You heard that right.
Dr. Cornel West will be running under the new “People’s Party” banner as a decently viable third option.
That spells trouble for President Joe Biden, as historically third party candidates have played spoiler.
Famously, Ralph Nader played that role when he got almost 3% of the vote. But even more recently, Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen, who only nabbed 1%, played the difference maker between Biden and former President Donald Trump in key swing states. As most Libertarian voters would likely vote GOP should there not have been a third option on the ballot, she remains the unsung hero of the Democratic Party.
West has been a key, hard left civil rights activists for decades. He proudly endorsed Bernie Sanders in both his presidential runs. For wary Democrats who feel Biden hasn’t been progressive enough, West could very well play spoiler, handing the presidency to Trump.
He made his announcement in a most modern way, via Twitter:
I am running for truth and justice as a presidential candidate for the People’s Party to reintroduce America to the best of itself – fighting to end poverty, mass incarceration, ending wars and ecological collapse, guaranteeing housing, health care, education and living wages for… pic.twitter.com/u3NYGUbG1S
— Cornel West (@CornelWest) June 5, 2023
“I enter for the quest for truth. I enter for the quest of justice. And the presidency is just one vehicle we pursue that truth and justice,” he said.
West will be making an anti-establishment play, probably a smart move for people turned off by more of the same from Biden and Trump.
“Neither political party wants to tell the truth about Wall Street, about Ukraine, about the Pentagon, about big tech. Do we have what it takes? We shall see.”
West will have his work cut out for him, as his party, unlike the Libertarian or Green parties, doesn’t have automatic ballot access. That means for at least a quarter of the states, West will have to obtain thousands of signatures from registered voters to get on the ballot. The cost should be in the millions.
But don’t count him out. His frequent appearances on the anti-establishment left YouTube world should generate a ton of small dollar donations, which could translate to an army of volunteers. He certainly has more credibility among the younger left set than Biden does, making 2024 a most interesting race.
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