The prognostics are getting grim for Biden, as his campaign must now grapple with a major hurdle in the crucial swing state of Michigan: A challenge and potential spoiler from the Left in the form of popular progressive intellectual Cornel West.
Having parted ways with the Green Party in favor of an independent bid for president, West — the activist known for his unique fusion of “woke” Christianity, democratic socialism, and identity politics — is making his presence felt in the Great Lake State, where Biden took home the 16-electoral vote prize in 2020 by less than three percentage points.
The West campaign shared its plans with Politico, declaring that it intends to court precisely the voters Biden needs to win the state — demographics with whom the Democratic occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has recently been struggling.
Specifically, West will be making his pitch to voters of Arab descent in Dearborn and environmentalists in Flint, along with university students and American Indians throughout the state.
As Politico notes:
Michigan’s diverse population gives West the opportunity to court support at a time when Biden’s weakness with voters of color is becoming more pronounced. Recent polling in Michigan shows Biden’s softening support among Black voters and the large Arab American population in the state has been highly critical of the administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
West, a Black intellectual who has a long history with both communities, believes he is well positioned to appeal to these groups. But he is operating on a shoestring budget and with an unconventional campaign structure, raising questions about whether he has the wherewithal to make significant headway in the state.
Yet West’s significance is not that he has a realistic shot at winning the state; rather, it’s that he could peel just enough left-leaning voters away from Biden to allow for a Donald Trump victory in the state.
West hopes to grow his profile in coming days, in part by capitalizing on recent support among young leftists who support Palestine amid its conflict with Israel. West has attended various pro-Palestine demonstrations in the last few weeks, and Dearborn, with its big Arab population, has been home to many such events.
West will likely find Michigan to be fertile ground for his candidacy, especially given that Arab Americans recently protested Biden’s visit to a local Ford plant, saying that he is not doing enough for Palestinians.
