Cornel West jumps into presidential race
By Barrington M. Salmon
TriceEdneyWire.com correspondent
Cornel West, Ph.D., a renowned scholar, progressive intellectual and social justice activist, announced on Twitter he’s running for president of the United States.
“In these bleak times, I have decided to run for truth and justice which takes the form of running for president of the United States as a candidate for the People’s Party. I enter in the quest for truth, I enter in the quest for justice, and the presidency is just one vehicle to pursue that truth and justice which is what I’ve been trying to do all of my life,” West said in a 2-minute 39-second announcement.
He added: “I come from a tradition where I care about you. I care about the quality of your life, I care about whether you have access to a job with a living wage, decent housing, women having control over their bodies, healthcare for all, deescalating destruction of the planet, the destruction of America democracy.”
Florida Attorney and activist Dimitra Stathopoulos said while she has a great deal of respect for West, she is deeply troubled by an op-ed West recently co-wrote for the Wall Street Journal. In it, West praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his support of the classics, saying that the governor’s support of classical education “has universal merit that transcends partisanship. Education based on values, logic and discipline isn’t Republican – it’s timeless.”
West’s announcement triggered elation in some corners, consternation and puzzlement in others.
Aly Wane – an immigration advocate and peace activist who said his politics is decidedly to the left – said while he has always loved and supported west, this announcement has left him troubled.
“I’m trying to swallow the news. I went from being delighted to, ‘Oh God, this is not going to be great.’ He’s running on that party ticket which is a non-starter,” Wane said, referring to the People’s Party banner that West is running under. “That party is distrusted because of its leadership and grifter tendencies. It’s really frustrating. I’m most startled by his People’s Party choice.”
Wane said the People’s Party was created out of the frustration some had of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders running as Democrat in 2016.
“I realized they’re not serious about organizing and policy positions,” he said. “There are all kinds of accusations of grifting and workplace and sexual abuse allegations against founder Nick Brana. It’s a mess. As much as the Greens (Party) are disorganized, they have the structure to deal with a presidential run. I would have a little more confidence if West was running as a Green Party candidate.”
Stathopoulos said she learned through a Twitter post from Crystal Fleming, Ph.D., a professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at Stony Brooke University, that West has been a member of the DeSantis’ Classic Learning Initiatives for at least two years, a program that DeSantis just approved funding for all Florida Schools to use.
“This (is) really troubling. It’s sad too because I think it would be great if we had an African-American put in right now,” Stathopoulos said. “It’s disheartening. He was a pivotal part of Bernie’s campaign and a supporter of Rev. William Barber. But the man’s all over the place. You cannot pin this man down. I don’t know. Everybody’s opining right now.”
Stathopoulos said she’s fearful that West’s presence in the campaign is a ploy to “muddy up the water” and divide the Black vote. She also said ultimately, it’s all about the money.
