The Party Left Cornel West, A Perpetual Cycle

Of Course:

So honored to have Dr. Cornel West's support! https://t.co/clZDsZuRQx pic.twitter.com/48PZTJ8Xm9

— Dr. Jill Stein (@DrJillStein) July 14, 2016

Let’s leave aside the nonsense about the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party being “neoliberal,” or the idea that having the first liberal Democratic median vote on the Supreme Court in nearly 50 years, protecting the ACA, protecting the Clean Power Plan, enforcing civil rights and voting rights laws, etc. etc. etc. would represent a “disaster.” Let’s take West’s inane descriptions at face value. Your reaction a contest between a “neoliberal” and a “neofasicst” is “not a dime’s worth of difference, let’s go ahead and work to elect the neofascist”? OK.

By the way, lest you be tempted to think that this is about Bernie, in 2000 West made exactly the same seamless transition from Bradley supporter to Nader supporter, although Bradley is not any kind of socialist (and indeed there wasn’t a nickel’s worth of difference between Bradley and Gore on policy substance.) As with late-period Nader, West’s quadrennial rejection of the Democratic Party is rooted much more in his belief that he does not have the personal influence within the party he believes he deserves than any policy disagreements. If Biden or O’Malley had been the primary challenger to Clinton I guarantee West would have done through exactly the same dance.