Yesterday, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. named Silicon Valley attorney/entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan as his running mate. So who is she?
According to Business Insider, Shanahan has donated thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates since 2018, including Pete Buttigieg, Marianne Williamson and AOC's 2020 primary challenger. Earlier this year, she was the primary funder of the controversial Super Bowl ad promoting RFK, Jr.
Shanahan — who made headlines after the Wall Street Journal reported in 2022 that she had an affair with Elon Musk while she was married to Google cofounder Sergey Brin — is a founder of patent technology company ClearAccessIP and the Bia-Echo Foundation. She launched the foundation in 2019, and gave $100 million to social programs focused on efforts like improving the criminal justice system and climate change.
Setting aside the issue of the affair, which she has repeatedly denied, the emergence of young Shanahan, who is 38, is remarkable. But is the political novice ready for the media criticizing every sentence she utters, each outfit she wears, or every tax return she has ever filed between now and November? Back in 2008, people thought Sarah Palin was before she wasn’t.
Like most people, I had never heard of Nicole Shanahan until a few days ago. Based on what I have read about her background, I think it’s safe to say she is a very smart, ambitious person. Still, I wonder about her qualifications to be on the ticket with RFK, Jr. That said, here’s the letter I have submitted to various papers coast to coast. I hope one of them publishes it.
Letter to the Editor:
Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy's pick for a running mate, may be a generous philanthropic and political donor, but is she really qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? Frankly, I know several very wealthy women who routinely donate to causes or candidates but none of them is "vp-worthy." Instead of being a few feet from the Oval Office, I think it's best if the Silicon Valley entrepreneur remains miles away from the White House.
Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach, Calif.
Nicole Shanahan seems more qualified than VP Kamala Harris who recently visited Puerto Rico and smiled and clapped when a song against her was sung, in response to U. S. actions in the Middle East. When told what the song meant, she quickly stopped clapping and looked upset. What an embarrassment !
Listen to here and decide...don't let others tell you who she is. Meet Nicole Shanahan
https://www.youtube.com/live/RunrpokDyKE?si=KiF3RoxEvhwEZpwC&t=6812