But if you were, say, music megastar Kanye West mounting a not-exactly-viable presidential bid under the banner of the not-exactly-serious “Birthday Party,” such a network of partisan legal experts might not be easily available.

Over the last couple of weeks, Republican-affiliated lawyers and strategists have been helping West file the paperwork necessary in several key states, in a small-scale effort apparently mounted in hopes of drawing Black voters away from Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, to boost President Trump’s reelection chances.

In the critical swing state of Wisconsin, local media reported that West’s qualifying paperwork was dropped off by Lane Ruhland, an attorney representing the Trump campaign in a lawsuit who had also done legal work for the Republican National Committee, former GOP Gov.

West’s efforts in Colorado have gotten a boost from state GOP operative Rachel George, who emailed another Republican strategist asking, “Would you help me get Kanye West on the ballot in Colorado?

Kanye West explains his presidential bid as only Kanye can.

Kanye West explains his presidential bid as only Kanye can.

Rapper Kanye West laid out his plans for a presidential run in a sprawling Forbes interview that touched on Trump, Biden and “Black Panther.”.

George and the strategist did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Trump’s campaign.

To say that the Black vote is Democratic is a form of racism and white supremacy.”.

To longtime political observers, there’s no mistaking what’s driving the institutional GOP support for West, who has been one of Trump’s most visible celebrity supporters through the Republican’s first term.

West has visited Trump at Trump Tower and the White House, and the president has publicly thanked and complimented West in return.

Organizing something similar in the old days would have been done in “the smoke-filled backrooms; they’d be sitting there on a bar or something,” said Manley, who called West’s candidacy “a farce, a joke.”.

“I don’t believe African Americans are going to vote for Kanye simply because he’s on the ballot,” Manley said.

One July poll of 2,000 registered voters by Redfield & Wilton Strategies only found 2% of support for West, and most respondents said they didn’t think West’s run was serious.

“West has been a supporter, in small ways at least, of Trump; I think most voters know that,” said Matt Hindman, an associate professor of political science at the University of Tulsa who has published research on third-party candidates and ballot-access laws.

“We’re talking about a very small percentage of people who might vote for Kanye West,” and it’s not even a given that those voters might otherwise vote for Biden.

After West held one erratic campaign event in South Carolina in July, West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, said her husband has bipolar disorder and asked for compassion and empathy.

Kim Kardashian says family is ‘powerless’ in husband Kanye West’s bipolar struggle.

Kim Kardashian says family is ‘powerless’ in husband Kanye West’s bipolar struggle?

Reality star Kim Kardashian broke her silence over husband Kanye West’s recent behavior in a Wednesday statement asking for compassion and empathy.

At his sometimes tearful South Carolina rally, West said his antiabortion plan was to pay parents $1 million for having a baby, and he said that abolitionist Harriet Tubman “never actually freed the slaves; she just had the slaves go work for other white people.”.

“But we’re still a long way from knowing whether Kanye will have any impact,” Gonzales said, pointing out that questions remain about which state ballots West will qualify for.

ABC News reported that West’s team couldn’t accumulate enough signatures to get on the ballot in California, the nation’s richest electoral prize, where he is unlikely to make any perceptible threat to Biden anyway.

Newsom tries to quell furor over data errors after administration shakeup.

Newsom tries to quell furor over data errors after administration shakeup

Gavin Newsom faced reporters for the first time since he touted the inaccurate coronavirus data as a positive sign of fewer COVID-19 infections a day before the glitches became public

President Trump said the Secret Service shot a ‘suspect’ outside the White House on Monday

Latin American governments move to scuttle Trump’s pick for international development bank

Latin American governments move to scuttle Trump’s pick for international development bank

Trump’s unemployment benefit plan won’t work in California, Newsom says

Trump’s unemployment benefit plan won’t work in California, Newsom says

California

California

This California school is open, ‘learning as we go.’ Is it a model or a mistake

California

This California school is open, ‘learning as we go.’ Is it a model or a mistake

Catholic schools in California are seeking waivers to open for in-person learning

California

California

The all-star economic task force advising Newsom during the pandemic remains a mystery

California

Column: California should allow its voters to fill U.S

California

Column: California should allow its voters to fill U.S

In California, any vacancy in a statewide elective office can be filled by the governor, subject to legislative confirmation

California

California