Kanye West, who is somehow still running for President of the United States, gave everyone a reminder of his political aspirations last week. The rapper shared a photo of a "friend" writing him in as their pick for President.
Just in case you thought 2020 was going to stop being weird.
Friends writing me in 🕊 https://t.co/bC4NvFBWB5— ye (@ye)1602214076.0
West's announcement of his political party and presidential campaign began in July, with the artist running under the brand new 'Birthday' political party. At the time, many joked about voting for him, with some more serious than others.
The campaign was aided by Republican operatives and strategists, and is suspected to have been a ploy to pull votes away from more serious candidates and boost Donald Trump's chance of winning reelection.
Now, less than a month before the election, and it's looking like that plan may not work.
People online are organizing to ensure votes aren't thrown away on West.
DO NOT WRITE IN KANYE. THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ISN’T A JOKE https://t.co/Io3wiMgbpV— maddie | cara day (@maddie | cara day)1602246009.0
If you wrote in Kanye on your ballot, never speak again. Just stfu the rest of yo life. You ain't got NOTHING to sa… https://t.co/Ae7z0MsqjY— Jade (@Jade)1602229193.0
If you write Kanye West’s name in the voting ballot I swear https://t.co/5P0Jy3DCg0— Weekly Newsical (@Weekly Newsical)1602251521.0
ohhh, it's a joke alright and the joke's on the entire country (seriously though please don't write in kanye.) https://t.co/kVdmQ6pUdU— 🦇HELL D🎃GGO🦇 (@🦇HELL D🎃GGO🦇)1602333887.0
West is actually already on the ballot in California, with Roque "Rocky" De La Fuente Guerra as VP. However, Guerra's pick for running mate may not have been entirely consensual.
West has urged voters to write him in as president in a statement:
"The political party in California that listed my name as its VP candidate has done so without my knowledge. Californians, I ask for your vote for president and urge you to write in 'Kanye West.'"
On the other hand, West's pick for Vice President, Michelle Tidball, has not spoken publicly about her involvement with the campaign.
Additional controversy came when West turned in signatures to get on the ballot in Wisconsin that included names such as "Mickey Mouse" and "Bernie Sanders". These were quickly contested in the state and thrown out by a judge a month later.
It's like the whole campaign is a mess that should never have been taken seriously.
@business *Speculation from white people who made gross assumptions about Black people and their vote— Brandon Bradford (@Brandon Bradford)1602435760.0
i’m begging y’all not to vote him. please don’t https://t.co/Vqh7P0I3ZS— Z ♉️ (@Z ♉️)1602243724.0
@TMZ President of what? He needs to stay out of politics, we have enough crazy going on.— MommyFrazzled (@MommyFrazzled)1602360668.0
Boy that Kanye West campaign, lemme tell ya. *crickets*— Ned Raggett (@Ned Raggett)1602188955.0
The states West will officially be on the ballot are Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. These are also all solidly Trump voting states. This is why West is relying on write-in votes in other states.
With that in mind, please remember what this election means for the country and consider if you really want to write in another candidate.