Juaquin James Malphurs, May 31, 1986 (New York, N.Y.) -
VP candidate for Independent (2016)
Running mate with nominee: Richard Morgan Fliehr (b. 1949)
Popular vote: ? (0.00%)
Electoral vote: 0/538
The campaign:
On Nov. 6, 2012, Election Day, Atlanta-based Juaquin James Malphurs who was better known as Waka Flocka Flame, rap recording artist, became one of the earliest entries into the 2016 Presidential campaign when he declared on Twitter, "I'm dead ass running for president in 2016."
On Apr. 20, 2015 (4/20, get it?) he made it more or less official with a video, supported by Rolling Stone. He appointed Yves Mondesir (b. 1975), a Hip Hop DJ better known as DJ Whoo Kid as his running-mate. Waka Flocka and DJ Whoo Kid had just released a collaboration mixtape the month before.
As with many celebrities running for President as basically part of a publicity campaign, there was an initial burst of coverage and then things died down. However, Waka Flocka did have some issues to talk about--
-Legalize marijuana.
-Stop dogs coming in restaurants.
-People with feet over size 13 cannot walk in public, they have to use transportation.
-More vocational education in public schools.
-Instead of wearing a suit as President he'll wear a tank top and flip flops.
-Raise minimum wage to $15 an hour.
-"Women have the rights already. What else do they want?"
In Oct. 2015 Waka Flocka withdrew from the Presidential race stating that he realized he was below the required age 35 mandated by the Constitution and that the real power was really with the office of Speaker of the House. So he changed his direction to be elected to that post. I did not know until Waka Flocka explained in his Funny or Die video announcing his new campaign that the Speaker is not required to be a member of Congress. He's right.
His positions in seeking the Speakership--
"Bring some cool things like marijuana, women's rights and gun control? Yup, yup, yup, approve, approve, approve."
"Bring some stupid s--t like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, voter ID laws, building a wall around Mexico? No, no, no, block, block, block. What the f--k, dude? This is America."
A year later Waka Flocka emerged as the running-mate of wrestling legend Ric Flair [stage name for Richard Morgan Fliehr], somehow believing that his under-35 age would not matter in the role of VP. If the Flair/Flocka ticket had won in 2016, that assumption would no doubt have been seriously questioned.
Flair had been active in Republican politics and in 2000 had considered running for Governor of North Carolina. In 2008 he campaigned for Gov. Mike Huckabee. In 2016, before he tossed his hat into the ring himself, he endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz. In the video introducing the Flair/Flame ticket, Flair exclaimed, "I'm a kiss stealing, wheeling dealing, limousine riding, jet flyin' son of a gun."
The ticket was not found on any ballots or registered as write-ins in any state.
In Oct. 2020 Flame received a wave of criticism for suggesting Trump was a better President than Obama.
Election history:
2016 - US President (Independent) - withdrew
2016 - Speaker of the US House of Representatives (Independent) - defeated
Other occupations: recording artist
Notes:
This is more of a reflection on my cultural isolation than on the fame of either of the gentlemen, but I had never heard of Flair or Flame until compiling this profile.
