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Kanye West's bid for the presidency is widely regarded as a spoiler campaign helmed by Republican operatives to siphon enough votes from Democratic nominee Joe Biden to tilt a close election in favor of President Donald Trump. Polls have shown West's presence to have had a negligible impact on the race, but he is still on the ballot in over a dozen states. Today, he's shared a brand new campaign ad.
The ad shows Kanye West standing in front of a black-and-white American flag, looking off-camera as he quite clearly reads his speech from a teleprompter or cue cards. West's ad emphasizes religion and the family unit, but policy-wise, it's just as generic as the B-grade stock footage clumsily cut between West's schpiel. Unlike most campaign ads, West does not make eye contact with the camera once, an unsettling visual choice.
"We as a people will revive our commitment to faith," West says, "to what our constitution calls 'the free exercise of religion,' including, of course, prayer." Adding to the shoddiness of the production is the recording of West saying "I'm Kanye West and I approve this message," which sounds like it was recorded on one of West's ugly shoes. The clip ends encouraging viewers to "Write-In Kanye West."
