The pop star has announced his 2020 presidential run, but it remains the least interesting thing about him.
When he finally spoke, his remarks were, as we have come to expect from him, extemporaneous and disjointed and thrilling to watch. He is a captivating speaker, using his timing and his vocal timbre, as well as his words, to coax distant media consumers from indifference to passion. For a decade now, West has made a habit of saying exactly what he wants to say on live television. He calls this “turning up”; some fans call his speeches “visionary streams of consciousness”; most people call them rants. “I still don’t understand award shows,” he said last night, while demonstrating that he understands them better than anyone. His eyes watered and his voice caught in his throat. Twelve minutes in, we hadn’t learned much, except that he still holds grudges about the 2007 Grammys and that he is not finished picking fights with country stars. Then he said, “I have decided, in 2020, to run for President,” dropped the mic, and walked off stage.
Was this announcement premeditated? Probably not, or he would have put his phrases in the right order.
