The Political Evolution of Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian's Instagram is typically filled with selfies and photos of her baby, North West, but on Thursday she posted the rare political endorsement. It's for Marianne Williamson, a spiritual guru to the stars who's running to replace retiring Rep. Henry Waxman in California's 33rd district.
.Kim Kardashian's Instagram is typically filled with selfies and photos of her baby, North West, but on Thursday she posted the rare political endorsement. It's for Marianne Williamson, a spiritual guru to the stars who's running to replace retiring Rep. Henry Waxman in California's 33rd district.
The Instagram is classic Kim, featuring three shots of herself and one of Williamson. But it shows that Kardashian is becoming increasingly more comfortable talking about her political beliefs, even when others would prefer she didn't.
Her relationship with President Obama, for example, has been particularly fraught. During the 2012 election cycle, Kardashian attended the White House Correspondents Dinner and declared herself a Democrat, even though her parents are Republicans. She also threw down her support for Obama's reelection. She later missed part of fashion week to attend the Democratic National Convention. But despite Kardashian's enthusiasm, the White House wasn't as interested in working with her as they were, say, Beyoncé.
Since then, Kardashian's relationship with fiancé Kanye West has made things more complicated. The president has famously called the rapper a "jackass" twice, and then last August, Obama cited the couple as an example of extreme capitalism. He said in an interview that when he was growing up,
There was not that window into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Kids weren't monitoring every day what Kim Kardashian was wearing, or where Kanye West was going on vacation, and thinking that somehow that was the mark of success.
West clapped back by claiming that Obama only campaigned with rappers to make it seem like he was "down." Kardashian didn't comment, but her mother, Kris Jenner, talked about the issue on her short-lived talk show.
Today, Kardashian seems less eager to support the Democratic Party and more willing to support individual causes and candidates she identifies with. Williamson, for example, is running as an independent. (And she's actually a pretty serious contender — this Bloomberg profile by Karl Taro Greenfeld details her qualifications beyond "spiritual guru.")
In California, at least, Kardashian's endorsement is welcome. E! News, The Daily Mail, and New York all covered the relatively minor Williamson campaign event. Wonder why?