Dwayne Johnson is
riding about as high as one could get these days. The Artist Formerly Known as
The Rock is the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, and the NAACP’s Entertainer of
the Year. His current film, The Fate of
the Furious, set the record for the highest-grossing opening of all time,
and two more films, Baywatch and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, are
slated to open this year. The third season of his HBO series Ballers premieres this summer as well. His
multimillion-dollar smile gleams from covers of magazines ranging from GQ to National Review. It’s enough to go to an ordinary mortal’s head.
And perhaps it has,
because Dwayne Johnson is now openly speculating about taking a run at the
White House.
The Washington Post ran an op-ed last
year suggesting that the now 45-year-old star would make an intriguing
candidate with a serious shot at winning a future presidency. It’s not like
there aren’t precedents for Hollywood stars conquering politics. Ronald Reagan,
to name the most successful example, went from B-movie actor to conservative
presidential icon. Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor of California. And of
course, Donald Trump, while not a Hollywood star per se, used his success in the world of reality TV as a
springboard into the Oval Office.
Since that WaPo article, Johnson seems to have been
mulling over his own ascendance to the White House, because he told GQ in a recent
interview, “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!’”
“If [becoming
president] is something he focused on,” says Ron Meyer, the NBC Universal vice
chairman, “he probably would accomplish it. I think there's nothing that he
couldn't do.” I agree. The question is not whether Dwayne Johnson could become President, but whether he should.
One would be
hard-pressed to find a Hollywood star today more widely loved than Dwayne
Johnson, and part of that popularity stems from the fact that he purposefully
doesn’t alienate half his audience politically. Unlike far too many self-serious
celebrities, who feel compelled to virtue-signal to their left-leaning peers
and to berate middle America about climate change, gender fluidity, and
America’s legacy of racism, Johnson maintains a very diplomatic neutrality; in
fact, he turned down endorsement requests from both Hillary Clinton and Trump
in the last election and says he is a registered independent.
“[I] felt like if I
did share my political views publicly, a few things would happen,” he told GQ. “I felt like it would either (a)
make people unhappy with the thought of whatever my political view was. And,
also, it might sway an opinion, which I didn't want to do.”
And that’s where
politics and Dwayne Johnson don’t mix. If he considers a campaign, he won’t be
able to please everybody the way he does now. To get a campaign off the ground
he will have to pick a side and start taking specific policy positions; once
that happens, he goes from being a beloved celebrity to a polarizing
politician.
Johnson sees
himself as a unifier. Despite his imposing physique, World Wrestling Federation
awards, and kick-ass persona, I believe he is at heart a lover, not a fighter.
He wants to bring people together to work out their differences. Here he is
telling GQ his vision of presidential
leadership:
“[If I didn't
agree with someone] on something, I wouldn't shut them out. I would actually
include them. The first thing we'd do is we'd come and sit down and we'd talk
about it... We all have issues, and we all gotta work our shit out. And I feel
like one of the qualities of a great leader is not shutting people out... 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.”
Although the ideal
of an independent unifier who can rise above ideology may seem appealing in our
era of a divided America, voters will abandon him if his political principles
are too vague and he’s too committed to compromise to accomplish anything. Voters
want a visionary leader, not a placating mediator. Politics, and the world,
requires a fighter, not a lover.
I happen to be a
big fan of Dwayne Johnson. Like other fans, I find his relentless positivity,
his infectious passion, his inspiring work ethic, his self-deprecating sense of
humor, and his genuine desire to help others compelling. I love that he declares
himself “extremely patriotic” and is a big supporter of our armed forces. I actually
don’t believe, as I hinted earlier, that his interest in the presidency stems
from fame going to his head; I met Johnson once and was impressed with what
many would be surprised to hear is a quiet humility. I have no doubt he is
contemplating a White House run not to be King of the World but because he
sincerely believes that’s how he can do the most good for the most people.
As much as I
respect that, the treacherous, all-devouring brutality of politics is not The
Rock’s proper arena. He can do the most good for the most people by staying the
course as a pop culture role model and creating movies and television that
entertain, that inspire, that touch hearts – and that steer clear of politics.
From Acculturated, 5/16/17
