Comedian and actor Dave Chappelle endorsed Andrew Yang Tuesday. It was not a surprise since Chappelle had previously mentioned his support of Yang. Tuesday’s announcement from the campaign just made it official.

Last week, Yang mentioned in an interview that he had been talking to Chappelle about his campaign.

“Dave’s team reached out to our team, and they were thrilled to put the two of us together,” Yang said. “We sat down and talked about his concerns for the country and what we need to do to for the next generation. Dave’s a dad like I am. And then after we met, he said, ‘Look, I want to help, and what can I do to help?’”

Chappelle said, “I’m Yang Gang!” He is scheduled to perform two shows in South Carolina – an important early primary state – to raise money for Yang’s campaign. The shows will be in Columbia on January 29 and North Charleston on January 30.

Yang released a statement on Chappelle’s endorsement. He noted a connection between the two men, which is a shared desire to leave the world a better place for their kids. That’s a universal desire of most parents, to be honest, but it is a standard reference for Yang. He frequently speaks about his family and especially his two young sons.

“Dave is one of the most important voices in our country today and I’m thrilled he has thrown his support behind this campaign,” Yang said in the wake of the news. “He and I share similar concerns about the future and hopes for what it could be. We are also parents who see the world that we are leaving to our kids and believe they deserve better.”

Chappelle is riding a wave of popularity, especially with his more conservative fans, after his last stand-up show on Netflix. He slammed both conservatives and liberals alike with liberals taking a little more of his heat if you ask me. It was a very funny show.

The timing of the announcement of Chappelle’s endorsement was noted on social media. Andrew Yang didn’t make the cut to be on stage for the Democrat debate Tuesday night in Iowa. The all-white group of candidates was a sore spot for many Democrat voters – the party of identity politics. It should be noted, too, that last month Yang received the endorsement of another popular black entertainer and creative artist – Donald Glover – who is now serving as a creative consultant for the Yang campaign.

Chappelle joins actor Ken Jeong and actor/singer/rapper Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, as the latest celebrity to express support for Yang. Yang and Glover launched a merchandise collaboration at a one-time-only pop-up store in Los Angeles last month. Glover has also taken on a creative consultant role on the campaign.

Yang getting Chappelle to endorse the same day of a debate where much of the narrative will be on the all-white participants?? pic.twitter.com/mpWTaY3HX5 — BabyYoYang (@BabyYoYang1) January 14, 2020

According to Real Clear Politics, Yang is ranked sixth in overall polling. In Iowa, he is sixth at 3.3%. He is even lower in New Hampshire, at 2.3%, he’s ranked in 8th place. He is in 6th place in Nevada, with 3.0% support, and in South Carolina he is ranked 7th with 2.7% support. So, the early states are not looking good for Yang’s survival in the Democrat primary. If he can’t win any of the early states, he’ll not be around to compete in Super Tuesday. Frankly, I don’t see where his path to victory lies. He could be a contender in the vice-presidential derby, though. Maybe that is what he is hanging in there for now.

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