Cornel West, a vocal left-wing scholar and activist who recently decided to sever ties with the Green Party and instead run as an independent candidate, has not been a favorite among fellow left-wingers, many of whom are concerned about his potential to draw votes away from President Joe Biden’s support base.
Some Democrats have denounced West for presumably following in the footsteps of Ralph Nader, whose third-party candidacy in 2000 has been viewed by many as diverting enough left-wing votes away from Al Gore and tipping the election to George W. Bush.
While Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., praised West for his “very long record of service and academic thought leadership,” she has expressed unease about his presidential bid, stressing “the very real threat of a Republican presidency” and “the risk of giving up the very small margin of electoral votes needed to ensure that President Biden wins.”
Similarly, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., lauded West as “a very effective speaker,” but noted that “the stakes are too high this year, especially if Trump is the nominee.” He added that we “need to protect our democracy by stopping Donald Trump and supporting Joe Biden.”
West has vehemently pushed back against the notion that he’s taking votes away from Biden. In a June interview, he insisted Biden doesn’t “own any votes” and that the onus is on candidates to earn votes.
But West may have assuaged Democratic jitters when he noted in a separate interview this summer, “I would say that most of the people who vote for me would not have voted for Biden. They would have probably stayed home.” (READ MORE: Here’s to You, Cornel West and Dean Phillips!)
Last month he also claimed that his candidacy would only take a “very, very small” number of votes from the two major parties, adding that his focus is on “the 40% that don’t vote at all” and “the 62% … who do vote but who would never vote for the two parties.”
West, however, has become increasingly critical of the Democratic Party. In a July interview on Hannity, West directly went after Biden, accusing him of “crimes against humanity” against African Americans.
He also criticized the party for fielding what he referred to as “mediocre, milquetoast, neoliberal politicians” who failed to address issues such as militarism, poverty, and white supremacist practices.
In his campaign video, West promised that as president he would focus on issues such as living wages, decent housing, reproductive rights, universal health care, and climate change, claiming that he is running for “truth and justice.”
West had initially launched his campaign as a People’s Party candidate before switching to the Green Party, mainly due to the former’s lack of ballot access. His presidential bid now as an independent candidate will likely be even more laden with obstacles.
One major hurdle, according to West’s own campaign manager, Peter Daou, is getting his name “on the ballot in all 50 states.” In particular, Daou added, “navigating the specific ballot access laws and requirements of every state” poses a formidable challenge. (READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: RFK Jr., Threatened Again, Sues the Biden Administration)
Richard Winger, a ballot access expert and advocate for minor political parties, noted, “There is nobody in 100 years who has run for president outside the major parties, and who was at all important, who didn’t mix methods.”
