The Rock for 2020: Why Dwayne Johnson should seriously consider running for President, but as a Republican!
As insane and whacky as it sounds, there's a serious probability that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson could be among the candidates running for president in the 2020 elections. Interestingly enough, the former WWE star is not the only celebrity who has expressed a desire to run for the highest office in the land.
Shark Tank star Mark Cuban had recently revealed that he was "considering" campaigning, so has rapper Kanye West, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and former NFL star Tim Tebow, who thought the opportunity would be "intriguing". Agreed, these are not some of the promising names, politically speaking, to consider for the post of President of the most powerful nation in the world.
But then again, Donald Trump, whose past experience can be summed up as an overall collective of his business and reality TV endeavors; doesn't really add up to the ideal example in serious matters, like running the government. Digression aside, in the current scenario, one might as well prepare themselves for the day when an actual movie star with no political experience assumes such an important role.
And given our options, would it be such a bad idea to, for a few minutes, consider that The Rock with his diverse experience in sports-entertainment, Hollywood, and business, might make for an interesting presidential choice?
Well, the question takes me back to the beginning, where it all started: the chatter about The Rock for 2020.
"It started a few years ago from a piece in the Washington Post," the 45-year-old actor was quoted as saying when the news first surfaced. The Washington Post article that he mentioned, basically was a speculative but in-depth piece that analyzed Johnson's seriousness about the presidency and whether or not he stands a chance.
"Dwayne Johnson says he might want to run for president. He could actually win," was the headline for the article in question, which further explored the topic, suggesting, "The prospect of yet another former reality-television star running for higher office may feel improbable at best and horrifying at worst, given Trump’s performance in the 2016 campaign thus far."
On digging deeper, however, it turned out that 'The Rock for 2020' idea was originally put on the table by Johnson himself.
“I’ll be honest, I haven’t ruled politics out. I’m not being coy when I say that, but at the moment I am not sure,” the wrestler-turned-actor told GQ, during an interview adding, “I can’t deny that the thought of being governor, the thought of being president, is alluring. And beyond that, it would be an opportunity to make a real impact on people’s lives on a global scale. But there are a lot of other things I want to do first.”
Perhaps, he was referring to his numerous movie obligations and projects in the pipeline, without clearing which, steering his direction towards politics would just be an expensive process. Further proof of his plans can be found in a subsequent interview with Variety, where the actor, unabashedly, drops hints that he is just waiting for the opportune moment.
"Realistically, as we go into 2018, when you look at my slate as we're developing and shooting into 2019 and 2020, the slate goes deep into 2021, so it feels like the realistic consideration would be 2024," the Ballers star explained.
Indeed, his plate is full at the present. The actor-cum-producer awaits an important weekend as of now, with his sci-fi thriller Rampage releasing this Friday, the 13th. Following which, he would be seen as a former FBI agent in the action adventure film, Skyscraper, where he takes it upon himself to "save his family from a blazing fire in the world's tallest building".
Aside from the two major releases, Johnson has his stake in the HBO sports comedy, Ballers, which despite some ominous figures has been confirmed for a fourth season.
"Delivering a lil' package of gratitude. Thanks for rockin' with us and enjoyin' Ballers. When I get the happy calls from studios & networks, first thing I do I reach out to you guys. Then I go have a shot of tequila. Or three. Appreciate y'all and have a productive day," the Rock had shared via Instagram, and if all goes well, Ballers might be back sometime this year.
This is beside the fact that our very own Agent Hobbs is looking forward to a spinoff movie (with Jason Statham in 2019), a part in DCEU as the anti-hero Black Adam; and a little something called Project Rock Collection. PRC is a product of his collaboration with the athletic apparel powerhouse Under Armour, and if the numbers are any proof, the merchandise has serves as quite a fascination for fans worldwide.
With so much happening, on so many fronts, it only makes sense that the actor catches his breath before launching himself onto something as serious and all-encompassing as politics, which is to say if he ever decides to run for the office.
But Rock's history with the United States' administration is full of intrigue. As it turns out, the actor was previously registered as a Republican. So much so, that he has even participated in the Republican convention in the past to boost voter registration. However, when quizzed upon his choice of a red or blue party ticket, Johnson steers clear of all controversies.
"Right now, I'm an independent," he had clearly stated while speaking with USA Today, making his candidature even more alluring to one party, in particular, the Republicans.
Ideally, a natural progression to this argument would be to put Johnson on the Democrat's list of projected candidates for the upcoming presidential election. But consider this for a moment, the Democrats are spoilt for choice, riled up, and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that 2016's history is not repeated. From progressive populists like Senator Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to lawmakers like Kirsten Gillibrand, and even Joe Biden, the former Vice-President - the Democratic potentials are myriad and quite experienced to upstage.
On the contrary, Trump continues to draw support from the uber conservative pockets within the party. If anything, he might want to look out for Senator Jeff Flake, Mitt Romney, and Ohio Governor John Kasich, to name a few amongst the potential challengers within the party.
Considering the projected list of candidates and taking into account the multiple congressional sexual harassment scandals and the amount of bad Press the Trump administration has garnered, the idea of putting a popular face (The Rock) front and center of all action, isn't as crazy as it sounds.
To begin with, the actor has an interesting lineage - he is part-Samoan, part-black, and arguably the sexiest man to feature on People magazine's annual list. Above all, Johnson is immensely proud of his roots and never the one to shy away from admitting that he had a rough couple of decades before making it big in the ring, under his now-famous name of "The Rock".
"When I was growing up here in Hawaii, I was like 13, 14 years old, I was doing a lot of things that I shouldn't have," said the actor, going all candid about his past. "I was getting arrested multiple times but at the same time, always very respectful to my teachers and elders. I was unsure of who I was and who I wanted to be."
Of course, these brutally honest statements only qualify him for public consideration, a position far off the actual reality of politics. And yet, all of these factors coupled with his unique position in terms of his extended family-cum-support system; place him firmly in the public eye as an instant favorite in the 2020 run.
Johnson, who was married to Dany Garcia until 2007, continues to share a very special relationship with his ex-wife. Other than sharing a 16-year-old daughter, Simone Alexandra Johnson, from their decade-long marriage, the former couple co-manage an empire they built together. In fact, it won't be a stretch to say that Garcia is the woman responsible for his multimillion-dollar enterprise.
“I’m happy to say we’re all together working nicely, but it took a lot of work," the actor had once told Fortune, adding, "With Dany, it was going through the sludge of divorce and then having the clarity to say, ‘We’re still friends, we respect each other, let’s do business. And let’s do big business.’”
There is this sense of honesty about the actor, something that makes him instantly relatable, admirable and even worthy of being considered as a serious contender in a race, which for the past few years has been more inclusive and star-studded.
In addition, The Rock has a killer smile, fit physique, and a pleasant personality, characteristics that perfectly complement a leader-like figure. Practically speaking, it might take him more than two years if he wants to give politics a real shot, but in the long run, it's definitely not a wild fantasy hatched from a loon's head.
"The consideration is there," like he said, and aptly added, "I continue to watch and learn as much as I possibly can."
