The Conceit of Kanye West

To be clear: Kanye West will not win the 2020 presidential election. He missed the opportunity to get his name on the ballot in several states. He has no visible election apparatus, no ground game, and no official party backing. 

But his candidacy still matters. Because it teaches us about entitlement.

Because we live in the United States, West will be given outsized attention. Despite his obvious shortcomings, he will likely pull a non-insignificant number of votes. 

Kanye West is not a politician. He has also never demonstrated a nuanced view of politics. His most recent policy proposal---if one can call it that--- was to deride future coronavirus vaccines as the "mark of the beast" from the biblical book of Revelation. West's political party will be called the "birthday party" because if he wins, it will be "everybody's birthday". This is patently childish and ridiculous-- much like one of his reasons for supporting Trump: "Trump hotels and the Saxophones in the lobby"

It is not his political prowess nor his intricate understanding of foreign policy or economics which will get him votes. Instead, West will get votes because he is a celebrity. His fundamental conceit is his fame. Elites in the US recognize they can run for president and even win. We have already seen celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, Mark Zuckerberg, and Ben Affleck publicly consider running.

This is entitlement. Merely fame is not a prerequisite (as we have seen with Trump) for being the chief executive of the world's foremost military superpower. West is demonstrating the premier flaw of his "campaign" even as he announces and promotes it: arrogance. West believes, like many other celebrities, that the executive office is either an easy enough job, or else, nothing more than a public relations stunt. Regardless, his campaign is irresponsible.

The unfortunate reality is that we must take his candidacy seriously. Pundits have speculated that West would draw key members of Biden's voting bloc away and jeopardize his run. We already know Biden is not a perfect candidate. But Trump's bungled coronavirus response, incessant misinformation, danger to free press, devastating economic policies, and near fascistic rhetoric are deadly to our republic.

Kanye West is not a serious contender for president, but he is serious. In his hubris he puts the country at risk. The media should give Kanye his time, but expose his campaign for what it is: a childish desire for recognition. 

Afterward, they should promptly shut him out.