Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? If you happen to catch a whiff of what’s happening in the wrestler-turned-movie star’s world right now, you’ll find that fans just turned up the heat on getting Dwayne Johnson into the White House. That’s right. According to Us Weekly, a formal petition has been filed to get the ball rolling on Johnson’s bid for the presidency in 2020.
And let me tell you, we are here for it in a major way.
Determining exactly where the presidential buzz began is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation — did he say he was interested, or did someone suggest it first? — but interest certainly sparked following a Washington Post op-ed penned last June by writer Alyssa Rosenberg.
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The idea really took off, though, when Johnson appeared on the season finale of Saturday Night Live this May to play up his POTUS potential.
“It’s funny, you know, a lot of people have been telling me lately that I should run for president of the United States. And I’ve got to tell you, it’s very flattering. But tonight, I want to put this to rest and just say once and for all, I’m in. Starting tonight, I am running for the president of the United States,” he joked.
So while Johnson appears to have been joking with good intentions about what might be a far-fetched idea, it looks like some people really, really want to make it a reality. Johnson, be careful what you wish for, ’cause West Virginia native Kenton Tilford has officially filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to draft Johnson for president. As of Sunday, July 9, Tilford’s aptly titled Run the Rock 2020 campaign is on the books.
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But could a country led by the 45-year-old Fast & Furious star really come to fruition? Perhaps. I mean, c’mon… I think at this point we all know that anything is possible where presidential elections are concerned.
Plus, as Rosenberg pointed out in her op-ed, you can put plenty of checkmarks on the pro side of his pros and cons columns. He’s extremely likable, well-read, smart, funny, highly philanthropic, charismatic, measured in his responses and isn’t opposed to making the jump into politics.
In May, Johnson expressed his openness to the idea of a presidential bid with GQ. “A year ago, [the idea] started coming up more and more,” he said, referring specifically to Rosenberg’s op-ed. “There was a real sense of earnestness, which made me go home and think, ‘Let me rethink my answer and make sure I am giving an answer that is truthful and also respectful,” adding, “I think that it’s a real possibility.”
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If you consider Ronald Reagan’s rise to the presidency, the idea of a parallel journey for Johnson doesn’t seem so far-fetched. In which case, we’d like to go on record and toss the hat of fellow Pacific Islander, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, into the ring for the Rock’s running mate.
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