Would The Rock Make a Good President?

The idea of The Rock running for President is gaining traction amongst fans but would he actually make a good candidate?

The idea of celebrities and billionaires running for President of the United States is nothing new and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the latest name to be dropped into the proverbial hat as a potential candidate for the 2020 election. Notwithstanding his natural charisma, bankability and worldwide popularity, we should be asking ourselves whether or not The Rock would legitimately make a good candidate, much less a good President.

The short answer is no. Let me explain.

The election of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States has opened the floodgates for celebrities with no political experience to contemplate running for the highest office in the land. Before Trump, many people pointed to the career of Ronald Reagan as the most “nontraditional” path to the White House since he had spent nearly three decades as an actor in Hollywood before serving in any political office. Reagan was elected Governor of California in 1966 and remained in that post for 8 years before he became this country’s 40th President in 1980.

The latest issue of GQ magazine includes an interview with The Rock that has wrestling fans talking about The Great One potentially running for office. The Rock is doing little to dissuade this conversation and is actually stoking the flames:

"I think that it’s a real possibility. A year ago, it started coming up more and more. There was a real sense of earnestness, which made me go home and think, “Let me really rethink my answer and make sure I am giving an answer that is truthful and also respectful.” I didn’t want to be flippant – “We’ll have three days off for a weekend! No taxes!”"

More from WWE

During the 2016 campaign, The Rock was asked by both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to officially endorse them and he declined. He is a registered Independent but would likely change to a Democrat if he decided to run since third-party candidates don’t have the greatest track record of success when it comes to presidential elections. The last President who was neither a Democrat or Republican was Millard “The Whole F’N Show” Fillmore in 1850.

When asked about what he’d like to see from a President, the People’s Champ gave a somewhat boilerplate answer that doesn’t necessarily speak to anything new or earth-shattering. I understand this interview isn’t an official announcement, but his answers seem to be little more than common sense ideas about listening to people rather than actual policy positions:

"I’d like to see a better leadership. I’d like to see a greater leadership. When there’s a disagreement, and you have a large group of people that you’re in a disagreement with—for example, the media—I feel like it informs me that I could be better. We all have issues, and we all gotta work our sh*t out. And I feel like one of the qualities of a great leader is not shutting people out. I miss that part. Even if we disagree, we’ve got to figure it out. Because otherwise I feel, as an American, all I hear and all I see in the example you’re setting is “Now I’m shutting you out. And you can’t come.” [Disagreement] informs us. The responsibility as president – I [would] take responsibility for everyone. Especially when you disagree with me. If there’s a large number of people disagreeing, there might be something I’m not seeing, so let me see it. Let me understand it."

The bottom line is that being President is more than just public speaking and having detailed knowledge about complicated world events. The job entails an incredible amount of stress and self-sacrifice and requires more than just a passing fancy for the title if one is going to be successful. An actual bid for the presidency would require The Rock to not only abandon his ever-expanding media empire but also become familiar with the ins and outs of the geopolitical landscape. It’s not a question of ability but rather of desire; does he want to be President or does he simply like the idea of being President?

Americans love the idea of a strong leader representing their country. In an age where image is everything, the thought of someone as physically imposing as The Rock laying the smack down on feisty world leaders sounds intriguing but quickly dissipates when you realize that politics is nothing like Idiocracy. If you’re hoping for a real-life President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho then 2020 will be a sore disappointment.

Home/WWE