Cornel West, a presidential hopeful from the Green Party known for his far-left stance, criticized the Democratic Party on Tuesday, labeling it as “beyond redemption” due to its failure to address the needs of impoverished and working-class individuals.
During an interview with The Hill’s Rising, the 70-year-old candidate was questioned about Bernie Sanders’s endorsement of President Joe Biden, where Sanders asserted that Biden is the only candidate capable of safeguarding American democracy as Donald Trump eyes a second term.
West responded, “I think Brother Bernie’s being consistent. He said that all along and I can understand the argument. I think it’s a plausible argument, I just don’t think it’s a persuasive one.”
Elaborating further, West continued, “I think that the argument he’s making means that there’s never any possibility for breaking the corporate duopoly, that there’s never any possibility of trying to speak to the needs of the poor working people.” He recounted his experiences on the campaign trail, highlighting issues such as poverty, police brutality, and foreign military involvement that he believes the Democratic Party fails to address.
According to West, his time in Mississippi exposed him to officials grappling with problems that the Democratic Party avoids. He expressed skepticism that the party has any genuine intention of addressing the needs of the less privileged, asserting that it is dominated by corporate interests and militaristic foreign policy views.
West conveyed his belief that individuals like Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) might be relegated to symbolic roles rather than agents of meaningful change within the Democratic Party. He suggested that they could be utilized to attract voters every four years, but ultimately the party is unredeemable in its disregard for the needs of the marginalized.
West’s remarks followed Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Biden at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics, where Sanders expressed his desire for Biden’s re-election to counter right-wing extremism. Sanders argued that supporting Biden is crucial for preserving democracy in the face of the threat posed by Trump’s perceived hostility toward democratic principles.
Sanders emphasized his belief that the upcoming election holds immense significance for issues such as women’s reproductive rights and social justice, calling on the progressive community to unite against Trump or any Republican nominee.