Kanye West adviser on why he launched his 2020 campaign so late: 'He doesn't look at time the way we look at time'


Most people would probably recommend that presidential candidates begin running earlier than four months before the election — but those people apparently just need a broader understanding of the very concept of time itself.
The New York Times delved into the strange case of Kanye West's 2020 presidential campaign, which the rapper announced on July 4, by which point the deadline to appear on the November ballot had already passed in multiple states. Asked about why West threw his hat into the ring as late as he did, John Boyd, music manager and West adviser, recommend simply trying to think about time the way he does.
"Kanye doesn't look at time like that. For him, any time is a good time," Boyd told the Times. "He doesn't look at time the way we look at time. For him, it probably wasn't even an issue. That's my humble perspective. If it were me, I would be thinking about — it's too late, or this, or that. But that's me. I'm not Kanye."
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When West was asked why he decided to run during a year when he couldn't actually get on the ballot everywhere, as well as whether he's being exploited by the Republican operatives who have been boosting his campaign, he told the Times, "Praise God for you. I'm finishing my album and I'm not answering questions this morning." Despite that, he did add, "The first question is incorrect as I am already on some ballots."
The rest of the Times' article was about as odd as you would expect, including the detail that West has asked his campaign staff to refrain from "fornicating" outside marriage, and with West at one point declaring himself the "head of everything." Unsurprisingly, the Times writes that during multiple calls and texts, the rapper "said almost nothing about what he actually wanted to do if elected."
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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