Cornel West is actually a cool guy

[Cheese Sandwich]

He recently campaigned with Bernie Sanders.

Cornel West is actually pretty cool. I agree with most of the stuff he says.

Dr. West used some insulting language toward Obama and alienated some people. Maybe he shouldn't have done that, but his actual work is more important.

And he does do a lot of important work. He was a leader and organizer against the stop and frisk policies in NYC when not many people were talking about that.

Also he helped start the Stop Mass Incarceration Network which does a lot of grass roots organizing for police accountability. That is possibly the single most organized group out there doing the protest work in places like Ferguson and Baltimore. There are many groups but this is one important group.

He also was a prominent important voice during Occupy Wall Street protests, talking about the government policies of just helping banks instead of people.

He's there for us all on the right side of all these issues. It's unfortunate he said some nasty things about the president but it doesn't overshadow his other valuable work.

[navarth]

1. Wholeheartedly agree. Nt

[RobertEarl]

2. Y'know?

I kinda trust that the Bernie campaign know what they are doing.

All the attacks on West, to me, seem to be just trying to smear Bernie.

[PragmaticLiberal]

10. People have had issues with West long before Bernie ever considered running.

[Scuba]

11. Bonobo got this right ...

The people who SCREAMED about BLM's right to jump onto stage and take the mic by force are DENYING the right of another black person to be HANDED the mic.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=591959

[liberal_at_heart]

3. Thank you for informing us about his work. I can't help but admire

someone who takes real action and makes a real difference. Too many people and politicians talk a good talk but never really make a difference. Sounds like this guy really does make a difference.

[Cheese Sandwich]

12. I respect him a lot.

He's a true independent voice and organizer in the people's movement. We need more of him.

[Maedhros]

4. The man is entitled to his opinion of Obama.

It's not as if he's totally off the mark, anyway.

[Hydra]

5. The Obama Admin is not and should not be above criticism

And Cornel stated it perfectly in his interview on Al-Jez: He supported Obama at the time because he was the best option, not because he agreed with Obama's policies or aims, and that he made it clear he would be a critic the day after the election.

I supported Obama for basically the same reasons. I support him when he is doing good, and I call him out for when he isn't. This isn't a popularity contest- people live and die based on presidential decisions and policies they support. It should not be a game of who is "in favor" or sings the highest praises.

[dionysus]

6. i'm a bernie supporter who thinks west is a douchebag, but i could give two shits about

west supporting him. people who would change their support of a candidate over an endorsement by west are shallow people...

[mhatrw]

7. I roundly applaud him for trying to put Obama's feet to the fire on the issues.

What other prominent members of the AA community have had the courage and integrity to do so?

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Cheese Sandwich.

[Cheese Sandwich]

13. you're welcome

Dr. West is a polarizing figure.

But I'll defend him because I know he fights for people like me. He's says some dumb things but nobody is perfect.

[Uncle Joe]

15. West served a good purpose as a polarizing figure, consider the opposite pole of the Republican

controlled corporate media; of which West commentated many times on FOX "News" where his harsh "black sell out" point of view would be most helpful to President Obama.

The corporate media hurled countless racist insults overtly and subliminally against our first African American President, and what counters that media controlled public perception better than anything to the Neanderthal Mind (no offense intended against Neanderthals) than a strong polar racially tinged opposite point of view.

In this regard, West's scathing criticisms of Obama served as a sort of racist anti-propaganda shield.

President Obama had this to say about Cornel West

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251590723

Despite West’s disapproval of Obama, he eventually embraced the political phenom, crossing the country as a surrogate and touting his Oval Office bona fides. The two publicly embraced at a 2007 Apollo Theater fundraiser in Harlem during which West christened Obama “my brother... companion and comrade.” Obama praised West as “a genius, a public intellectual, a preacher, an oracle,” and “a loving person.”

One thing about Cornel West, I believe he could be helpful to a certain extent so long as West and the Sanders campaign don't use his considerable abilities along the same lines as Al Gore and Mayor Koch in 88.

[longship]

9. Then, there's the Matrix movies.

Reloaded, and Revolutions.

Love them, or hate them. Myself, I think that they were minor films that traded special effects for the great narrative of the first film. And no, West (who basically plays himself) does not help.

So there's that.

I am neutral on West's political contribution. I don't see him as positive or negative. Some may know him and may care, or not. Most do not even know him. I would bet more know him via the Matrix franchise, which given the last two films, may not be a good endorsement.

Myself, I see him as a somewhat positive influence, but a minor one. No doubt he might disagree about the latter, which may be one of his problems.

My best to you.

[Cheese Sandwich]

14. I've never seen that.

First I've heard of it.

Interesting thanks.