DeRay Mckesson has announced he’s running for Mayor of Baltimore. Mckesson is best known for his activism in the Black Lives Matter movement and is especially prolific on social media. I follow him on Twitter and, frankly, I think he’s great. (Watch his interview on Colbert, it’s really good.)
But I don’t think he’ll make a great mayor.
Activists are defined by their commitment to their ideals. Effective politicians cannot be committed to ideals. The very nature of politics requires compromise.
This is also why I won’t vote for Bernie Sanders. Though he and I are probably more politically aligned than Hillary Clinton, I have serious reservations about his ability to be an effective leader in a contentious political arena.
I hope the politics doesn’t distract from either of their missions.