By ETHAN BERKOWITZ
Dear Ethan,
With all this talk about our next President, I feel compelled to write to you to share my dissatisfaction with the lack of coverage for the strongest candidate who’s announced his intention to run. This candidate has generated considerable buzz since announcing his candidacy, yet nobody is taking him seriously. And it’s ridiculous! Yes, he’s not running until 2020, but I don’t understand why people think Kanye West can’t be President. After considering his background, success and views, I don’t think you or anyone else will be able to deny his legitimacy. To prove my point, I think it’s only suitable to compare Mr. West to one of the frontrunners for the 2016 election, Donald Trump.
You might ask, ‘what makes Mr. West qualified to be president’? Well first, I invite you to look at what makes Mr. Trump qualified. His strongest argument is his successful career as a real estate developer and television personality, which has made him a multi-billionaire. Consequently, Mr. Trump believes he can translate this business success into politics, declaring, “ [The American people] will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with winning.”
Well, why isn’t Mr. West qualified? Like Mr. Trump, Mr. West believes he is the best at what he does. And those aren’t empty words either. Having collaborated with the likes of Eminem, Rihanna, Jay Z, Jamie Foxx and Paul McCartney, Mr. West has put forth 7 chart-topping, Platinum albums, collecting 21 Grammy Awards along the way. Suffice to say, Mr. West has found massive success in his trade, and has become a household name across America. Why couldn’t Mr. West take America back to platinum-level status?
In case you thought Mr. West was only known for his music, fear not, for his success goes beyond music. For almost the past 8 years, Mr. West has been working towards creating something tangible for the masses: fashion. This has culminated in a series of high profile releases including his much-talked-about showing at the New York Fashion Week last month. Do you know which other candidate has flexed his fashion muscle? Mr. Trump, who until recently, had his own line with Macy’s. Between his music and fashion, it’s no wonder that Mr. West landed at the top of the list of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2015.
I don’t understand why journalists aren’t reporting on Mr. West’s opinions and views like they are on Trump’s. While to be fair, he hasn’t yet taken a stance on recent hot-button issues, he has spoken up on several domestic issues.
Speaking on behalf of all parents in America, we recently learned that Mr. West is adamantly against the proliferation of in-app purchases. When not pressed for comment, he said, “If a game is made for a two-year-old, just allow them to have fun and give the parents a break for Christ’s sake.” Additionally, like Mr. Trump, Mr. West has been an outspoken critic of former president George W. Bush (to say the least).
Speaking of controversy, it seems as though scandalous comments or actions are essential for preserving poll numbers. Hillary Clinton has her e-mail conundrum; Donald Trump has almost everything he says. But Mr. West definitely does not disappoint his constituents on this matter either. Mr. West almost caused an international crisis when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the VMA’s, generating more water cooler discussions than Clinton’s e-mails and Trump’s remarks combined. One of his detractors was President Obama, who called him a jackass. Yet even Mr. Obama has come around to the idea of a West presidency, even going so far as giving him public political advice (I anticipate a formal endorsement is forthcoming).
But never mind what people think of Mr. West — what does Mr. West think of Mr. West? Confidence is one of the most important characteristics a president needs; you have to believe in yourself, don’t you? Well, it takes a certain strong-willed personality to name an album “Yeezus,” named after his self-proclaimed “God-name.” Many wonder where Mr. West gets the courage to think so highly of himself, but Mr. West has already answered this: “Me found bravery in my bravado.” With alliteration like that, how are people taking him any less seriously than Mr. Trump?
At least if he was getting the attention he deserved, the people would finally get to start asking the important questions. Here’s one: Who should be his running-mate? It has to be someone who can support the West administration, someone we can trust to carry on Mr. West’s leadership, someone who can galvanize congressional support, that’s who we need. I know the perfect candidate — she has a strong presence on television and online, she’s become a household name and having already broken the internet once, I don’t think anyone can question her power: Her name is Kimberly Kardashian. West/Kardashian 2020, has a nice ring to it.
Americans are fed up with politicians and hungry for an outsider, yet they are looking for a familiar face, someone they can trust. Clearly, the people want someone who speaks their mind. The people want someone who believes they’re the best for the job, let alone the best in the world. Am I the only one who thinks the answer is obvious? As I said, please start giving Mr. West the coverage he deserves; he can — and should — be the next President of the United States.
Regards,
Some Guy