Cornel West Is a Great Presidential Candidate, But His “People’s Party” Run Is a Big Mistake

The list of public intellectuals I admire with a full, unqualified heart is not a long one. Dr. Cornel West is absolutely among them. Dr. West has, over the many years of his career, shown not just remarkable insight and sharp thinking, but a willingness to engage with people who differ with him with a skill, respect, and directness that I can only aspire to.

Cornel West is one of the finest public speakers of his generation and his ability to turn phrases and engage audiences in a way that allows them to understand his most subtle or nuanced points is marvelous. His political analysis is always profound, and his moral compass is unswerving and unerring.

But none of that means he can’t make a mistake, and his announcement that he is running for President of the United States on the “People’s Party” ticket is a big one.

West is a great presidential candidate, but this is the wrong party

The mistake here is not, as many Democrats will mistakenly and dishonestly claim, that West is running at all. He is a terrific candidate. Given that the system under which our politics operate leaves him no chance to win, the fact that he’s already 70 years of age at a time when we need a younger perspective in the White House and…