Kanye for President?

VIEWPOINT

By RALPH HARDIN

Evening Times Editor O K, so first of, yes, this is a thing that is apparently really happening. Kanye West, who is described on his Wikipedia page as “An American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, composer and fashion designer,” is running for president.

Let’s ignore for a minute that he has zero political experience (our current president also had zero political experience). Let’s ignore for a minute that he has already missed the deadline for filing to run or to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate for 18 states (he would still technically be able to win enough electoral votes to get the 270 needed to win). And let’s ignore for a minute that West has not released one item, not even a tweet or an email, to outline any of his theoretical presidential policies (we’ve proven we don’t, as a voting body, really care about policy as much as party anymore).

Yes, ignore all of that for a minute and consider this…

he’s eligible to seek the office and he will get votes.

Enough to win? No. Enough to throw a monkey wrench into the works? Maybe. The real problem is, it would actually be nice to have a real third-party candidate to consider. Kanye West is not that candidate.

It’s a shame, too, because he fits the right of demographic that might actually excite the voters of this country. The problem is, he’s too polarizing. He’s also not, despite his clear talents as a musician and businessman, in possession of the kind of smarts that he would need to garner national support. For example, his political party is, it would seem, is called The Birthday Party. Why?

“Because when we win, it’s everybody’s birthday.”

Wocka, Wocka…

Yes, it would be awesome to have a viable candidate who is not beholding to the Democrats or the Republicans… who is not in their mid-70s… and who is not just so unlikable. I don’t look at Trump or Biden and just fill with American pride. Kanye West is somehow even less likable to many folks, albeit in a completely different way. I’m sure a lot of other folks on all points on the political spectrum feel the same way.

But I would welcome someone who had a grasp of the basics of government who would be willing to listen and willing to learn. I would welcome a candidate who would be willing to say, “These are the things I believe. Some of you might agree with me and some of you may not, but we can work together to make this country a better place and a place where there’s room for everyone and differing opinions.”

That’s the real problem here… a lack of real options.

Don’t get me wrong, a Kanye West presidential campaign would be a hoot. I hope he gets to be in the debates. Can you imagine Trump and Biden trying to project the same energy and enthusiasm as a candidate 30 years younger than they are? You know Kanye would run verbal circles around them.

Yes, he’ll get votes. And that, I’m afraid, is the problem. While he is certainly within his rights to run if he wants to, he will not win. He will not even finish second (OK, maybe in California). So, what he will do… assuming he actually manages to get on the ballot in enough states to even matter, is muddy the waters. This election is a referendum on the two-party system. Did voters elect Trump in 2016 as a message to the Democrats and Republicans that we are tired of career politicians? Did voters reject Hilary’s candidacy because progressivism was pushing the envelope too far too fast? Did the “blue wave” in 2018 (as underwhelming as it was) give us a sign that the Trump experiment was a mistake? West’s candidacy will hurt the chance of getting a clearer picture of where America is going as a society.

There are already enough kinks in this election cycle, primarily the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it will have on voter turnout. Racial tensions are also a big part of this year’s debate and, sadly, West’s race would definitely be put front and center. It’s actually a weir little dynamic as West has been a proponent of Trumps until just recently, but he would likely draw more voters away from Biden in a three-way-race, which would in turn, help Trump.

OK, so if we’re going to have a third-party candidate who is younger, more charismatic, and capable of drawing voters away from both parties to make a difference, I think we’re really only talking about one man for the job …

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

You know you’d vote for him… “Rock 2020!”