The Republican presidential primary race is set to get even larger in the near future as more potential candidates consider throwing their hats in the ring.
While it is unclear whether President Joe Biden will face any more challengers in a Democratic primary that already includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, he could lose votes in the general election to a leftist third-party candidate.
This week, former Harvard University professor Cornel West confirmed that he would be campaigning as a People’s Party ticket. The far-left third party was established by an adviser to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the wake of the 2016 election.
In a video announcing his decision, West cited “these bleak times” as the impetus for his presidential bid, adding: “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.”
He went on to refer to the presidency as “just one vehicle” through which he aims to continue his supposed pursuit of truth and justice.
While he won’t be taking on the incumbent president from within the Democratic Party, many Biden supporters see the move as one that directly takes aim at the White House.
WTF?! Does @CornelWest really want to help the GOP nominee win — the way Ralph Nader helped GW Bush defeat Al Gore in 2000?
Ego trips can come at a heavy price, Cornel.
Please stop this foolishness, before you really hurt the things you care to help. https://t.co/bdoQLhg8ui
— Laurence Tribe 🇺🇦 ⚖️ (@tribelaw) June 5, 2023
West’s announcement also included a clip from an interview with HBO host Bill Maher in which he called out both Biden and former President Donald Trump.
“Neo-fascists like Brother Trump or milquetoast neoliberals like Brother Biden — wow, I’m so happy to make a world-shaking decision,” he said.
The long-time professor attempted to make his case to voters, asserting that he will govern from a place of compassion.
“I come from a tradition where I care about you,” he said. “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, health care for all, the escalating destruction of the planet, the destruction of American democracy.”
Of course, some of his previous statements and writings belie those claims.
In one such statement, he accused “White America” of being “historically weak-willed” when it comes to “fully accepting the humanity” of Black citizens.
