This is an opinion.
- Kanye West is an imperfect presidential candidate, but he’s the best choice we’ve got.
- Unlike the other two options, the Atlanta rapper is young and doesn’t have a sketchy political track record.
- More importantly – he doesn’t have sexual misconduct allegations in his closet.
Presidential hopeful Kanye West held his first campaign event in South Carolina on Sunday evening. The Atlanta-born rapper advocated for free marijuana and million-dollar cash grants to prevent abortion, and those may have been his least controversial talking points.
The event ended with Kanye being escorted off stage in tears – crying about how he almost aborted his oldest daughter.
Kanye’s campaign is painful to watch, but not for the reasons you think. What’s sad is that compared to Donald Trump and Joe Biden, he might be the best candidate.
I’m not necessarily saying you should back Kanye, but here are three reasons a vote for Yeezy isn’t all that crazy.
1. Kanye West Isn’t a Million Years Old
We all love and respect our grandparents, but we probably wouldn’t want them to run the country. The world they grew up in no longer exists, which can hamper their decision-making and ability to relate to an increasingly vocal youth demographic.
Donald Trump was 70 years old when he was sworn-in to office, older than any president in U.S. history. Joe Biden stands poised to trounce that record by the better part of a decade if he wins the election. He will turn 78 before Inauguration Day in 2021.
Both septuagenarians are (were?) undeniably intelligent, but they have reached an age when natural cognitive decline becomes a serious concern.
Watch this clip of a much younger Trump speaking with Oprah about potentially running for president. His message is remarkably consistent (replace Japan with Chy-nah), but his delivery and coherence have suffered visible declines since his “youth.”
It’s the same story with Joe Biden, who sometimes appears lucky to remember his glory days – much less be living in them.
Even foreign media outlets are sounding the alarm on Biden’s so-called “cognitive issues.”
2. He Doesn’t Have a Spotty Political Track Record (Yet)
It’s obvious from his first stump speech that Kanye West would quickly build a controversial political resume. But at least he doesn’t have one now.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden both have appalling track records, especially when it comes to social justice.
Trump is often labeled “racist” because of his questionable language and political allies, and Joe Biden’s policies have arguably made life in minority communities worse.
Many pundits argue his 1994 crime bill expanded mass incarceration in the United States without addressing the root causes of crime. While this legislation may have been popular at the time (during the crack epidemic), it will be a hard sell to younger voters in this environment of heightened scrutiny of law enforcement and laxer attitudes towards drug use.
And don’t forget about his cringy interview with Charlamagne tha God:
Unlike the mainstream candidates, Kanye doesn’t have this baggage. The artist frequently highlights his own struggle with opioid abuse – presenting it as a mental health issue instead of a criminal justice matter.
3. Kanye Isn’t Plagued by Sexual Misconduct Allegations
It only took a couple of hundred years, but Americans have finally had the epiphany that women deserve equal rights – and that sexual assault is wrong.
What better way to reverse decades of progress than to elect (another) president with unresolved sexual assault allegations in his closet?
Donald Trump’s spotty track record is well-known. At least 25 women have accused the president of sexual misconduct since 1970, including a 2019 rape accusation by columnist E. Jean Carroll. Trump denies these allegations, but he’s on record making offensive remarks about women.
Joe Biden’s track record is equally disturbing. Tara Reade, a former Biden staffer, claims the presidential hopeful sexually assaulted her in 1993. Reade filed a criminal complaint and indicated a willingness to work with law enforcement, even though the statute of limitations has expired.
Electing either of these men would trivialize the progress we’ve supposedly made toward gender equality. And while his critics argue Kanye is on the wrong side of #MeToo, at least he hasn’t been on the wrong side of any #MeToo allegations.
For all his faults, Kanye West is the least problematic candidate in the 2020 election. That doesn’t say much about him, though. It speaks volumes more about the men he’s running against.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.