Obama offers advice to future candidate Kanye West

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

As if rapper Kanye West’s ego needed a boost, now he can say that President Obama opened for him Saturday at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco.

The two men never shared the stage during the fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee. Obama made a beeline for an Air Force One run to Los Angeles for more fundraisers Saturday after speaking for 22 minutes to 1,300 people who paid between $100 and $10,000 to attend. Then West, who Obama referred to as a “jackass” in 2009 after the rapper interrupted singer Taylor Swift at an awards ceremony, performed for about an hour.

But before Obama launched into the homecoming pep rally-speak that is endemic to fundraising appearances, the president needled West for his recent announcement at the Video Music Awards that the rapper/artist/fashion designer/Kardashian arm candy planned to run for president in 2020.

“It’s about ideas, bro. New ideas. People with ideas. People who believe in truth,” West said to close his 11-minute speech at the awards ceremony. “And yes, as you probably could have guessed by this moment, I have decided in 2020 to run for president.”

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