In case you missed it, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced on “Ellen” last week that he was “seriously considering” running for president.
This is the second time this year The Rock has captured headlines based on his potential political aspirations, following the cover story in May’s issue of GQ, the obscurely titled Dwayne Johnson for President!
In the age of Trump, it seems like celebrities weigh presidential runs on a weekly basis. If someone can leverage a career as a reality show host/real estate mogul into the highest office in the land, who in Hollywood can’t? I mean … if Kid Rock can become a Senator, then there really aren’t any rules at all anymore.
What have greedy stuffy Senators done besides get rich?
Let’s get a COWBOY in the in there!!!#KidRockForSenate ??https://t.co/CgboolYxGT
— SparkleMAGA?? (@SparkleSoup45) July 23, 2017
Celebrities transitioning into politics wasn’t invented in 2016, of course. Ronald Reagan went from actor to Screen Actors Guild president to governor to president. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from actor to child fitness activist to governor. Al Franken went from SNL personality to sex predator to senator.
The Rock is unusual in entertainment circles as a conservative voice. In 2000, he even spoke at the Republican National Convention!
It’s uncertain nowadays though for whose party he’d run … but the cynical part of me suspects it won’t happen at all.
If you look at the dates when The Rock has made these big announcements, it always just happens to be right before he has a movie coming out. His GQ article in may presaged the release of his Baywatch movie while last week’s announcement was part of his Jumanji publicity tour.
Variety firmly insists “No, it’s not a publicity stunt,” but I don’t buy it. You’ll notice that Mr. Johnson has captured these headlines for movies that need a little help in the publicity department. He didn’t make any executive rumblings leading up to Fast 8, which earned $1.2 billion worldwide.
So basically I don’t smell what the Rock is cooking … unless he says he’s running for president when Fast 9 comes out.
