Kanye Omari West

 

Kanye Omari West, June 8, 1977 (Atlanta, Ga.) -

VP candidate for Independent (2016)
VP candidate for American Independent Party (2020)
VP candidate for Independent (2020)

Running mate with nominee (2016): Ryan Higa (b. 1990)
Running mate with nominee (2020): Roque De La Fuente Guerra (b. 1954)
Running mate with nominee (2020): Sammy Kenyatte Belton (b. 1979)
Popular vote (2016): ? (0.00%)
Popular vote (2020 : AIP): 60,160 (0.04%)
Popular vote (2020 : Independent): 0 (0.00%)
Electoral vote (2016, 2020): 0/538

The campaign (2016):

Comedian Ryan Higa, a major personality on Youtube, had run for President in 2012 in a mock campaign. He repeated the joke in 2016 ("Vote for me and all of your wildest dreams will be dreams") but this time named a running-mate, Kanye West. Well, the only clue to that is a brief mention in a video where Higa refers to West as "my future Vice-President."

No disrespect is intended here, but I am not in West's target demographic as far as his entertainment career goes. My first real exposure to him was in 2005 when, while standing beside comedian Mike Myers, he stated "George Bush doesn't care about black people" in the course of raising funds for relief of Hurricane Katrina victims.

Other than that I am dimly aware he is connected with the Kardashians (who I also know almost nothing about), my main source of information being the covers of gossip tabloids on display while I wait in line at the grocery store. Also that he has been struggling with mental health challenges and is prone to making controversial statements. And, I can see he has large following and is considered a gifted, brilliant musical artist.

West the politician has been erratic. Over time he has supported Democrats and Republicans, changing alliances in a dramatic fashion. In Sept. 2015 West announced he was planning to run for President in 2020. In an interview with Vanity Fair, West stated--

    "I sit in clubs and I’m like, Wow, I’ve got five years before I go and run for office and I’ve got a lot of research to do, I’ve got a lot of growing up to do. My dad has two masters degrees. My mom has a PhD, she used to work at Operation PUSH. Somehow the more and more creative I get, the closer and closer I get to who I was as a child. When I was a child, I was holding my mom’s hand at Operation PUSH. I think it’s time. Rap is great. It’s fun. It’s fun to be a rock star, and I’ll never not be one I guess, but there’ll be a point where I become my mother’s child. With all the things I’ve done that people would consider to be accomplishments, what’s the point where I become the person that Donda and Raymond West raised? My parents’ child."

The campaign (2020 : AIP):

As good as his word, West did indeed run for President in 2020. I'll cover that campaign when I profile his running-mate. Meanwhile--

Perennial candidate Rocky De La Fuente had an interesting year in 2020. He initially ran for the Republican Presidential nomination and at the same time entered the Republican primary for the 21st congressional district in California. In the latter race, his son was running in the primary as a Democrat. In all of these cases, victory proved elusive.

De La Fuente went on to gain the Presidential nomination of the Alliance Party on Apr. 25, 2020. On June 20, 2020, the Reform Party also nominated De La Fuente, just as they had in 2016. His 2020 running-mate was Darcy Richardson.

Then something unexpected happened on Aug. 15, 2020.  

The far Right and Christian-based American Independent Party in California, which had nominated Trump/Pence in 2016, chose De La Fuente as their nominee. But Richardson was bumped as the VP and replaced with Kanye West. Apparently this VP choice was accomplished without input from any of the nominees. De La Fuente said, "I was not consulted to see if I wanted Mr. West as my running mate ... Obviously, we're a weird—and I wanted Mr. Richardson as my running mate—but it was their decision and their decision only."

De La Fuente had entered the AIP primary in Mar. 2020, but came in second to Phil Collins, who was also the Prohibition Party nominee for President.

The Independent Political Report quoted Darcy Richardson--

“Please let Rocky know that if he runs with the unstable, bi-polar Trump-loving Kanye West in California that I will withdraw as his vice-presidential running mate nationally,” Richardson declared in a text message to [AIP official Mark] Seidenberg earlier today. “I’ve spent my entire adult life battling the duopoly and certainly DO NOT want my name associated with a candidacy that peripherally includes a Trump/GOP plant like the unhinged rapper….Bill Shearer must be rolling over in his grave.”

It should be noted that Richardson did remain in the race, or at that was my impression when I posted our interview Oct. 6, 2020. In it he said--

Rocky and I are on the ballot in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vermont.  We also hope to be official write-in candidates in a couple of dozen states.

Rocky is also on the ballot in populous California where --- much to my chagrin --- he's paired with unhinged, pro-Trump rapper Kanye West on the American Independent Party ticket, a remnant of segregationist George Wallace's 1968 presidential campaign.

https://thirdpartysecondbananas.blogspot.com/2020/10/darcy-richardson-2020-vp-alliance-party.html

West was also not pleased with being nominated VP, calling the AIP "deceitful" and issued a statement that included, "I am campaigning to be the next president of our great country — not vice president ... 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.’"

The De La Fuente/West ticket placed 5th out of the 6 positions on the California ballot with 0.34% of the vote in that state. It was by far De La Fuente's largest bloc of votes nationally.

The campaign (2020 : Independent):

Sammy Belton, a hair stylist and musician of Milwaukee, Wis. filed as an Independent for US President with the FEC on July 25, 2020. An online petition he created provided a thesis statement for his campaign--

I Sammy K. Belton must be President of United States of America in order to bring justice to the families of African American men and women who lost their lives due to unethical conduct of law enforcement while yet honoring the noble officers who uphold the code of conduct with a significant raise in salary for upright law enforcement with more severe repercussions for infractions. I'd declare reparations and free healthcare for African Americans. Most importantly the constitution will reflect the biblical constitution of God.

His electioneering was chiefly on social media. In October he included Kanye West as his VP, although it is doubtful West himself knew about the honor or would have agreed to it. Some samples from Facebook (in many cases accompanied by a video presentation)--

July 20, 2020
We don’t own the music
The First Black President to follow God’s Laws
Vote Sammy Belton for President 2020
Sign the petition Now
Words of Wisdom & Warning
Conquering Corona Through Submission To Jesus Christ the Son of God & Savior to All Mankind

Oct. 10, 2020
We don’t own the music
Presidential Address
Make Sure You Write -In Sammy K. Belton for President of The United States
In Jesus Name
Supernatural Energy Aligning All Mankind Unto Christ

Oct. 11, 2020
We don’t own the music and video in background
Presidential Address
African American Jewish Reparation Foundation - $6 Trillion+Owed to African Americans
Celebrity Status Gospel Live
Fall of Man
Syncretic Deification -Taoism Wu Wei The Way 10 Precepts
Forbidden Fruit
Covid 19 In relation to This Election and God speaking to Wisconsin & America Through Me
Our Requirement to Establish The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
Vote Sammy K. Belton for President of The United States In Jesus Name!
Kanye West for Vice President
“Don’t keep blaming white people and police for our disobedience to God as Black People “
As we unite in Christ as African Americans the world will follow God!

Oct. 13, 2020
We don’t own the music and video in background
True Birth of Jesus Christ 3/19
COVID-19- March 19, 2020
Therefore you are experiencing the coming of Jesus Christ
Use wisdom and follow Me as I Am being lead By The Holy Spirit to save our nation world and universe alike in Jesus Name Amen!
Forgiveness for our universal ignorance of who we are as mankind!
Vote Sammy K. Belton for President of The United States
Vice Presidential Elect-Kanye West

Oct. 30, 2020
We don’t own the music and video in background
Presidential Address
Attention Wisconsin & America Alike
Especially Local Christian Leaders & Assemblies
Judgement to those who don’t accept God’s Messenger to liberate His People
Warning ⚠️ to The Church ⛪️
Vote Sammy K. Belton for President of The United States 🇺🇸
VP CANDIDATE KANYE WEST
IN JESUS NAME NAME AMEN 🙏
VIDEO RELEASE TONIGHT ALL SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS

Nov. 2, 2020
We don’t own the music and video in background
Presidential Address
Apocalyptic Potentials - Preparedness for Kingdom Citizens
The necessity of Believers in Christ to United and Trained to protect each other
Vote Sammy K. Belton for President of The United States VP CANDIDATE KANYE WEST
IF YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST YOU MUST VOTE FOR Sammy Belton TRUST GOD!
Shalom

Nov. 3, 2020
We don’t own the music and video in background
Presidential Address
Polygyny-Kingdom Marriage
Purification of Our Family Lifestyle
Benefits for our children men and women to break the cycle of disfunction
Restoring our African Edenic Kingdom Lifestyle
Importance of Unity Upon Armageddon
Planning Our Return Back to Africa- Dual Citizenship
Donate to cash app $Pastorkash100
Vote Sammy K. Belton for President ofThe United States 🇺🇸 VP CANDIDATE KANYE WEST
Shalom

Belton did not appear to be a registered write-in in any state, so no votes were reported.

Election history:
2020 - US President (Birthday Party) - defeated

Other occupations: musical artist, producer, fashion design, Fatburger restaurants, philanthropist, actor

Notes:
West has been teasing a run for President in 2024.

Election Day 2020!

 

The long slog is almost over and tomorrow will be Election Day 2020.

I very much want to express my appreciation for the third party VP candidates who honored this blog with their willingness to take part in informational interviews. Especially I would like to single out Mr. Enrique Ramos of the American Free Soil Party who was the first to agree to an interview and helped get the ball rolling. Also Heather Bradford (Socialist Action), Phil Collins (Prohibition Party), Rudy Reyes (Legal Marijuana Now Party), Amar Patel (American Solidarity Party), Eric Bodenstab (Unity Party of America), Blake Huber and Frank Atwood (Approval Voting Party), John de Graaf (Bread and Roses Party), Henry Jackson (Real Democracy Party), and Darcy Richardson (Alliance Party).  I hope you all found the 2020 campaign to be a positive and enlightening experience.

Not pictured is Edward Leamer, 2016 Independent VP who sat out 2020 but also provided an excellent interview.

Phil Collins, 2020 VP nominee Prohibition Party

Phil Collins is the Vice-Presidential running mate with C.L. "Connie" Gammon on the Prohibition Party ticket for 2020. Here is his profile from a Prohibition Party website:

Navy veteran Phil Collins of Illinois is the Prohibition Party's vice-presidential candidate for 2020.  He was born into a Navy family at Point Magu Naval Air Station, California, where his father was stationed, on 8 March 1967.    
     Phil himself served our country for 21 years as a Navy hospital corpsman, 11 on active duty and an additional 10 in the Reserves.  During that time, he was stationed overseas in Guam, Okinawa, and Iraq, as well as stateside near Chicago and San Diego.  He was attached to marine units for eight of those years.
     Since leaving the Navy, Collins has worked as an account executive for a Chicago public relations company and in Las Vegas.  He graduated from Siloam Springs, Arkansas high school in 1985, later earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Arkansas, and currently is working on an MA in Public Administration.
     Phil considers himself a fiscal conservative.  In 2013, when he lived in Mundelein, IL, he was elected a Libertyville Township trustee, in a nonpartisan race.  Six candidates vied for four seats, and he defeated two incumbents.  While living in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2019, he entered a non-partisan campaign for mayor and came in second out of seven candidates.
     His wife, Nicole, is a Lutheran pastor.  They have no children.

http://www.prohibitionists.org/index.html

https://www.prohibitionparty.org/

https://gammonforpresident.webs.com/



Q: By accepting the nomination as part of the Prohibition Party ticket you are carrying on an unbroken presidential election tradition that dates back to 1872. Is that a bit intimidating?

No, I don't think it's intimidating.  I'm honored that I can help continue a tradition that's started more than 100 years ago.

Q: You have some campaign and election experience I'd like to ask about. You were elected as one of the Libertyville Township (Ill.) Trustees which I assume is nonpartisan on the ballot but I see the Constitution Party even to this day lists you in that office as one of their elected officials. Also you have run for office as a Republican. What is there the Prohibition Party offers that is not available from those other two parties?

Compared to the other parties, in which I ran, the Prohibition Party is strongly against many types of drugs.  I have a relative who got divorced because the spouse used cocaine, and that was depressing, for me.

Q: If I have my facts in order, you made a bid for the Prohibition Party presidential nomination in November, 2018 in competition with Adam Seaman (now the presidential candidate for the American Free Soil Party) and Bill Bayes (who won the nomination). What prompted you to seek the nomination?

In 2018, I sought the presidential nomination because two members of the party asked me to run.  They thought that my views and experience would help me win the nomination and do well in Nov. 2020.

Q: After Mr. Bayes withdrew from his candidacy there was some readjustment and I see you were nominated as Mr. Gammons' running mate by a conference call on April 14, 2019. How did that come about and what is it like having a political event of this importance taking place over the phone?

Almost as soon as Mr. Bayes withdrew, party officers said that Mr. Gammon should run for president and that I should run for vice-president.  I'm glad that we held a conference call, since that was a fast way to agree on the nominations.

Q: What are the reasons for the Prohibition Party starting so early with the nomination process compared to most other parties?

We started the process so early because small parties need a lot of time to get publicity, volunteers, and donations.

Q: You recently ran for Mayor of Las Vegas. I know the office is nonpartisan but running for that office in a place frequently called "Sin City" by outsiders must have been sort of weird for someone connected with the Prohibition Party. Or not? 

Yes, my running for mayor of sin city was a little weird.  I thought that I met enough people, from church, work, a radio interview, and precinct walking.  I met two of my opponents, and I got almost as many votes as both of them, combined.

Q: The Washingtonian Movement of the mid-1800s was an initially successful attempt at helping alcoholics and educating the public but they fell apart as they stretched out into other social problems and created inner schisms. The Prohibition Party itself has split a few times in their history over whether to be a single focus or multi-issue party. The 2020 Prohibition Party platform is multi-issue with several very right-of-center planks. Do you think there could be a danger here of alienating potential centrist voters who might otherwise support your anti-alcohol message?

Our platform might alienate some moderate voters, but I'm glad that our platform includes many issues.  I don't know many people who would vote for a candidate who only mentions one or two issues.  That's why I think  the detailed platform will help us gain votes.

Q: I recently read the 1900 Prohibition Party platform which was multi-issue but it also explained how each one of those issues related to the alcohol problem, including McKinley's occupation of foreign nations. How do you think the 2020 platform would look different if this method was applied to all the issues listed? 

If our platform told how each issue is related to alcohol, it would say that, although we support the 2nd Amendment, if fewer people drink alcohol, fewer people will use their guns to murder.

Q: How do you plan to campaign in the next year and a half? Is the Prohibition Party fielding candidates for other elective offices in 2020?

I'll campaign mostly by using Facebook and Twitter.  I hope to have some interviews on radio stations and with newspaper reporters.  I don't know of any local candidates, in my party, for 2020, but that might change.

Q: How goes the battle with gaining ballot access across the USA?

I know that we'll be on the ballot in Arkansas.  I think that we'll be on the ballot in Utah, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, and Florida.

Q: Here's something I wonder about all the third parties-- How do you measure success in a campaign like this?

I think we should measure success by trying to get more votes than the Prohibition Party ticket got in 2016.  That year, that ticket got about 5,000 votes.

Q: What are your thoughts on how the media has covered third parties in general and the Prohibition Party in particular?

I think that the media should talk about third-party candidates more.  They probably don't mention the Prohibition Party, much, because the reporters think that our platform is only about alcohol.  More of them should read our platform and see that it mentions about 10 issues.  

Q: I know it is still early in the 2020 campaign season, but have you experienced any changes in your life as a result of being a vice-presidential candidate?

No, I haven't notice any changes, in my life, yet, because of the campaign.

Q: Thank you Mr. Collins very much for participating in this project.