Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Just when you thought things couldn’t get more insane in American politics, the self-described billionaire genius Kanye West announced over the weekend his intention to run for president of the United States this year.

For those of you asking, “Isn’t he…?” the answer is yes. Mr. West, also known as Ye (pronounced Yay), is married to Kim Kardashian of Instagram and reality TV fame.

Now most people will read this news, allow themselves a chuckle, and move on to watching the downfall of the Republic on social media from the comfort of isolation due to Covid. But to disregard Mr. West so lightly would be a serious mistake. His presence in the presidential race is highly problematic for republicans and democrats alike.

The fall election is forecast by all involved to be a tightly contested race. Though current polls show Mr. Biden handily defeating Mr. Trump, many of those same polls showed democrat Michael Dukakis defeating George H.W. Bush at this point on the calendar in 1988. A tight race means neither side can afford many mistakes but both parties are running old white guys prone to them. Enter Mr. West.

Kanye West is as predictable as the flight path of a drunk bumblebee. He’s rich, influential and has made a living by doing things no one said could be done. He’s a musician, producer, serial entrepreneur, fashion designer and businessman with a record of success. No one knows his net worth for sure but $3 billion is a safe bet. His wife adds another billion. Money for a campaign isn’t a problem.

Paraphrasing political activist Candice Owens, “Politics is downstream of culture and culture is downstream of Kanye West.” The man is forward thinking and innovative. His fairly recent and highly public conversion to Christianity, about which he’s outspoken, resulted in a chart-topping blend of rap and Gospel that even got airplay on radio stations that had never played Kanye before.

Kanye West is black. At a time of racial unrest, neither Trump nor Biden could afford to be seen speaking against candidate West without being accused of racism. He’s also crazy smart. As a child he lived in Georgia, Chicago and China. Success came early in life so he dropped out of college but he’s got a wealth of life experience to draw from and a massive fan base.

That last point is why Kayne West could be an election spoiler. He’s adored by millions, especially young people. His race is an asset in the current culture. His politics have been critical of both republicans and democrats, and his recent conversion has him viewed favorably by evangelicals.

Though he has yet to produce any solid positions on social issues or policies, his weekend announcement said, “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future.” Hard to words to dispute. Democrats must garner a vast majority of black voters to beat Trump and Kanye messes that up. Besides, for millions of young women, just four words bring votes to West- First Lady Kim Kardashian.