Kanye West debuts first presidential campaign ad weeks before election

Kanye West is serious about running for president after all. The rapper left no doubts this week when he debuted his first official campaign ad on social media, urging his followers to write in his name on the November 3 ballot.“What is best for our nation, our people? What is just? True justice? We have to think about all these things together as a people,” West says in the video while standing on what looks like a podium as a black and white American flag waves in the background. “To contemplate our future. To live up to our dream we must have vision. We as a people will revive our nation’s commitment to faith,” he continues.

https://t.co/ZURvTEW9ee we stepping out on faith pic.twitter.com/ypQfooB35w

— ye (@kanyewest) October 12, 2020

In the nearly minute-and-a-half ad, West leans heavily on religion, while using images of the bible, families, firefighters, and at one point a satellite in space to help drive home his message of unity. It all wraps with his slogan, “2020 vision,” and a call for voters to write in his name on the ballots rather than going with one of the official candidates.“To what our constitution calls the free exercise of religion. Including, of course, prayer,” he continues in the ad. “Through prayer, faith can be restored. We as a people are called to a greater purpose than ourselves. We are not only a beacon to the world but we should be servants to each other. To encourage each other, to help each other, to lift up each other, our fellow Americans, that we may all prosper together. We have to act on faith with assured knowledge that we are pursuing the right goals and doing the right things. We will build a stronger country by building stronger families. Families are the building blocks of society. Of a nation. By turning to faith, we will be the kind of nation, the kind of people, God intends us to be.”If you’ll recall, West formally announced his intentions to run for office over the summer, but he was too late to make the ballot in all 50 states. He also made headlines during a controversial campaign speech in which he revealed that he and Kim Kardashian thought about aborting their daughter, North, when Kim was pregnant, putting a strain on his relationship.In the months that followed West isolated at his ranch in Wyoming, and after some concerning tweets, friends like Justin Bieber and Dave Chappelle flew out to make sure that he was okay. Lately social media would have followers believing that West and Kardashian are finally in a better place.While fans remain divided over West’s current campaign plans, it is legal in most states. Americans are able to physically write in a candidate’s name on their voting paper unless they live in Arkansas, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, or South Carolina. And in Mississippi write-in candidates are only considered if an existing candidate, whose name has to be written on the ballot, is removed. In order for a write-in vote to count in the rest of the States the candidate needs to be an American citizen or to have been a resident for more than 14 years, and they need to be over 35 years old.For his part, West seems pretty serious about continuing this campaign despite there being just three weeks left until the big day, or despite the fact that more than nine million Americans have already voted. TMZ reports that the Yeezy founder has filed for the rights to “God Save America,” which he reportedly plans on putting on merchandise and distributing as the next phase of his campaign. In other words, if you start seeing hoodies, shirts, and other such things pop up next, no one should be surprised.[video_embed id='2002684']Before you go: Kanye West apologizes to Kim Kardashian for public outbursts[/video_embed]