFK Jr, Chasing the Dragon of CelebrityPost + Comments (44)