Cornel West Doesn't Deserve a Say in the Democratic Party Platform

[ericson00]

http://thedailybanter.com/2016/05/cornel-west-democratic-platform/

Cornel West forfeited the privilege of being taken seriously both incrementally and in broadsides in the years since Barack Obama made the decision to run for president, and often for reasons that do little more than serve West's own slighted ego. The story of West's turn against "Brother Obama," the first black person elected President of the United States, goes all the way back to 2007, when he took great offense to Obama's refusal to allow him to grandstand on the announcement that Obama would be running for president. West wanted Obama to make the announcement at Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union meeting in Virginia, but, not surprisingly, Obama made the announcement in Illinois. West immediately decried this as proof that Obama was holding black people "at arm's length" to appeal to white voters, so right off the bat West staked out the "Obama is a disappointment" position (even though it was far more likely that Obama's choice not to pay the necessary tribute to West at the Smiley event is what incensed him so).



From there, after a brief respite in which he seemed to embrace the candidate wholeheartedly, Cornel West began a kind of crusade against Obama from the left fringe. Now setting aside the fact that West has spent eight years comically raging against not only the standard-bearer for the Democratic party but one of the most effective and, yes, liberal Democratic presidents in the modern age of this country -- a fact which should make his appointment to the Democratic Platform Committee highly questionable -- there's the way he's raged that should disqualify him outright. It was just last year that West's criticism of Obama crescendoed with a comment that was both shocking and unforgivable. He had already accused the president of, as fellow black scholar Michael Eric Dyson referred to it, "political minstrelsy," as well calling him a "counterfeit" progressive and a "Rockefeller Republican in blackface," but in June of 2015 he went for broke.

During a live appearance on CNN, West claimed Obama had been "niggerized," with the exact quote being, "The first black president has become the first niggerized black president." When pressed by an obviously aghast Poppy Harlow, West elaborated: "A niggerized black person is a black person who is afraid and scared and intimidated when it comes to putting a spotlight on white supremacy and fighting against white supremacy." So regardless of Cornel West's status as a black man and an intellectual alleging to speak in academic terms, what you had was someone referring to the first black President of the United States using one of the most reprehensible racial slurs in the English language. It doesn't matter one bit what his twisted rationale was -- it was outrageous and disgraceful. It showed that West's personal obsession with Barack Obama had finally truly overwhelmed any good judgment he happened to have left.

[Buzz cook]

1. Sanders campaign got 5 positions

That's all the qualification West needs.

[brush]

11. You still don't get it. West as a surrogate caused Sanders many . . .

African American votes. What a stupid decision that was, and the Sanders camp wonders why they don't get black votes.

Hillary's lead is largely because of black voters rejecting Sanders/West.

Now he's on the platform committee. Guess he can't do too much damage there as the damage to Sanders' chances has already been done.

This does seem like a final swipe at Obama by Sanders though, who wanted to primary him, a sitting President, in 2012.

Why else would he appoint someone to the platform committee of the Democratic Party who has said the absolute most vile things that could be said of a black man, a black man who just happens to be the head of the Democratic Party.

[Buzz cook]

18. Maybe it was a bad choice but it was Sanders to make, not ours nt

nt

[brush]

32. Nah! Black people knew about West as a surrogate for Sanders

We were not amused, or at Sanders' wish to primary a SITTING PRESIDENT the first black president, what an insult.

[brush]

39. Who the hell threatens to primary a sitting president?

It was a reckless thing to say.

You already have the White House and you're talking about primarying.

That happened in 1980 with Kennedy primarying Carter and look what happened.

We got effin Reagan.

People remember stuff like that and vote accordingly.

[Scootaloo]

51. Good question, who indeed threatened that? It wasn't Sanders.

[frylock]

72. Ted fucking Kennedy?

Remember him?

[Surya Gayatri]

25. ^^^This!^^^

Guess he can't do too much damage there as the damage to Sanders' chances has already been done.

As only one of 15, his nefarious influence will be neutered.

"His beak will be shut", as the French say.

[Demsrule86]

63. The fact he picked West

makes Bernie look really bad.

[RufusTFirefly]

76. Says the self-designated custodian of Bernie's image

I think all Bernie's picks are terrific.

[NWCorona]

2. Well he has a say so his detractors will have to come to grips.

[ericson00]

4. trust me, there are some powerful people who could help see West to the exit

and I cannot wait to see the reaction when that happens!

[NWCorona]

5. It's not gonna happen.

[ericson00]

6. oh it will, soon enough. His hateful views

are in vetting right now...

[NWCorona]

12. Have you followed the process at all?

Each of the three submitters, Hillary, DWS and Bernie submitted a short list with Bernie having about 11 people. Those were vetted down to five with him being one of those.

[ericson00]

27. when the ADL, AJC, AIPAC, and those who don't think Obama is a "war criminal," n-word-ized, etc.

get thru with West, he'll wish he never met Bernie.

[NWCorona]

30. They haven't stopped him yet and they won't now.

Time is on my side.

[ericson00]

31. you watch; they will and it will be beautiful

like I said, people are just starting to peel the bark off West.

The big bad, "Israel Lobby" aka mass American support for Israel, is coming! D

[NWCorona]

33. I don't mind waiting but I don't think he has to worry.

Like I said he was already vetted before being selected.

[Matt_in_STL]

68. Your song is getting boring. Maybe you could learn more than one note?

[Chan790]

82. Uh huh.

Not holding my breath. They've had a target out for West for decades and haven't managed to do fuck-all to him in terms of damage...I think the "Israel Lobby" as you called it, has an inflated opinion of their authority, worth, and actual impact.

[ericson00]

9. yes I will! I await it

and look forward to it!

No political party in this country needs a hateful kook like Cornel West influencing anything, ever. Look what he said about Obama: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/06/22/cornel_west_on_obama_the_first_black_president_has_become_the_first_niggerized_black_president.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/22/cornel-west-barack-obama_n_3635614.html
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/02/cornel-west-obama-a-war-criminal-087702

[ericson00]

28. too bad actual polls of POC show high approval numbers for Obama

rather than just a few outliers:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/121199/obama-weekly-job-approval-demographic-groups.aspx

[kerry-is-my-prez]

29. As a social worker, I know plenty of people with genius IQs who have serious mental health issues.

I would not want most of them working on the party platform.

[Spacedog1973]

60. Both of you

Talking about 'IQ' s' like neither knows a thing about them, their history, use or meaning. Testing IQ in this day and age should never be done for anything other than what they were created for; children's educational need. 'Genius' level IQ is meaningless.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

84. Sorry, but there is a link between bipolar disorder and creative genius, especially with writers.

They're finding a link with scientists too. I've worked with mentally ill adults for many years and the bipolar individuals are almost always extremely bright.

Voc Rehab tests our adult clients if they are trying to get jobs through them to make sure they don't have any learning disabilities. In addition, if someone has developmental disabilities, they will be more likely to be able to get on disability.

[brush]

34. You don't know what you're talking about

Obama is very popular in the black community. West is very unpopular.

And if you were black you would know that.

[brush]

42. Keep believing that. He is not popular with rank and file black voters

Of course I'm not claiming to be a black intellectual (I mean, who goes around calling themselves a black intellectual), but Micheal Eric Dyson and MHP are not fans of West, just like, as I said, the rank and file black voters.

West is one of the reasons Sanders gets few black votes.

It's no secret. Why do you think this thread exists.

[brush]

46. You sound a lot like the guy who got banned for the Stockholm Syndrome . . .

post. He also thought he was so much more intelligent than everyone else.

Hah! You go, you black intellectual you.

[Chan790]

83. He's entitled to his opinion, crackpot as it is...

it's still less offensive than the inclusion of Tanden. West is a bigot...Tanden is a vocal advocate of anti-Democratic policy positions.

Which one is worse?

[Demsrule86]

64. He can say what he wants and exactly 0

of his crap will end up in the platform.

[Demsrule86]

65. I don't care for Fox

fake 'liberal' Democratic haters...he schills for money...nice choice Bernie...says much about you.

[NWCorona]

70. Nobody has a working crystal ball here

[Number23]

3. West can pound sand and so can anyone that wants to lionize him.

Keith Ellison is a much smarter, far less psychotically deranged and hate filled choice.

[JoePhilly]

16. + 1

[Surya Gayatri]

26. 180° difference between the two. Ellison is a reasoned, respectable voice. West is a verbal viper.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

56. Branding someone with a mental illness because they have a difference of opinion?

Please proceed Hillary supporters....

[Number23]

57. I love how you pulled that squarely out of your hiney just so you can have a fight with somebody

'Cause fighting with EVERYBODY is certainly something you Sanders folks like to do. Too bad all that "righteous" anger didn't translate better at the polls and ballot boxes.

I'd ask specifically what "mental illness" I said Corny had and what the "difference of opinion" was over that you apparently see even though I typed no such thing but that would give the impression that I was interested.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

58. "psychotically deranged"

Did you forget what you posted already?

[Number23]

59. You're right. Deranged is a mental illness. And you have every right to get so bent out of shape

over that as though I'd psychologically diagnosed him and not just expressed an opinion.

But what do you call someone who pretends somebody said something just so they can fight over it? Do you get upset anytime anyone calls anyone deranged or just Corny?

[ForgoTheConsequence]

67. I get upset when people use mental illness as an insult.

Just like when they called someone a racist term. Grow up.

[Number23]

75. I'll look for your shrieking "upset" the next thread where Hillary Clinton is called every vile name

in the book, "deranged" being one of the kinder ones.

Because surely this level of just and righteous anger is non-partisan, right? Grow up your damn self.

[TheSarcastinator]

74. more gaslighting from Hillarians

they want everyone who criticizes Her Majesty to be thought of as mentally ill...real classy.

[ericson00]

10. Myself and the American people will take "neoliberal" over hateful self-proclaimed "prophet"

and anti-Semite Cornel West.

[ericson00]

19. he supports BDS

end of story-BDS is Anti-Semitism

[ericson00]

22. the mainstream Jews, who aren't deluded enough to believe

that anti-Semitism's non-demise after Holocaust sympathy is all because of Israel, are against BDS.

There's a reason BDS is doing so miserably in America and Hillary Clinton is strongly against it.

[grossproffit]

79. Yep. Anti-Zionism IS anti-Semitism. End of story.

[arcane1]

80. The "Anti-Semite" that Jewish Sanders chose?

Your support for neoliberals makes you no better than Dick Cheney. You have no business on this site as anything but a disruptor if that's how you really feel. Or at least, if that's how you're told to pretend to feel.

[Todays_Illusion]

13. I disagree with you and wow talk of vitrol you have plenty.

If criticism of Obama means to not allow him participate that would exclude a lot of Democratic who have been quite nasty and disloyal to President Obama including as you know many who are super delegates.

[ericson00]

23. using racial slurs about a POTUS, calling him a war criminal, is not mere criticism.

It's HATE.

[arcane1]

81. You are 100% thoroughly discredited, and you double-down on it

[w4rma]

14. Clintonites aren't very good at accepting criticism. FYI, that's not "hate". That's tough love. (nt)

[chascarrillo]

38. Tell me again how you want to bar Syrian refugees from the US. -nt-

[pinebox]

40. Since when is the Democratic Party the local country club?

[ericson00]

43. since when is it some pseudo-intellectual classroom?

[chascarrillo]

47. Fuckin' liberals, all educated and shit. -nt-

[Recursion]

52. OFFS

The one qualification any of Sanders's picks needs is "Sanders picked them". Ditto Clinton's picks.

Still, for two inauguration tickets we could have avoided all this...

[underthematrix]

53. No cornel does not deserve to be at the DNC platform table

and I have made my concerns known. But I take the advice of my beloved President Obama. We're playing the long game her so if we have to eat some shit in the process so be it. The main goal is to turn DC completely BLUE so we can protect the agins we've made and finish what we started.

[JTFrog]

54. He doesn't.

And it doesn't surprise me in the least that Bernie and some of his supporters are too ignorant to understand why.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

55. Of course a strong dissenting black voice shouldn't be allowed.....

Please continue Hillary supporters.....

[Demsrule86]

62. He is a fox guy

And is constantly criticizing Democrats and Obama in particular....I dislike West as should all liberals. Why am I not surprised Bernie picks this guy? Totally inappropriate.

[TheSarcastinator]

73. I'm sory, but did you just try to claim that Dr. West is a Fox News "guy"?

The absolute ignorance of this post is astonishing: West has critiqued Obama from the Left, not the Right, and has been a major part of the progressive movement for decades.

Your ignorance is astonishing.

[rjsquirrel]

66. Unbelievable

A man who openly race-shames our first black president, an outright narcissist, and a toxic figure in every setting, Brother Cornell seems like a sabotage move.

[bahrbearian]

69. He is not a Real American , Like Hillary is, he doesn't like war .

[LWolf]

71. I think he's just fine, and his voice

is better than many.

[Doctor_J]

77. Thanks I'll prefer prof west to this Clinton supporter

[arcane1]

78. He'll be a fine counterpoint to the corporatists that Hillary and Debbie will appoint.

[kwassa]

85. Cornel can say what he wants. He has no black audience.

He has no representation among black Democrats. He is far to the left of almost all of them. Cornel has alienated them with his absurd over-the-top critiques of Obama.

Why does he, an individual representing no core Democratic constituency, have a role in determining platform?

[geek tragedy]

86. West is likely to vote for Jill Stein in November

so he really belongs on the Green Party's platform committee.