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Puppycow · 20th May 2012, 06:08 PM

Quote:

If Cory Booker went on “Meet the Press” on Sunday with the intent of helping President Obama, then his appearance was an utter failure. But anyone who’s followed the enormously ambitious Newark mayor’s career closely knows he’s not one to pull a Joe Biden. He’s just too smart and too smooth to screw up so epically.

More likely, Booker went on the show to help himself and to advance his own long-term political prospects. And on that score, his appearance was a success.

You’ve probably seen or are now seeing the headlines Booker generated by calling the Obama campaign’s attacks on Mitt Romney’s private equity background “nauseating” and likening them to efforts by some on the right to inject Rev. Jeremiah Wright into the campaign.

“Enough is enough,” Booker said. “Stop attacking private equity. Stop attacking Jeremiah Wright.”

He added: “I have to just say from a very personal level, I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity. To me, it’s just we’re getting to a ridiculous point in America. Especially that I know I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people invest in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital’s record, they’ve done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses. And this, to me — I’m very uncomfortable with.”

. . .

It wouldn’t be surprising if Booker has already heard from the White House, and surely he’s now in for a world of abuse from Obama supporters. But that hardly means he made a mistake, at least in terms of his own ambition. Financial support from Wall Street and, more broadly speaking, the investor class has been key to Booker’s rise, and remains key to his future dreams.

It’s easy to forget, but before the world met Barack Obama in 2004, many believed that the first black president would be Booker. Armed with Stanford, Yale and Oxford degrees and all of the invaluable personal connections he forged at those institutions, he set out in the mid-1990s to craft a uniquely appealing political biography, swearing off lucrative job offers to move to Newark’s Central Ward and take up residence in public housing. Within a few years, he won a seat on the City Council, where he showed an early and consistent knack for self-generated publicity, most notably with a ten-day hunger strike in the summer of 1999.

Of course running into a burning building to save a woman probably won't hurt his political prospects either.

Is this the start of Booker 2016?

mikedenk · 20th May 2012, 07:04 PM

He is an impressive man; it really seems like he is one of the "good guys" in politics.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, I highly recommend the documentary Street Fight which chronicles his first (and unsuccessful) mayoral run. Great film.

tomwaits · 20th May 2012, 08:28 PM

I've seen Street Fight. It's a great movie, though the filmmakers are so pro-Booker that I wonder if we're really getting the whole picture of that campaign. I also saw some of another doc on CSPAN about charter schools, and how Booker lent his support to the concept despite populist opposition.

The guy almost sounds too clean. He's like some kind of over-achieving robot.

Puppycow · 20th May 2012, 08:54 PM

Booker backtracked pretty quickly, but the damage is already done. The backtrack also makes Booker look weak-kneed.

mikedenk · 20th May 2012, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by Puppycow

Booker backtracked pretty quickly, but the damage is already done. The backtrack also makes Booker look weak-kneed.

He must've thought that exhibiting a moderate and non-partisan tone would win him some friends. How foolish.

I agree that his backtracking looks weak... it also reads like it was written by the DNC-bot 3000, as opposed to his original statements which sounded candid.

tomwaits · 20th May 2012, 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by tomwaits

He's like some kind of over-achieving robot.

Originally Posted by mikedenk

it also reads like it was written by the DNC-bot 3000, .

I think we're onto something!

20th May 2012, 06:08 PM	#1
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 16,025	Booker 2016? Cory Booker, surrogate from hell Quote: If Cory Booker went on “Meet the Press” on Sunday with the intent of helping President Obama, then his appearance was an utter failure. But anyone who’s followed the enormously ambitious Newark mayor’s career closely knows he’s not one to pull a Joe Biden. He’s just too smart and too smooth to screw up so epically. More likely, Booker went on the show to help himself and to advance his own long-term political prospects. And on that score, his appearance was a success. You’ve probably seen or are now seeing the headlines Booker generated by calling the Obama campaign’s attacks on Mitt Romney’s private equity background “nauseating” and likening them to efforts by some on the right to inject Rev. Jeremiah Wright into the campaign. “Enough is enough,” Booker said. “Stop attacking private equity. Stop attacking Jeremiah Wright.” He added: “I have to just say from a very personal level, I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity. To me, it’s just we’re getting to a ridiculous point in America. Especially that I know I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people invest in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital’s record, they’ve done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses. And this, to me — I’m very uncomfortable with.” . . . It wouldn’t be surprising if Booker has already heard from the White House, and surely he’s now in for a world of abuse from Obama supporters. But that hardly means he made a mistake, at least in terms of his own ambition. Financial support from Wall Street and, more broadly speaking, the investor class has been key to Booker’s rise, and remains key to his future dreams. It’s easy to forget, but before the world met Barack Obama in 2004, many believed that the first black president would be Booker. Armed with Stanford, Yale and Oxford degrees and all of the invaluable personal connections he forged at those institutions, he set out in the mid-1990s to craft a uniquely appealing political biography, swearing off lucrative job offers to move to Newark’s Central Ward and take up residence in public housing. Within a few years, he won a seat on the City Council, where he showed an early and consistent knack for self-generated publicity, most notably with a ten-day hunger strike in the summer of 1999. Of course running into a burning building to save a woman probably won't hurt his political prospects either. Is this the start of Booker 2016?
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

20th May 2012, 08:54 PM	#4
Puppycow Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 16,025	Booker backtracked pretty quickly, but the damage is already done. The backtrack also makes Booker look weak-kneed.
	__________________ “Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

20th May 2012, 07:04 PM	#2
mikedenk Muse Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Midsouth, USA Posts: 816	He is an impressive man; it really seems like he is one of the "good guys" in politics. For anyone who hasn't seen it, I highly recommend the documentary Street Fight which chronicles his first (and unsuccessful) mayoral run. Great film.

20th May 2012, 08:28 PM	#3
tomwaits Master Poster Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chicago, IL, USA Posts: 2,289	I've seen Street Fight. It's a great movie, though the filmmakers are so pro-Booker that I wonder if we're really getting the whole picture of that campaign. I also saw some of another doc on CSPAN about charter schools, and how Booker lent his support to the concept despite populist opposition. The guy almost sounds too clean. He's like some kind of over-achieving robot.

20th May 2012, 10:46 PM	#5
mikedenk Muse Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Midsouth, USA Posts: 816	Originally Posted by Puppycow Booker backtracked pretty quickly, but the damage is already done. The backtrack also makes Booker look weak-kneed. He must've thought that exhibiting a moderate and non-partisan tone would win him some friends. How foolish. I agree that his backtracking looks weak... it also reads like it was written by the DNC-bot 3000, as opposed to his original statements which sounded candid.

20th May 2012, 11:12 PM	#6
tomwaits Master Poster Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Chicago, IL, USA Posts: 2,289	Originally Posted by tomwaits He's like some kind of over-achieving robot. Originally Posted by mikedenk it also reads like it was written by the DNC-bot 3000, . I think we're onto something!