Junot Diaz Still “Yet to Decide” Whether to Run for President

By Daniel Ruttenberg

Oct. 23, 2015

In a shocking turn of events, during his Monday talk and book signing at Mandel Hall, Junot Diaz revealed that he still has not decided whether he would run for president in 2016.

The author of “The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” and “Drown” spoke in depth about the state of university education, his process as a writer, and his advice to prospective authors at the University of Chicago. Near the end of the debate, he reported that “I understand that many of you are wondering about my plans for the 2016 election, and I am listening to all of them. There are still a lot of considerations I need to make before deciding whether or not I will run.”

Later in the speech, Diaz said that there were several factors he is considering when thinking about a campaign. “I was not born in the United States, so it will be an uphill battle to convince the public to let me serve in the nation’s highest office. Before running, I also will need to read up on my economics, foreign policy, constitutional law, and general civics.”

Despite evidence to the contrary, there exist signs that Diaz may begin a campaign. Newsweek reporter Harry Lichler notes that “Diaz has been in contact with several union leaders. In addition, Diaz really doesn’t seem to like Rafael Trujillo all that much, so he clearly is quite invested with politics.”

Some have already begun measuring his odds. “At this point, it’s increasingly unlikely that Diaz will be able to win an election,” reports pundit Raúl Kaplan, “Barack Obama announced his campaign in February, and George W. Bush announced his in June. “He had his chance to run, and he wasted it.”