Pros & Cons: Dr. Cornel West Running As a Third-Party Candidate
PROS Forces the Democratic Party to addresses issues/policies they would normally ignore. Forces third-parties (like the Green Party) to up their game. Forces Democratic voters who like Dr. West to reconcile his platform with their party allegiance. Automatically becomes the most left candidate running for president, making Republican attacks calling the Democratic Party "far-left" and Democratic claims of being the most progressive irrelevant (NOTE: the only real recourse is to say that West is not really that left, and to do it ingeniously ). Forces the People's Party to either work to get ballot access and/or local candidates, or risk becoming a empty, shapeless organization. Can expose the flaws of the Electoral College, which is one of the major problems in electoral politics. CONS Will be labeled "socialist" further re-defining that term in political circles. Smears and attacks by the media may dissuade other potential third-party candidates (but it sho...