Interesting story on Cory Booker's first week in the Senate

[FuckmouthedRube]

I like anybody with brains and balls in that leadership position, even if I may disagree with some of his political objectives. My problem with Obama is that I don't think he has enough of either. I think Booker is smarter than Obama, even though he is not as formally educated. He defintiely has more balls.

Booker's got a better academic pedigree than Obama: Stanford undergrad. Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, Yale Law.

 

[2&2 Slider To Leyritz]

Then even better for him.

 

[bernbp5]

I'm not assuming anything and I, like you, read it in context. For argument's sake, let's say I'm a step below the 'C'-level at a public company and I'm in line for the CFO role.. if in discussing this with anyone in my leadership, I commented that I'm not quite sure what the CFO does, I'd be permanently sidetracked. For that reason, and that reason alone, I found his comment interesting.

I read it as he doesn't know what Senators do on a day to day/minute to minute basis. I know what my boss does, but i don't know every single report that she generates, or every conversation that she has with everyone.

 

[PhDeac]

I read it as he doesn't know what Senators do on a day to day/minute to minute basis. I know what my boss does, but i don't know every single report that she generates, or every conversation that she has with everyone.

Exactly. The job of a mayor is very different than a US senator.

 

[BillBrasky]

The job of a Senator is to pass legislation that gets killed in committee, if it even makes it there.

There you go Senator, you're welcome.

 

[Deacfreak07]

The job of a Senator is to pass legislation that gets killed in committee, if it even makes it there.

There you go Senator, you're welcome.

I think this comment isn't that far off from what Booker was trying to communicate. It's no secret that voters don't love Washington gridlock at all. His comments not only demonstrate humility, but they also prop up his executive successes against the incompetence that is pretty apparent in Congress. If/when he runs for Governor and/or POTUS, I honestly expect him to circle back to the rhetoric.

 

[Deacfreak07]

Yeah I think he would be better served by going back to NJ as governor before making a Presidential run. I like Booker a lot and think he would be a great President. Unfortunately, the same way Romney's biggest obstacle was overcoming the Bush comparisons, Booker's biggest obstacle is going to be overcoming the Obama comparisons. Obviously Booker and Obama are quite different, but he will have to convince the nation of that, and going right from the Senate to a presidential run wouldn't help.

I think Booker's unique successes as a hands on Mayor (especially if could translate it to Governor) should be more than enough of a contrast with Obama who's most accurate criticisms are being initially devoid of executive experience and being aloof as a manager. Nothing in Booker's resume would lend itself to those critiques. Unfortunately, there are plenty of voters who will see Booker as "Black POTUS candidate B" to Obama's "Black POTUS A", but let's be honest, those voters probably aren't swinging Booker's way anyway.

Booker seems like the real deal, and he's had a pretty bright spotlight for a while now which is a good sign for any skeletons that might be in the closet. If he continues to be (or even just appear) as genuine as he is now, he will be really, really hard to be. Even Ann Coulter is a fan.

 

[DeacLaw05]

Booker's got a better academic pedigree than Obama: Stanford undergrad. Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, Yale Law.

Smarter than Obama? I didn't think that was humanly possible...

 

[TownieDeac]

I guess what I like about Booker is that he really seems to embody, to me, what it means to be a "public servant." From Wikipedia:

"He has gained a national reputation for his personal involvement in public service, including going on a ten-day hunger strike outdoors to draw attention to the dangers of open-air drug dealing, living on a "food stamp" budget to raise awareness of food insecurity, shoveling the driveway of a constituent upon request, allowing Hurricane Sandy victims into his home, helping a constituent propose to his girlfriend, rescuing a dog from freezing temperatures, saving a woman from a house fire at his own risk and rescuing a dog that had been locked in a crate. He is an avid Twitter user and played collegiate football at Stanford."

I'm sure the more cynical among us will see some of these things as posturing, but what it says to me is that it's a guy who legitimately cares about the people he serves.

 

[Deacfreak07]

I guess what I like about Booker is that he really seems to embody, to me, what it means to be a "public servant." From Wikipedia:

"He has gained a national reputation for his personal involvement in public service, including going on a ten-day hunger strike outdoors to draw attention to the dangers of open-air drug dealing, living on a "food stamp" budget to raise awareness of food insecurity, shoveling the driveway of a constituent upon request, allowing Hurricane Sandy victims into his home, helping a constituent propose to his girlfriend, rescuing a dog from freezing temperatures, saving a woman from a house fire at his own risk and rescuing a dog that had been locked in a crate. He is an avid Twitter user and played collegiate football at Stanford."

I'm sure the more cynical among us will see some of these things as posturing, but what it says to me is that it's a guy who legitimately cares about the people he serves.

I agree with you. I've been following his career a little bit for the last several years (like many who watched Street Fight). I think whether that is genuine or contrived is actually not that important a distinction provided he remains consistently committed to that image. I think that image is going to be really, really hard to beat. My dream campaign is Palin vs. Booker. It would be a massacre of the highest order. She seems to be the antithesis of Booker in just about every way.