The Biden camp has another thorn in its side to deal with: Jill Stein.
A previous piece by The New American examined the parallels between Hillary Clinton’s political outlook in 2016 and Joe Biden’s in 2024. The comparison is even stronger now as Biden, like Clinton in 2016, will likely have to deal with the third-party candidacy of Green Partier Jill Stein to his left.
Stein, a physician and vocal advocate for climate-change issues, announced Thursday that she is seeking the Green Party’s nomination for the 2024 election.
If she obtains that nomination and ends up on the ballot, she will be one of three leftists on the ballot who could potentially take away votes from Biden — the other two being charismatic social activist Cornel West (who was going to run with the Green Party until recently opting for an Independent bid) and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (who was in the Democratic primary until also recently deciding to go Independent).
“The political system is broken, the two Wall Street parties are bought and paid for,” Stein said in a video on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Touting a slogan of “People. Planet. Peace,” Stein added, “The ruling parties that got us into this mess aren’t getting us out. Both parties are squandering trillions on the endless war machine, fueling conflict around the world while tens of millions here at home lack food, housing, and healthcare.”
As Fox News reported, two of Stein’s biggest agenda items are an Economic Bill of Rights and the Green New Deal.
“To reverse surging inequality, we need an Economic Bill of Rights including the right to a living-wage job, housing, food, healthcare, education and more, to guarantee all of us the basic security for a good life,” the 73-year-old, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2012 and 2016, declared. “We need a Green New Deal with massive investment in green jobs and technologies to revitalize the American economy, improve our lives, protect our planet and safeguard our children’s future.”
Stein was also the nominee of the Green-Rainbow Party — the Green Party’s Massachusetts affiliate — for the state’s gubernatorial races in 2002 and 2010. She began her activism career in 1998 protesting the “Filthy Five” coal plants in Massachusetts, and since 1998 has served on the board of the Greater Boston chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility.
During her time on that board, Stein has co-authored two reports: In Harm’s Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development (2000), and Environmental Threats to Healthy Aging (2009).
According to Stein, the catalyst that caused her to leave the Democratic Party for the Green Party was Democrats’ killing of campaign finance reform in her state.
Prior to declaring her own candidacy for president this cycle, Stein was helping run Cornel West’s 2024 Green Party campaign for president.
West is a left-wing activist and philosopher known for his unique blend of democratic socialism, black-church Christianity, and race theory. Last month, he ended his brief relationship with the Green Party by announcing he is running as an Independent.
While West never officially became the Greens’ nominee, they were already laying the groundwork for him, setting up dedicated Cornel West teams coordinated by Stein.
Stein voiced disapproval of West’s decision, arguing that it doesn’t look good for his candidacy. “I see this as a bit of a transition for us as Greens.… I see this as a crisis for Cornel’s campaign,” she said, per Politico.
West said one reason for his decision was that he didn’t want to go through all the steps necessary to get the Green Party’s nomination; he also views the party as too white and too old.
“Young people have not been that tied to the Greens at all,” Politico quoted him as saying. “Black people have not been that tied to the Greens at all. Brown people, trade union people, they haven’t been that tied to the Greens at all.”
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s surprise Independent candidacy sent shockwaves through the political world, with both parties making moves to soften the potential impact as it remains unknown whether his presence in the general election would hurt Biden or Trump more. Kennedy, of course, is a lifelong Democrat with a liberal record on everything from climate change to gun control, although he has gained favor with Republicans in recent years due to his vaccine skepticism.
A poll released by the Republican firm Echelon Insights suggests that Kennedy would pull away more voters from Biden. Per its results, 16 percent of those who voted for Biden in 2020 are going for Kennedy, versus 10 percent of 2020 Trump voters. In total, Kennedy was supported by 13 percent of Democratic respondents, nine percent of Republicans, and 23 percent of Independents.
With West and Stein, however, there is no doubt about whom they would poach. Being socialists, they will pull from the hard-left base.
If West and Stein undercut Biden’s progressive bloc and Kennedy pulls away center-left Democrats, Biden could find himself in true dire straits come Election Day.
