Wisconsin Elections Commission Rules Against Democratic National Committee in Key Ballot Dispute – Cornel West Survives Challenge
The Wisconsin Elections Commission recently decided to keep independent presidential candidate Cornel West on the ballot, despite a challenge from an employee of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The DNC’s action has drawn criticism as a politically motivated move, especially given the state’s history where close elections in recent years suggest that third-party candidates could impact the outcome significantly.
In the past, Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s presence in the 2016 election was blamed by some Democrats for Donald Trump’s victory in Wisconsin. Current polling indicates that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has a narrow lead over Trump in the state, but both she and West have faced challenges in gaining support from certain voter demographics.
West has positioned himself strongly against Harris, stating his refusal to collaborate with her campaign due to fundamental disagreements, particularly regarding issues like Israel’s actions against Hamas. Further complicating the race, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was also on the ballot, has suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump, while taking steps to withdraw his name from various state ballots, including Wisconsin.
The ongoing developments suggest potential challenges for the Democratic party as independent candidates like West remain in the race, which may affect Harris’s chances in this crucial battleground state.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted on Tuesday to keep independent presidential candidate Cornel West on the ballot.
An employee with the Democratic National Committee filed a challenge to West being a choice for voters, along with Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.
So much for the DNC being the party committed to “protecting democracy.”
Trying to get West and Stein off the Wisconsin ballot was a raw political calculation.
“The presence of independent and third party candidates on the ballot could be a key factor in a state where four of the last six presidential elections have been decided by between 5,700 votes and about 23,000 votes,” the Associated Press noted.
“In 2016, Stein got just over 31,000 votes in Wisconsin — more than Trump’s winning margin of just under 23,000 votes. Some Democrats have blamed her for helping Trump win the state and the presidency that year,” the AP said.
Real Clear Polling shows Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris with a 1 percentage point lead over Republican Donald Trump in the Badger State.
An Marquette Law School poll conducted from July 24 to Aug. 1 among likely voters, similarly found Harris ahead of Trump 46 to 45 percent, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 6 percent support, Stein at 1 percent and West at less than 0.5 percent.
West has made Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza a centerpiece of his campaign.
For instance, in a video posted on X on Friday, he explained why he could never work with the Harris campaign or even inside a potential Harris administration.
“No way,” West said. “You can’t fundamentally change a system on the inside if you want something crucial like genocide.”
Kamala Harris is hemorrhaging Black voters.
Cornel West said Harris begged him to end his campaign and work for her. pic.twitter.com/Q2Yk3F7cs6
— Abraham Stein (@AbrahamStein8) August 23, 2024
“You can’t have leaders who’ve been tied to genocide most of their career and act as if they’re going to make a promise and then try to bring you in, and you get co-opted,” he added. “You end up selling out, and they turn away from their promise, which they’ve done all the time.”
In a related story, Michigan Court of Claims thwarted a challenge from the Michigan Democratic Party to keep West off the ballot.
While these decisions would seem to bode well for the Trump campaign, the Wisconsin Elections Commission decided that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will remain on its ballot.
Kennedy suspended his campaign Friday and endorsed Trump. The candidate said that he would be removing his name from 10 battleground state ballots, including Wisconsin, because his supporters in greater numbers back Trump over Harris.
RFK Jr. has successfully withdrawn his name from Arizona, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, so far, according to NPR.
Further, Kennedy’s name will likely not be on Georgia’s ballot after a Monday judicial ruling.
However, he will remain on Nevada’s and Michigan’s, because the deadlines have passed, and possibly on North Carolina’s.
So some potential bad news for Trump, unless RFK Jr.’s supporters follow his lead and back the 45th president, but some definite unhappy news for Democrats with West remaining on the ballot in Wisconsin.
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