A new poll confirms Joe Biden’s unpopularity and many Americans are sad that we can’t offer them anything other than a new clash between the current president and Donald Trump in 2024.
Last week another name emerged and we would be wrong to believe that his candidacy was impossible, implausible or even ridiculous. This is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Interesting precedents
As surprising or disturbing as it may be, the election of a President “The Rock” would not be a first. After all, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse “The Body” Ventura were already governors, while Donald Trump (reality TV) and Ronald Reagan occupied the Oval Office.
Ronald Reagan, more politically experienced than Johnson, was undoubtedly the one who had the greatest success. His victory in 1984 was a huge victory as only one state favored his rival Walter Mondale.
A tremendous appeal and undeniable qualities
Let’s imagine for a moment that The Rock announces that he’s jumping into the fray (for which party remains to be seen)? He had a head start from the start, simply because of his fame. Who in the United States or elsewhere doesn’t know the charismatic and friendly star?
To run a campaign you have to be known. There are few trips quite like Barack Obama’s. Before his speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, where he lost to John Edwards and Hillary Clinton, his rise was as unprecedented as it was spectacular.
While everyone agrees on Johnson’s lack of experience, his personal story could still be inspiring at a time when division, cynicism and negativism prevail in Washington.
Politicians in Congress are more unpopular than Biden and Trump! Who represents a unifying model? The Rock overcame hardships, overcame adversity, and refocused his career in his youth before literally tearing himself out of anonymity at gunpoint.
He is more than an athlete or an actor, he is also an entrepreneur. No one can deny that he is responsible for his success (soon to be a billionaire) and his words always unite. Additionally, he is known to have supported both Republicans and Democrats over time.
Last Thursday, Washington Post columnist David James Von Drehle also considered Johnson’s candidacy and said he would easily defeat Trump and Biden. For what? Here’s his response: “Johnson is exactly what Trump claims to be: physically impressive, personally robust, widely popular.” The Rock is everything Trump claims to be: physically impressive, strong and popular.
I still have a hard time imagining an entertainment king as a presidential candidate, but if we have to go that route, let’s vote for The Rock. He could adopt one of the many nicknames from his time dominating the ring: “The People’s Champion.”
