Staff Reports
Independent presidential candidate Cornel West managed to score what some might call a “victory for the little guy” in the legal trenches of Michigan. A state judge recently ruled that Michigan had jumped the gun in disqualifying West from the ballot after raising a fuss about his petition’s technical hitches. Apparently, there’s a lesson here for government officials: always double-check your math before you start playing gatekeeper with people’s democratic rights.
Judge James Redford, who seems to have actually read the rules, decided that the state’s interpretation of the law was as faulty as a clapped-out old car. They were wrong to think that presidential candidates should deal with certain affidavit requirements that don’t really apply. The overwhelming number of signatures West gathered—over 26,000, thank you very much—was enough to merit a place on the ballot, not to mention that he only needed 12,000 legit signatures to begin with. The judge determined that when nearly 16,000 of those signatures were confirmed legitimate, West had indeed made his case and should be allowed to run. Perhaps someone should send the state a remedial civics lesson.
In the aftermath of this ruling, West was practically bouncing off the walls in delight. Apparently, he saw this as a major win for “democracy,” which raises the question of what democracy he’s referring to—since he’s not exactly pushing a centrist agenda. Nevertheless, he did express gratitude for the decision and claimed it was a moral victory that reflected the will of “the people”—which is quite rich considering his penchant for stirring the activist pot.
Washington Examiner: Cornel West wins ballot qualification court case in Michigan https://t.co/GflljBgso0
— Ian’s Newsfeed 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHNewsFeed) August 26, 2024
Michigan is shaping up to be quite the battleground, not just for West but also for the former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. This state has been deemed a toss-up, which means the stakes are as high as a kite on a windy day. If West can siphon away some anti-Israel voters from Harris by advocating for the end of military aid to Israel, it could make her already rocky path to reelection even bumpier.
Given West’s recent legal win and his left-leaning platform, his candidacy might just shake things up in the Great Lakes State. This could test how thin the air is for Harris as she juggles her opinions without dropping them on her party’s left flank. One can only hope that West’s appearance on the ballot means more fireworks to come in the never-ending circus that is U.S. politics.
