On Independence Day, out of the blue, the singer tweeted that he was running for president of the US. The announcement, which was quickly endorsed by West's wife Kim Kardashian and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has caught the headlines with some suggesting that it is nothing but a stunt and the others speculating about a secret pact between the rapper and Trump to try to pull votes from Biden.
We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States 🇺🇸! #2020VISION
— ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020
Some Twitter users warned the public against trusting West citing his 2018 statement that 400 years of slavery "sounds like a choice". Nevertheless, some observers don't rule out West trying to challenge President Trump despite him previously endorsing the Oval Office occupant.
'If It's for Vanity Purposes, It's Fine'
But there are few signs so far that the 43-year old is serious about running for president: he hasn't registered with the Federal Election Commission, nor collected enough signatures to be on November's ballot or signalled what, if any, political party he would be affiliated with. Nevertheless, there is no formal deadline to file to run for president of the US and, technically, there are still many US states where the rapper may register for the race.
It is not the first time that West has said he would seek the presidency: he vowed to run in 2020 during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards but in January 2019, he hinted at a potential 2024 election bid.
2024
— ye (@kanyewest) January 1, 2019
"Kanye West is running for president as a publicity stunt and not as a serious candidate", deems David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University. "Unlike Trump in 2016 where the latter entered the primaries for the Republican Party, West is simply running as an independent candidate. It is hard to run as an independent candidate in the US, especially at this late date".
The US elections laws impose deadlines for running as a third party or independent candidate and West has already missed most of them: as a result, he will not appear on the ballot in most states.
Given all of above, the rapper's presidential bid has all the earmarks of an "impractical strategy" as "the odds of West being competitive and winning are very much against him", according to the political scientist.
"Maybe he hopes that the racial tensions in the US give him a chance to win the African-American and youth vote", the professor suggests, adding that he does not see West's path to success.
However, if the 43-year old businessman is doing this "for name recognition or vanity purposes", it's quite understandable and fine, Schultz adds.
The Election Drama Series Go On
The rapper's initiative "isn't even the craziest part of this year", according to Sarah Abed, independent journalist and political commentator, who appears unsurprised by West's statement.
"Whether [West's] latest announcement is a publicity stunt to drive record sales of his new album, or a way to steal votes from the assumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, and thus help Trump win his second term, or test the waters for an official presidential campaign in 2020 as an Independent, is really anyone's guess", she says.
Still, unlike Schultz, she does not think that the rapper is a hopeless candidate: if he is serious, Kanye could possibly appeal to both the right and left, Abed suggests.
"Some conservative Christian voters might find his new found passion for religion and family values attractive, and liberal voters who have enjoyed his contributions to the music and fashion industry will probably see him as more relatable than other candidates", the journalist points out.
At the same time, it's hard to imagine what a Kanye West presidency might look like without first knowing where he stands on domestic and foreign political issues, she remarks.
"All we can do now is stay tuned to the Election Drama Series, and see what the next season has in store for us", Abed concludes.
