Booker's timing was off. He was spreading a message of hope when Democrats are basically angry at Trump. We haven't seen the last of Cory, and he could even be somebody's running mate.
Policy is important, but when people vote in the primaries the overriding issue is who can beat Donald Trump by getting 270 votes in the Electoral College?
3
What went wrong? To start with, he's from New Jersey. The reason Trump being from New York wasn't a death knell for his campaign was that he campaigned as an anti-New-York New Yorker.
Booker's too smart for democracy; but then, so was Obama.
2
Interesting how voters view candidates - some like a candidate because of a single policy the candidate espouses, others look at the history of a candidate and if there was an unfortunate vote, then that deep-sixes the candidate.
My personal response to Senator Booker is that he is a very intelligent man and a good person. I just never could quite picture him as President - maybe a self help guru.
Any one of the Democratic candidates are incomparably better than the disaster we have with Trump in the Oval Office.
Didn't have the backing of the majority of Democrats, or even enough to get a podium in the latest debate. What's the issue?
Have no doubt: he will be back.
2
Bernie Sanders and a whole host of ‘who?’ is what happened. The Democratic primary voters (or those answering pollsters), are not interested in beating Trump or rational solutions. While the ACA is before the SCOTUS ready to be struck down thanks to Trump
and Barr, instead of screaming this with a bullhorn the Dems are arguing about Medicare for all, free college, bussing and reparations.
Folks like Booker, Bennett, Hickenlooper and Bullock, Klobuchar couldn’t/can’t get any traction, but Tulsi Gabbard and Andrew Yang could.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Dems will absolutely blow this. Again. Trump in the WH with Mitch McConnell as majority leader for 6 more years until he is 83!
3
His message of "love" did not resonate with me at all at a time when the GOP is fighting dirty and Dem voters are looking for a candiate to take on Trump and his lying and cheating enablers. He's an excellent debater but came across as all form and no substance.
3
"...as a black man whose family had to overcome racist housing discrimination in New Jersey...."
That topic alone would have made a debate between him and the Republican nominee well worth watching.
1
I think of all that could be achieved, solved with the money that is wasted on these annoying campaigns.
6
A man who spoke with passion and came off as bloodless. Appearing earnest while supping with pharmaceutical barons.
Ambition, thy name is Corey.
4
Booker: a glib, superficial, self-promoting phony. The Democratic field of candidates is better without him.
Jasper
6
At 50, is it really fair to say bookers opportunity has passed?
We’ll see more from Cory and I look forward to the next time he runs.
1
@Jasfleet
“He pledged to offer sweeping clemency to thousands of nonviolent drug offenders ....”
The convict officially imprisoned for a nonviolent crime has, in fact, most often pled down from a violent reality - and a violent past.
Ordinary men with a marijuana cigarette do not go to jail. The guys in jail have hurt people and have stolen hard-earned property. Real criminals are a real problem and if you do not like mass incarceration you had best come up with a real alternative.
That these men with nonviolent convictions actually live a violent, criminal lifestyle does not concern him, that his policies will neither confine nor deter them does not concern him, that they will prey on your loved ones does not concern him.
2
For me, it was simple. He spent his first term seeking another job instead of doing the job we in NJ hired him for. And now that he failed at that, he'll spend the rest of the term trying to campaign to be re-elected based on... what? His 'record'? His 'performance'? As a mayor, he showed promise. But as a Senator he has yet to deliver and I doubt that I would vote for him again.
18
His time in the sun is coming. Don't be surprised if he isn't offered the VP spot.
1
Corey Booker is NOT over! At least, I hope not.
1
None of the Dem candidates can win. Our bubbles are going to be the death of our party. Look at how Trump was cheered tonight.
6
"Rolodex of influential donors on Wall Street" kinda says it all
6
For 4 decades, Booker has lusted for the office of the POTUS. He has come across as disingenuous and pompous. His outsized ego has been his downfall since his says in Newark
People in the NY, NJ area have know him as a publicity hound... much like we knew the present occupant in the oval now
3
Hillary should have selected him to be her Vice Presidential running-mate!
2
He was a truly awful candidate who attempted to use race to divide us, not unify us. Every one of his debate performances were terrible and cringeworthy. He is a fraud and a fake, like Castro and Harris.
4
Maybe when he has another 25 years of experience and is Bernie’s age he will be a strong candidate ... ???
4
Another candidate who never stood a chance except in his own mind. Never hurts to be a dreamer.
3
Apparently another black man is what the public doesn't want, Such a shame.
2
Maybe in a non-Trump era.
The Trump Presidency has created a voter who, above all else, is looking for a return to normalcy; a voter seeking a candidate he/she knows.
Hence Joe Biden's continued strong showing.
2
Cory's departure says more about the electorate. He would have been a fine president.
1
Big fan of Booker. I agree that this is not his time to be president. He is still young and I expect to hear more from him in the future. Anytime I hear him talk he gives me hope.
3
This has more to do with money than anything else. Once long ago, our nation recognized that there was such a thing as "dangerous money." The Roberts court has upended that whole notion by saying preposterously that "money is speech." This has made ALL campaigns far too costly. Any rational system would set some sort of spending limits––with no "dark" money allowed.
3
I supported Cory Booker and enjoyed listening to him. I think the article is correct on some of the struggles faced by his campaign and style.
It is a shame that a principled experienced nice guy based on unity seems to have a far more uphill battle than other candidates who come across as angry and wanting to fight as a matter of attracting voters/donors.
Are we as a country really this angry?
3
I share many of the positive comments about Sen. Booker, and I was a small contributor. He does seem a fine and deep person. Unfortunately, his campaign style, his humor, and his inner passion did not arouse or inspire our angry and frustrated democratic voters or project a powerful presidential identity. I hope and expect, however, that we will see a lot more of him in the future (in a dem administration or next election).
2
All the candidates had bad moments, Booker’s just especially memorable. Also, so many people running that no one bothers to look past the initial impression. Democratic Party really has to talk some sense into some of these people, they’re just taking up space, not contributing that much at this point. Reporters aren’t and can’t listen to everyone.
What’s wrong is he is excessively woke and a big scold. Wouldn’t have worked out so well if he was the nominee. On the other hand, practically every Democrat candidate is excessively woke and a scold, except for Yang. Bloomberg makes up for his lack of woke with an extra helping of scold.
4
@James What does that even mean?
1
I have only one word, Cory: Pharmaceuticals
4
Booker is young enough to be a contender in 2924 or 2028.
I was underwhelmed by Booker’s performance in the debates.
Whatever his virtues, Booker came across in the Democratic debates as snarky and petulant.
Not a winning look on the national stage.
2
Smart, articulate, visionary. Key elements of a classic leader. We (the voters) just don’t seem to have the sense to get someone of Booker’s caliber into the White House.
6
Soon all the Democratic candidates but one will end a once promising chapters in their political careers. This is all so melodramatic. He woke up about 60 days ago and realized it's the 4th quarter and I'm down by 3 touchdown..not until then did he fully engage the public to let himself be known. And all this talk about the gender and race of the remaining candidates is a distraction. The Democrats fielded a very diverse field not everyone can win.
1
Booker voted against lower drug prices when M4A is the number one debate topic in this primary. Bad votes have consequences.
2
His self-proclaimed 'Spartacus' moment put me off. Seemed a bit of grandstanding so I never considered him as a presidential candidate.
10
To run a campaign with a message of unifying us all, it’s tough to rely on wedge issues. Just read the article again and count how many times issues important to the working poor middle class are mentioned. Perhaps an Oxford and Stanford education have made Mr. Booker a bit out of touch with the working class despite his humble roots. Too bad.
6
As is so often the case, the author of this article is loathe to mention an additional important explanation of "what went wrong" - to wit: Booker, despite his brilliance and progressive bona fides, suffers from an inability to relax and come across as genuine. His excellent mind produces sentences faster than we mere mortals can process, his pronouncements often come across as focus-group-tested slogans. I truly hope he learns how to relate to the average voter.
5
Booker was very good but lacked the X factor that Barack Obama has always had. In network TV feeds, for instance, Obama had stood out among senators and governors when he spoke, well before he ever ran for president.
8
Since Booker’s behavior during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and his weird Spartacus moment I’ve been avoiding him...there must have been too many others just like me.
6
He was too nice and seen as a uniter. We need inspiration and a fighter.
2
Booker would have been a leader contender under any other circumstances, but in the current political climate, he's just not enough of a brawler, frankly. I hope he runs again. He will have learned a tremendous amount from this election cycle and he has a tremendous breadth of ideas and political experience to drawn from. I believe he is a good man.
Regarding our current climate, tonight I found myself watching (instead of deleting - mea culpa) tonight's episode of Frontline. The radical right rise to power in this country is captured, documentary style, so well that I am spellbound. I lived through all of this, but I stopped thinking about the genesis of the Tea Party movement a long time ago. It's well worth watching and I hope the episode (it's a two parter) gets some press. I've seldom been as impressed with balanced documentary reporting about why we are. Who would've imagined Roger Stone and Ann Coulter being given equal time with opposing left wing advisors and journalists? It's truly extraordinary.
5
I'm sad. I think Cory Booker would be an excellent President. I hope he runs again.
8
There are many issues with Booker that this article glosses over. He dropped out, he's not dead. A $100
million from Facebook for schools that simply vanished. Sweetheart deals for real estate developers in Newark. And worst of all, voting against Bernie's bill to let seniors buy prescription drugs from Canada. That was the last straw for me. Honestly I'm surprised by the positive comments here.
14
Let's be brutal here - New Jersey does not have a good record of its public officials faring well on a national stage.
On our Republican side - the poster boy is Christie.
On Democrat side - many NJ federal senators got caught up in all kinds of scandals.
His co senator, Mendenez is that poster child.
Also, Obama has made being black - as a selling point - a totally non starter.
Americans have gotten over a black president as a dream.
And as a Republican, I can say a primary reason of Obama was that novelty.
So, Mr. Booker had a lot to overcome.
And we Republicans would have held his feet to fire over Kavanaugh.
All in all, he has no chance.
And as a number 2 - if another senator is the top of ticket - hard to believe 2 senators will make up for any strength of one senator.
I say that because only two sitting senators were ever elected a POTUS in modern times.
And that's JFK - and Obama - both for entirely different reasons.
Senators don't make good top of the ticket candidates.
2
Thank you Corey Booker. You are a much needed voice and I’m glad this country got to envision you as our leader.
7
Glad he's going to run for senator, again. I work live to see him in President Warren's cabinet. He's authentic, very bright, a heckuva senator, and hope we'll be seeing a lot more of him. This country desperately needs people who really care about the middle class of this country.
8
He started off his campaign looking like a flake at the Kavanaugh hearing and never was able to shed that image because he continued to say and do things that seemed quirky, but not authentically so.
6
Sorry to see Cory Booker leave the presidential race. I never understood why he didn’t attract more support. His campaign, like other candidates’, is a victim of too many candidates and the strongest “flavors” getting most attention. I believe this is similar behavior to Republicans voting for Trump in the 2016 primary. Americans are saturated with marketing and entertainment. Unfortunately that has become our value set and common vocabulary. Candidates have to sell their identity and being a really intelligent, experienced, diplomatic, and nice person is not top of the qualifications list. (In our president’s case, apparently these qualities are entirely absent from Republicans’ qualification list. Read his most recent tweets. It’s stunning. This must be a nightmare. People can’t actually vote for such a person..)
Anyway, we are very lucky to have Cory Booker in the Senate where I hope he will stay and help get us through these uncertain and strange times.
6
Booker may be no longer a contender for the nomination but his voice should not restricted, it should be echoed and encouraged.
6
Bloomberg Booker... a winner.
BLOOMBERG - BOOKER! I mean this, and this is after I have donated hundreds to Pete (read his book!) and volunteered for 8 months fervently for Bernie the last cycle.
But now with Bloomberg's advantages financially and Booker's marvelous interview with the Times that Bernie himself blew royally. He was asleep at the wheel.
No doubt.
1
Thank you, Senator Booker, for your passionate advocacy and your service to our country. We look forward to many years of service to come, and to your ongoing help winning the White House (and Senate!) in 2020.
We are beholden to you and the example you have set.
5
I was enthusiastic about Sen. Booker when he announced his candidacy, but what I saw of him on the debates was a turn off. He was so prepared, packaged and artificial. All of the physical posturing didn't help either. I felt he was presenting an image he had been told people wanted to hear, to have them notice and vote for him.
10
Senator Booker; Cory, thank you so much for showing me that it's possible to be a successful politician and work from the heart as well as the head. I will be honest: my daughter has been employed by your campaign and when she was adamant that your campaign was her top choice for a job, I was surprised. She had many offers. She began my "Cory" education by recommending I watch "Street Fight", and I was hooked.
My daughter was right, you are the real deal, a man who walks his talk. You have set the bar so high, I am having trouble picking another candidate to support. No one else's speeches have made me cry.
I am very sad that you are leaving this race at this time, but I know that you will continue to be a powerful voice for all of us. I look forward to you running again in the future. And now, go win your Senate seat, listen to your mother about Rosario, and continue to be a beacon of hope.
5
I admire Senator Booker but I believe he needs to express his ideas and proposals in a more succinct way. It seems he talks and talks and talks and the message may be there but it's lost to the casual listener. Perhaps the current political climate is so accustomed to shock tactics that we don't have the patience to listen but that must be addressed by the candidate.
4
While I find Corey Booker genial and initially friendly, I was disappointed by his candidacy. Whereas I had been looking forward to his candidacy a couple of years back (when it was speculated), I was disappointed by how he his candidacy evolved.
Positive and friendly - preaching a message of love, I felt like he wasted valuable opportunities to present himself and ideas by continually using his debate performances to go after Joe Biden. Seriously? Most Democrats know Biden from his long service and record in government - warts and all. So I was disappointed when Booker (and Harris, Swallwell, and Castro...etc.) used their time in the limelight to diss Biden.
I learned little about those candidates ideas, priorities, and character as they continually rehashed Biden. Not exactly inspiring or appealing.
Not only was I surprised by Booker, the Happy Warrior, going after Biden personally - I was disappointed that he had so little respect for Biden having been a US Senator and two-term Vice President. Whatever anyone’s opinion is of Biden, he has served the country in those offices and deserves respect - or we all to descend into snarky, pithy asides some politicians have resorted to these days?
Booker is a young man and hopefully has many years ahead in public life. My sincere hope is that he will continue to grow and develop politically, and that this experience teaches him about himself, the country, those who serve, and the presidency.
5
Cory Booker would have been an incredible President (and will hopefully makes it there someday). But his message of love and unity didn’t do well in this era of the internet outrage machine, where the more outrage and bluster and hatred and division you sow, the more clicks you get.
Once social media platforms figure out how to give the internet the same norms we abide by in the real world, Cory Booker will run laps around his opponents on his way to the White House.
3
Despite being a Rhodes scholar and a Stanford football player he never caught fire on TV. He seemed like a nice fellow, too nice in fact with a ready laugh and eager to see the plus side of things. In my view, he lacked a kind of gravitas that some voters look for in a presidential candidate.
11
He’ll be VP or HUD. I’m not too worried for him!
3
Comparing Booker to Buttigieg, I found Booker to be needlessly verbose. I also remembered Bookers speeches during the Kavanaugh hearings, they weren’t great, no one was persuaded to see things Bookers way. Buttigieg in contrast has a bright and refreshing perspective that is winning over Republicans and Democrats alike.
8
I hope whoever wins the Democratic nomination will seriously consider Senator Booker as the candidate for Vice President.
He has the intelligence, experience, temperament, and vision to help lead the country toward a path of dignity, mutual respect, and constructive policies among citizens of our country and the world.
7
Booker is a class act. I donated early to his campaign (though I prefer Warren, and donated to her early also). It was just not the right time. He's got the experience, he's lived his values, and this run will give him valuable experience on the presidential campaign trail. There were just too many other good candidates this time for him to get any traction. He will be back.
7
Cory Booker has always been a great front man for Wall Street. His support & advocacy for publicly-funded private schools (aka charter schools) disqualified him for me.
He's a talented politician and a tremendous orator. Too bad he speaks for the ultra-wealthy who are liberal on social issues, and not for the needs of the majority of Americans.
13
It took me a while to warm to him, and now I think that wasn’t right. I was a Harris supporter out the gate, but she struggled with defining her priorities and making her case. Booker has well defined policy priorities and his values are clear. He’ll be missed.
3
When you have multiple unqualified individuals who want to " be recognized" many will demonstrate their inadequacy. This happened in several ways to CB. He's just not presidential and not overly charismatic. Plus he has not one original idea- simply the same liberal campaign as the others. Of course he fell out.
8
Booker never really stood out in the debates or in any other way. HIs campaign seemed aimed toward the disaffected, but so some other campaigns and other than the fact that he actually lives in Newark, there was not much that was unique about Booker. He is the son of two IBM executives, so he hardly came from a hard-scrabble background. Stanford football, Yale Law, and Rhodes Scholar are impressive, but Booker has been in the Senate a very brief time. He grandstanded at the Kavanaugh hearings and seemed more interested in publicity than truth. He was not going to be the nominee, although he could end up on the ticket to help motivate black voters to turn out, something they failed to do in 2016, which is one reason why we have a Republican in the White House.
3
@DRR
A Republican is in the White House because the majority of whites, the dominant population in the country, voted for him.
Mr. Booker's "Hallmark" greeting card message of love ("agape" or spiritual love) for the Trump/McConnell version of the GOP was simply out of touch with the will of the overwhelming majority of the Democratic primary voters, and contrary to morally right common sense. Accordingly, his departure was just a matter of time. And, as a "baby boom generation" Afro-American man, his claim that the weeding out process for the so-called debates (but are really joint press conferences) is racially discriminatory/insensitive or has a disparate impact on nonwhite candidates is offensive and insulting. If it was so, then he should have never participated in the first place.
4
Many seem compelled to place the blame for Mr. Booker's failure on anything but Mr. Booker himself. Mr. Booker was not forced out of the competition because of DNC rules, or Citizens United, or racism.
Rather, many former or potential supporters saw an opportunist,with no core message, who measured his positions not on true personal values, but on the particular political whims of the day. What some saw as sincerity, others saw a calculating phoniness.
It is not by accident that, whether you like them or not, the remaining candidates seem genuinely passionate about their convictions, despite knowing that their positions will alienate many voters. They are consistent and stick to their stated principles.
Mr. Booker displayed none of these characteristics. He has no one but himself to blame.
20
@Gino G — I agree with your assessment. Unfortunately, I found Senator Booker calculating.
Understood that many people had a better opinion of Senator Booker, but he failed to rally a sufficient number to his cause.
It baffles me why two of the most least diverse states Iowa and New Hampshire carry so much weight in a party as the diverse as The Democrats. The fact that Mayor Pete, Bernie or Warren has not been able to crack the Black Wall around Biden in South Carolina seems to mean nothing.The current field who made the next debate stage are as exciting as watching grass growing or paint drying.We had an unexciting candidate in 2016 and we got Trump.Does the party think because people of color so dislike Trump that they will turnout in mass? Disliking Trump and turnout don't go hand in hand. Shades of 2016. Running up vote totals in New York and California isn't going to win in 2020.
3
I trusted Booker. I also trusted Kasich. What's left? ABT sums it up.
1
Booker's presidential candidacy was never going to take off. He may have smarts, but it never came across that he had fire in the belly or a real desire to lead the world, beyond the presidency being the next big thing to surmount.
8
Corey was my favorite candidate.
To paraphrase Chris Matthews of MSNBC the person most likely to defeat Trump would be his polar opposite. Corey, in my opinion, was.
He is an eloquent, charismatic, brilliant man whose message of civic grace and healing of our divisions was truly the antidote to Trump’s demagogic divisive politics. He is a champion of progressive politics and recognizes the need to reach out to all Americans to create policies that will address problems like gun violence, social and income inequality, healthcare, climate change, and infrastructure.
His failure to ignite the Democratic base as an unifying nominee is a tragic loss to the Democratic Party. I feel Corey Booker would have been a magnificent nominee for President and more importantly had the potential to become a great President with the communication skills and the charisma of Democratic Presidents like JFK, FDR, and Barack Obama. Hopefully in the future he will get another opportunity to become the inspiring leader all Americans need!
13
PS ... and old/young
What went wrong? Not "everybody is above average" in their political appeal. Obama has the political appeal for president,
Booker - not so much. No conspiracy theory. Nothing to be ashamed of.
5
I think people are deluded / borderline "nuts" to think Booker had a snowball's chance in the states that matter in the EC ... e.g. Michigan, Ohio, Penn, Wisc, NC, FLA etc ... THOSE are the states that (just like last time) will keep everybody up late and then determine the next president. Booker vs trump in those states? fuggetaboutit.
I live in a notoriously "purple-turning-blue" state that trump doesn't have a prayer in. And it blows me away how clueless WE are (much like NY, NJ, CA, etc) when it comes to defeating trump in 2020. It's the "hearts & minds" of the above-listed states that stuck it to Hillary in 2016, and would most likely done the same to Booker (and Bernie, and likely EW) in 2020, that will determine the next president. Get used to it.
So far, Biden (shudder) appears to be the only Dem candidate with a prayer of winning the EC in those contested states.
Warning: Stay home & pout, Bernie supporters, (like lots of you did in 2016) ... and you'll get 4 more years of trump. I'll vote for ANYONE (Dem) that gets the nomination, no matter who, but the rest of you crazies who thought Booker had a prayer in MI, OH, PA, NC etc had better do the same and turn out for Biden / whoever,
or you'll be tearing your hair out in Nov 2020. ANYONE but trump.
11
What a shame. If I had known he was in such financial straits, I would have moved my support from my preferred candidate to him. I, being a semi-white man, would have gladly voted for him for president. Let's hope that who ever wins the Democratic nomination picks him as his or her vice president nominee. That team would be unbeatable and a great national unifying team for the next eight years.
3
@Angelsea
It was super difficult for the '2nd tier' candidates to both adhere to their fundraising values and actually raise enough funds, because small donors felt conflicted between candidates and of course were limited in ability to contribute. I donated to Jay Inslee, Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar and am now 'bundling' those modest donations for Amy as the 'last woman standing' of my preferred candidates. I'm sure many donors found themselves in the same situation.
2
My vote wish list: 1) someone who will win in a landslide; 2) mayor or a governor who has actually run a government. the governors have all dropped out. that left smaller city mayors: Cory, Pete, and (once upon a time) Bernie. Now, bigger city mayor Bloomberg, appeals to me and definitely could produce that landslide victory.
2
Cory Booker's departure from the Democratic Party's presidential sweepstakes may be "closing a chapter" on his candidacy but Booker is young and appealing. I doubt that it is trashing the whole book on his political career.
That the Party has found itself incapable of sustaining his candidacy is a serious loss to its own fortunes, but more particularly the loss hurts the country. We are now left pretty much with a minority-free field. Andrew Yang hangs on with his cheerfully infectious optimism, but he lingers in the second tier of likelihood.
Whoever wins the Party crown should pick a VP running mate who will represent Americans who feel marginalized be our political machinery if s/he is to have any prospect of winning the whole cookie jar come November.
7
Cory Booker is my favorite so I am sad to see him go but hope that he continues to fight for what is truly right!
5
The IdiotLeft would rather follow the UK Labor party and be pure and lose rather than be pragmatic and win. Losing while pure allows for a certain smugness, like Jeremy Corbin's response to a devastating loss when he said 'we won all the arguments'. Absolutely useless to have the moral high ground and not be able to do any thing about it. Welcome to Corbin's world Bernie Busters.
2
What concerns me most is what this does to the movement for racial reparations. In the right hands, that was a sure winner.
Seemed like a decent guy, but he lost me with "I don't speak Swiss." A Rhodes Scholar, channeling Sarah Palin.
4
Me thinks Senator Booker just had the penultimate Spartacus moment.
2
Cory excels at one thing: self promotion. So he looks like presidential material from a distance. Many of us in New Jersey have a very different view because we can clearly see what he did as mayor of Newark, for example, Or more accurately, what he didn’t do as mayor. His polling numbers were in the basement for a reason. Glad he decided to end the charade. Hopefully, he’ll get back to actually doing his job in the Senate.
9
He is a lifetime pol empty suit whose only selling point was race. Never strarted or ran business and left Newark worse than when he started.
All talk- no action - no core principles.
9
I support Cory Booker, and I'm sad to see him suspend his campaign, but I am hoping that his promise doesn't remain "unfulfilled." Here's to a great future for a principled leader.
4
FYI: water crisis Newark, NJ:
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/newark-lead-crisis-raise-questions-city-scandal-cory/story?id=64969526
3
I'm sad to see this as I thought that Cory Booker could be the compromise candidate that Democrats of all stripes could ultimately support. He seemed to be liked by all, but the first choice of very few. Nevertheless, he could surface as a VP possibility and I am thankful to have his integrity, energy and humanity representing the great state of New Jersey.
5
If Warren and Booker unite as a team and announce it tomorrow night, they will win. Otherwise Warren will not get the nomination.
6
I wouldn't be too disappointed if I were him. He has a bright future ahead of him if he continues to do what he has done. It was a combination of still being just a little too green, and lack of name recognition. Would not be surprised in the least if he gets offered a solid position in an incoming administration. Keep the faith Corey!
3
Soft.
Plus, disgusting lead poisoning of Newark's portable water did not start with the current mayor.
7
I think he looked too much like Obama on paper and that scared voters. In the debates where he was allowed to appear he clearly contributed a great deal to the discussion.
1
I will vote for the Democrat that I believe will be the best President irrespective of gender, race, religion or ethnicity and can actually win the election. IMHO, Cory Booker is not that that candidate because he gave up. We can't make the World a better place if we can't beat Trump.
There is no justice.
@bordenl what was the injustice?
3
Cory Booker has been an excellent Senator from what I observed from news articles and other media over the years, but as a Presidential candidate he never articulated how he would be as a President, what his agenda would be; how his prior experience and values would translate into how he would act as President. voters need to know more about a candidate other than his stance on peace and unity. He will most likely campaign hard to get a Democrat into the White House and for that we will be grateful.
2
I love Cory.
This is really too bad - he was a great candidate and I hope he continues on as a public servant. He’d be a great choice for VP or for a cabinet position or to stay on as a Senator.
I think he’s - like most of the field - a victim of too many candidates!
Guilty trump is out there campaigning while Progressives are wasting precious time battling one another.
Thank you so much Senator Booker and can we please get ranked choice voting for the Democratic primaries?
1
No one ever drops out of an electoral contest. They just "suspend". Are they afraid to say they ended? Why?
1
The problem with Booker and many of the other candidates (save Warren and Sanders) is that the People want a REAL progressive, some some empty suite Wall Street establishment Democrat. Even in New Jersey he was seen as a phony voters did not like him because his stint in Newark was a failure he favored charters over public schools, was mute about the mismanagement of Cami Anderson , and swept the water crisis under the rug. In short , just using the office as a stepping stone for his eventual presidential run. The only reason why he won the senate is because Christie did such a horrible job, people voted for him (like me) just to spite Christie.
5
Senator: don’t give up. Keep fighting and, please,run again.
4
Booker's failure to capture support is surprising to be sure. He is bright, passionate and committed to many things that matter.
But his record on education was reason enough for me to prefer a great many others. He was in the thrall of ed reformers, who are in the thrall of billionaires.
This indicates that he is insufficiently aware of the corrosive effect of money on and in our country. We can do better.
It appears he ran his campaign as he ran the city of Newark while , badly and with little attention to detail.
5
All Booker did was constantly play the race card. Good riddance
9
@Jeremy Coney
It worked for Trump.
This is sad news, indeed. Corey Booker is a gentleman, a scholar, a decent, compassionate leader and a patriotic American. He is the polar opposite of Trump, and that is why I am disheartened to see him leave the race. It’s all about money, unfortunately. Sen. Booker has a bright future, and when the world recovers from the Satanic rule of Trump, I look forward to seeing the Senator seek the Oval Office again. He’s a good egg, a great American, and a shining example of what you get when you combine intellect with heart.
6
@H. Clark I agree, and wish I had the big dollars to give to his campaign. Unfortunately, I was one of those small dollar donors. We will miss his running.
5
Was Senator Booker even in the Presidential race? ( I am being sarcastic, of course. )
2
Joe Biden was handed the task as Hillary was last election. All the fanfare leading up to the nomination is just fluff.
1
He had zero chance.
6
Corey Booker might have looked appealing to those who weren’t familiar with his record in Newark. However, the Monmouth University poll (cited in the article) showed that his support in New Jersey was marginal at best. There are reasons for that.
It’s possible that Mr. Booker might still be able to do some good as a Senator. A few terms of honest and responsible service would make a real difference in how New Jersey residents perceive him.
12
I don’t understand why candidates put so much emphasis on the photo ops and “gotcha” moments of the debates. What prevents any of them from talking directly to the public via social media? Do they talk to editorial boards of newspapers? Why not create a podcast? Take your top ten issues, hire a production team, and lay out your plans.
It seems like they all want to make themselves look taller by standing on the necks of their opponents.
Just another Democrats Got Talent contestant shown the door. Booker achieve his primary goals: more attention and money than he could have possibly gotten as a Senator or mayor.
4
Booker is a good man. I hoped he would’ve done better. His genuine positivity and vision inspired me. I donated to his campaign several times. I also appreciated having a vegan running for president. The Senate needs him in the years ahead.
5
If the Senator left Newark in a better place than he found it, then I would be in his corner. Not sure that is the case. In terms of public safety, education and 'clean water', the Senator may not have lived up to his promises. And he needs a 'voice' that better captures the challenges of the Trump era...
5
Will one of the candidates please start talking about the deficit that continues to grow under this administration? While I appreciate and support the long term strategies that all the candidates are proposing nothing will come to fruition because of the amount of debt that will need to be addressed first and foremost when a new administration takes office.
Obviously nobody cares about the debt...... except Republicans when there is a democrat in the White House.
The NY Times writes : was unable to catch on with substantial numbers of voters and
NPR told was more direct : His campaign run out of money
This single event shows what is wrong with American politics:
You get paraded in front of donors. If you do not pass, your are out, unless you are a billionaire, like Bloomberg,
Don't get me wrong. I am Sanders voter. And I will vote for Bloomberg over Trump. But the political process , in the US, is sickening
6
Way to go, "Spartacus".
11
Goodbye Cory - I never knew you or the other 736282 democratic candidates running. Take care.
11
@Will
736283 of which were not worth knowing.
(This comment will never make it through.)
10
So long, Cory. We hardly knew you.
4
This is not the end for Cory Booker - he can have a brilliant career in the Senate or in other areas of public service (or business) of his choice.
3
When Jimmy Carter was elected President, he had won most of the 1976 Democratic primaries. His spark was he was a new face on the scene.
Corey Booker has been around long enough that most of us know his pluses and minuses, and that his minuses outweigh him becoming President in 2020.
It is not based on his race.
He came to the race without staff, money or very much support.
That is a trifecta in politics that will beat you every time.
5
I knew very little about Booker until he ran for President. I was impressed by his presence and his message in the debates. I was glad for the debates because they did give me the chance to see more of him. I hope that he continues to stay in public office as he has a lot to offer.
I find it interesting that the three candidates who made pleas for peace and unity--Marianne Williamson, Tulsi Gabbard and Booker---did not do well. I guess our country isn't ready for this yet---we still need more hostility, division and conflict?
6
Lol. Williamson didn't belong there in the first place; Gabbard has truly bizarre politics and has defended Assad. Booker 1) isn't from a swing state; 2) has a mixed record at best as mayor of Newark; and 3) strikes many as a total showboat (his Spartacus moment will haunt him for a while.
As a native of NJ, I loved Cory Booker. But why is there so much emphasis on his race? I genuinely don't care about the skin color of the remaining Democratic candidates. The only thing that matters is defeating the existential risk that occupies the White House. Focusing on race only helps Donald Trump.
11
@Willis because he himself constantly played the race card
5
Cory Booker hardly dropped in the 2020 race.
He won't be missed.
9
Cory just could not stay his own man. Got bit by the far left bug and suffered the consequence of losing his moderates.
4
Biden-Booker or Biden-Harris. Either fine with me!
3
Biden/K
Klobuchar
Ever since his Spartacus moment it has been hard to take him seriously. Too bad he didn’t drop out sooner.
11
Senator Booker's positive message of unity and hope was a welcome contrast to the negativity and fear-mongering that is commonly used as a weapon in today's raw political climate. I am sure that Cory Booker will consider a future political run as he is well-liked for his uplifting message, humor, and civility.
7
I'm sorry to see Booker leave the race. I donated a few dollars to his campaign early on because I wanted him to stay in it, even though I may not have ended up voting for him in the primary. If each person (of any race) who feels it's important to have a diverse field had donated $5 dollars to their campaigns, it probably wouldn't have ended up as an almost all white race.
6
If someone is qualified ( for anything ) it shouldn't matter what their ethnicity, color, religion or whom they choose to marry. Will we ever get beyond this?
5
@Sari
No. In fact, the country is moving in exactly the opposite direction.
5
From the article: “I got in this race to win, and I’ve always said I wouldn’t continue if there was no longer a path to victory,” Mr. Booker said in a statement to supporters.
I wonder what changed here on January 13th to convince Senator Booker he did not have a path forward. What path was available last week? last month? four months ago?
4
Unity sounds good in theory, but our nation is decades away from anything that would resemble unity ..
At any rate, nobody can't deny the fact that ALL [including, new age, aroma therapy woman] are qualified to handle Cabinet level or other high government posts.
I'm proud of our party!
1
I admire Senator Booker’s obvious intelligence and drive, but never really understood his rationale in running for President other than personal ambition and to serve as a spiritual successor to Barrack Obama. I hope Corey Booker runs again some day and that, when he does, he better articulates his mission and goals.
8
Thank you Mr. Booker. Keep fighting, keep shining.
5
It is a shame that it takes so much money to run for president. We have candidates like Bloomberg and Steyer, who while they have good ideas, have no path to win, but because they have tons of money, can afford to stay in the race.
I like Booker, but can not afford to contribute substantial sums of money to his campaign. This is another reason why we need publicly funded campaigns.
So we do not get the best candidates; just the candidates that can either raise tons of money or they are just plain rich.
3
Cory Booker was a good candidate, on paper. In fact, he only had one problem: nobody wanted him to be President.
To be honest, I think he was too emotional, in the wrong way. Americans want a President who is tough, cool, and shrewd; someone who can show emotions and empathy, but is always in control, and dignified.
Booker often seemed exasperated, or offended; he seemed to think that venting his pain and frustration (as in his "Spartacus" moment) was a good strategy for showing how serious he was. I don't think it worked for him, or Beto, or Harris, or Swalwell, or Williamson, or Gillibrand, or Castro.
The American people don't want to feel like they have to console, or reassure, the Commander in Chief.
11
@Patrick
Ha! Look at who is sitting in the Oval Office today. The biggest spoiled brat baby on earth.
6
@Fromjersey
He's ostensibly a megalomaniacal despot, Putin's sock puppet, and now a spoiled brat baby. I suppose he is also a shape-shifter?
1
He was never gong to get the nomination.
3
Such a loss, for big pharma and Wall Street.
9
Answered prayer; Cory's a nice guy but not quite ready for prime time.
3
Glad senators booker can help out during impeachment
2
Mr. Booker is a good man with great acumen and demonstrable ethics. He is well placed in his current position as a senator from New Jersey. America needs more senators like Mr. Booker in the senate. I am glad he is going back to what he does best.
3
We’re losing the 50- somethings - Castro, Bullock, Booker ... Not sure I’d hire a boomer in their 70s for this job. Though they’d be an improvement over that boomer.
2
It's pretty clear that the presidency is going to skip my generation. That said, I didn't care for any of the GenX candidates myself.
1
The Dems are obsessed with throwing Trump out of office, when they should be focused on offering candidates and policies that are capable of generating widespread support among all the American people--including flyover country. This obsession is a recipe for losing big in 2020.
11
A good man, in some ways before his time!
1
Sorry to see him go. So smart, caring with all the right stuff. Integrity and honesty. Glad he represents NJ
5
Fact is Booker isn't a very good (effective) Senator. He's really done very little for New Jersey as a Senator and how does being a one trick pony with prison reform make him a Presidential contender? As a New Jerseyian I've seen Booker as more attuned to personal ambitions than going out and connecting with his state constituency and dealing with the enormous problems we have to contend with. Not sorry to see him go.
14
Sen. Booker was my first choice candidate way back before he even ran, as witness my Team Booker 2020 bumper sticker on my guitar case. Pete Buttigieg become my "first" over time but I kept hoping Sen. Booker would catch on. He's definitely a keeper. VP perhaps?
1
Cory, I like you but please stop taking campaign money from Big Pharma. Someday you might have to pay for drugs for you and your family. If you ask him why he voted no on legislation that would have allowed importing dirt cheap medicine from Canada, he will spout the Lilly line: questionable efficacy and safety. I don't think so.
9
I never found Booker to be a particularly inspiration candidate and it had nothing to do with race. Stop with putting everything in terms of race. Obama is a black man who won the presidential race not once but twice. Fact, proof, period.
8
@Ozma
But Obama was followed by Trump! In some people's mind, this non sequitur simply confirms that America remains fundamentally unwilling to accept blacks in leadership positions.
African-American voters still have a committed, honest, strong and courageous champion in the race and that candidate is Senator Bernie Sanders. His policies- health care as a right, free college, getting big money out of politics, addressing income inequality, etc,- will profoundly and directly benefit disadvantaged groups and minorities have been profoundly disadvantaged in this country.
As President, he will fight for them. He believes in equal opportunity and equal justice. Booker is a good guy. Bernie’s policies are better.
4
@Joe
Sorry, Bernie is not that guy, neither is Biden despite the "polls."
1
I like Booker, but it was very crowded field and he didn't really stake out any policy ground that allowed him to stand out. But quite frankly, some of the candidates still in the race are there less for policy positions or ability, and more for novelty value.
2
How am I supposed to virtue signal when the only woman of color left is Elizabeth Warren?
12
@Tyler Barkley
Other than Warren and her Native American-ness, who is the sole remaining person of color in the race?
It's not that difficult to figure out why, despite his charisma, he wasn't able to rise above single digits. His constant refrain was "folks in my community" and "folks in my neighborhood." All very well and good if you're running for city council. But if running for President, you rather have to show at least a modicum of interest in other people's neighborhoods and communities.
4
60% of his donations from large donors; law firms, investment banks, big pharma are his biggest backers. Populism is on the rise across the spectrum. I'm shocked another phony, paid-for politician couldn't get any traction in Iowa and New Hampshire.
4
Platitudes about the "unity" & "soul of America" won't help with the monthly bills, medical expenses or student debt. Forty percent of the people in our country supposedly don't even have $500 for an emergency. Today's voters want politicians who are willing to fight for them. Doers & not talkers. And let's not forget, Corey Booker voted against cheaper drugs coming in from Canada for our citizens who were in need.
8
As of the third quarter of 2018, all remaining campaigning candidates including Trump reported a total of 295 million dollars in contributions. Our political system is worse than a prosperity church’s call for donations. It’s another capitalist money making and probably money laundering system hurting the average voter.
2
Big ideas with little specificity do not fly well in this current environment. People want concrete answers to the problems of inequality at every level, especially Newark which is a town ravaged with the same problems that have been there for decades, despite a Mayor who tried to dismiss this fact while running for higher office.
And then there is the problem of both his campaign’s dependence on wealthy donors and his inability to capture African American support. These problems have nothing to do with the DNC. Booker needs to do a campaign autopsy if he wants to win the Senate back.
3
Am I the only one who remembers Cory Booker’s disastrous partnership with Mark Zuckerberg and Chris Christie to reform Newark’s schools? I can’t say I’m sorry to see him leave the race.
8
@Educational Bootstrapper No, you are not the only one. Nor was the damage limited to the Newark school system. I wouldn’t put Corey Booker in quite the same league as Betsy DeVos, but he’s certainly not an asset to public education.
3
If he can follow Obama's model and avoid making the election about race, he can make a fine VP candidate.
5
@dba because he’s black.
1
This is a wonderfully in depth piece, out of step with so many of the implications made by pundits that it’s racism or bias that has held back certain candidates. The only missing piece is how inauthentic invocations of identity politics haven’t simply fallen on deaf ears, but have actively harmed the candidates who have made them. Whether it was blunting Elizabeth Warren’s rise or the early low ceilings for the seemingly promising candidacies of Booker, Castro, and Harris.
No one seems to remember that Barack Obama won over white progressive, educated “elite” voters before he won over everyone else. He won over people who had the privilege to hope. Then he went to those who just wanted a better shake. He did not divide people by race, he quite literally personified bringing them together. The only outsider candidate who has succeeded on that approach has been Pete Buttigieg.
1
Senator Booker seems to run for every higher office but really not accomplishing in his previous.
Mayor of Newark?
Senator ?
He is certainly a fine gentleman and intelligent.
But hey Senator get something done and stop running for office.
The presidency should be qualified on the ability to lead our country. Race isn't an issue.
Please accomplish something besides running for office.
Have you considered the Papacy ?
7
May the best man lose.
He was an excellent candidate. I always hoped he'd pull up from behind.
3
He was running? Who knew!
Buh-bye.
5
Bye, Corey.
Next time, try standing for something and fewer platitudes, okay?
16
Exactly his problem.
6
His biggest issue is that he didn't have the support of the teacher's unions.
He saved Newark's schools with Charters (The Economist had a great piece about this in 2019), but teacher's unions will never support him because it was through the use of charters, and they are completely against it.
Shame. You can save the kids, but can't save the unions and powerful teachers behind them.
4
"but teacher's unions will never support him because it was through the use of charters, and they are completely against it"
Everyone should be against corporate-welfare schools. Even from the start, they lied about helping public schools, lied about saving money, and lied about serving the public instead of serving specific classes and ethnicities. If Booker lost on supporting charters, GOOD.
The charter program used Zuckerberg money anyway. Do you REALLY want THAT creep involved at ALL with our government, let alone your KIDS?! I wouldn't trust him with using my comb without trying to extract DNA.
4
Booker brought so much good to the race as a next generation leader. It's disappointing he never quite caught on. He's bright, energetic, positive and I hope for all our sakes that he has a future role to play.
12
Insufferably sanctimonious is precisely the description of Booker as a public person. This establishment funded “liberals” are, to my mind, the left’s version of the respectable “Bush” type of Republicans, and the most dangerous kind — those that wrought systemic catastrophic changes that the public just obviates as they go on disengaged from holding people in power to account. I’d rather have a progressive wing face off a racist right wing than the Wall Street funded democratic racists facing off “respectable compassionate conservatives” ever again. Good riddance!
10
Oh well, Cory. Back to being the do-nothing senator from New Jersey.
11
@CM :
Well, he made sure US pharmaceuticals couldn't be imported back from Canada, where they're much less expensive.
5
Heartbreaking.
2
Huh?
3
f there's one fairly consistent theme in the comments that have been published here, it's positive feelings about Cory Booker and his potential to be a good president.
I think it was a brave and practical thing that Corey Booker did - withdrawing. He is a very bright guy and knows what the score is politically. Did a great job as mayor of Newark, which ain't easy. But the idea of another minority president right now - another Barack Obama - with the kind of cultural, political, and racial divide we have in the country looks like a recipe for disaster as much as we would like to ignore that.
The Republicans - mainly in the Senate - made sure that very little positive happened on Obama's watch. That was a political calculation, not their legislative responsibility to the American people, and they are still doing it.
From a purely practical point of view, I wish the Democrats come come up with a moderate - not a socialist, not a red-hot policy wonk activist, not a "symbolic gesture" - and there are some possibilities in their field.
We have a lot of important work - critical work - that needs to be done in this country. But nothing can happen if somebody can't beat Trump with his 44% base...
5
@Lino Orimbelli Joe/Amy ticket...
1
So Spartacus drops out of the Democratic presidential race. What took Cory Booker so long? His support from the voters was never really that strong except for an early start. Who will be the next candidate to fall?
10
A fetus.
Isn’t that what you wanted.
1
I'm going to try to find my bookie tonight (he could be at his regular watering hole -- I hope) ....and place a bet on Deval Patrick, to be next.
2
At least he got a beautiful new companion out of the ordeal! Probably better anyway!
Sorry to see this intelligent, well-spoken, principled person drop out from the race. I know he will continue to persevere and be a positive influence for our country.
6
Booker was great. Never understood why he was not a top candidate.
6
@Jim A:
"Booker was great. Never understood why he was not a top candidate."
Wall Street and big pharma ties. No real message either.
2
Booker's constant whining about the rules for the nomination, and the not exactly subtle hints that said rules are racist, probably turned off more than a few people.
He and every other candidate knew the rules from the beginning of the campaign. To complain about them and to say they are not inclusive at this late date is a copout and reeks of weakness.
There is no crying in baseball, as Tom Hanks' character stated in, "A League of Their Own," and there is no crying in politics. Compete or get out.
7
@Albert D :
Hillary Clinton continues to whine/cry a lot.
2
The question about book is not why he is dropping out, but why did he run.
In politics, as well as romance, there must be a "spark" there that is recognized.
Who saw Booker's spark? He came to the race with no staff who believed in him and saw the spark. He came with no money - so no money people saw the spark. He also came to the race with no great following, so the people don't see the spark.
That he is black has nothing to do with it. Obama had the spark and became President.
Without the spark, you might as well forgetaboutit.
4
I think we keep thinking that to run for office, all you need is a good idea. What you need is money. And what does it say that a majority of blacks support Joe Biden?
1
@Tango
The details of the polls reporting majority black support of Biden indicated that fewer than one thousand "blacks" were polled by phone and online. I get how polls work but it seems disingenuous to survey a de minimis number of people who may or may not be black and extrapolate those results to the entire black voting population. That approach may be fine for Pepsi vs Coke but not for politics. If the Democrats truly believe their polling, they should prepare for a repeat of 2016.
I don’t understand how we got to a place where everyone and their dog signs up to run for office.... and then they get tossed out before one single person even votes?!? There are both too many and too few candidates.
3
By any reasonable standard, Booker was another Barak Obama, "Hope and Change" I mean "Bait and Switch" candidate who will be happy with the status quo after his election - on domestic policy, on foreign policy, it'll basically be the investment bankers running the show playing the role of "responsible regulator" - when the country needs some fundamental changes, from foreign policy to a domestic Green New Deal.
Progressives have to go into the convention with a strong lead and long coat tails. Warren played a good game and could be a great asset in a Sanders administration but it has gotten to the point where persisting with her campaign is just helping the corporatists.
The only candidates offering any real change in direction on US domestic and foreign policy are Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard; Elizabeth Warren is more on the Joe Biden team on foreign policy issues.
Being anti-war and trustworthy leaves me with
Sanders/Gabbard 2020.
4
@Max
Gabbard would do a terrible job leading the House. While I agree with her sentiment on a lot of topics, I'm far off from agreeing with her delivery. I don't think she's a tool of the right, but people who feel always compelled to play devil's advocate regardless of the issue at hand drive me completely nuts. In the context of our current politics, vague contrarians just leave people wondering about their motivations. Not a great look.
2
I want to thank Cory for being a candidate, just as I want to thank everyone who has entered the race. I hope he will stay involved in the upcoming elections now and in the future.
4
I'm sorry to see Cory go, he is a good man who cares about bringing the country together, reducing gun violence and addressing climate change. I hope and think that we will see him again or that maybe he might be a VP candidate. Don't give up Cory, your time may come, especially if we pass campaign finance reform, which must happen.
5
So sorry to hear this! Such a smart guy!
I blame Tom Perez and the DNCC.
Candidates who have something to say should be on the debate stage. Corey Booker has much to offer.
Money should not be the controlling factor!
As some have said, maybe Corey will be tapped as a VP candidate.
3
@HBD
Money's not the controlling factor. Polling strength and the relative composition of your donor base are. Haven't you looked at the DNC rules?
I am a long time admirer after a meeting with the guy many years ago. Sad but not surprised to see him out... but what a great VP candidate he would make you balance out the whiteness and age of a Biden or Warren.
3
Likeable, good orator, his sense of unity and peace seemed genuine. But he lacked ideas, and there was no compelling reason for him to be president.
4
Booker impressed me as a smart and fairly good guy but he comes off as calculating and opportunistic. In particular, I was disappointed to see him join Kamala Harris in going after Biden on an old busing position in one of the early debates.
Similarly I was sad to see Booker jump on Bloomberg when Bloomberg said that Booker was well spoken - insinuating that Bloomberg was being racist with his comment. Bloomberg‘s choice of words might have been ill-informed but he was sincere and I’m sure Booker knew it.
Donald Trump is a real phony. If given the choice between a real phony and a phony phony, the real phony will get elected. One of the most important attributes for the Democratic nominee is to be sincere and genuine- because a phony phony is not going to beat the real phony Trump.
In my opinion, being the real deal is one of many reasons to support Michael Bloomberg- who is clearly in it for the right reasons. I hope Booker endorses Bloomberg- and soon. If Booker has guts he will do so.
5
As I wrote previously, Booker will do greater good for America over a much longer term as a Senator instead of as a vilified President as we all saw Obama pummeled by ridiculous hatred from the right. In that same vein, I'm thinking, the other Senators running for President should do the same, especially the women, because as we saw with Hillary Clinton, it's a tough uphill climb for a woman in America. The President can only remain in office for four to eight years under difficult criticism, but a Senator has a six year term and a greater likelihood of continuing reelection where they can legislate good works, not just ask Congress, and if they are unfortunate, if the Republicans hold the majority. So it's 50/50 as a short term President, or enduring progress in the Congress. That's if you really "Want to do what's right for the country". Remaining as Senators in friendly states will assure that America moves forward, not backwards.
2
@Patrick
So because you think other people are so sexist that they could not vote for a women, therefore you can’t vote for a woman?
With such a mentality we’d never had had civil rights or women rights to vote. America became what it is precisely because of many people who, unlike you, are willing to confront prejudice.
@R
You judged me too quickly and I should have added; I strenuously supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 and after the shock of her losing, reconciled the reality of biology and anthropology. Men are stronger than women and the public looks for strength in a leader. But more important is that the Democrats need a strong leader to protect the weak . You can't realistically expect the weak to successfully protect each other. Yes, I seem prejudicial, but I'm not. I'm realistic after having seen decades of politics. I'm sorry If I offend women, but I actually seek to empower them through strong leaders who can fight rough for their rights. Trump is dangerous. I would expect a strong virile man would be needed to win.
On paper, Booker would seem to check the right boxes. Why didn’t he garner more support?
Did voters not want a bachelor for President? That may sound silly, but at his age, it is an open question. Did they see him and Kamala Harris as two equally qualified candidates that were vying for the same lane?
Or was it as Jonathan Capehart said today when asked what his pro-Biden aunt said: it takes an old white guy to beat an old white guy.
4
Next one to go: Deval Patrick.
1
Booker is a lock for Veep. Smart move, Corey. But the headline on this article is dumb.
2
@T
The headline just states the fact that he dropped out. How is that “dumb?”
I’m not convinced Booker is a “lock for Veep.” He would be smart not to endorse anyone, and as he said, work hard for whoever the voters choose as their nominee.
4
Booker was an establishment Democrat corporatist shill... to suggest otherwise is a fallacy. To suggest he was worthy for consideration based on the color of his skin is racism. Period.
6
Of course the only thing the NY Times choses
to mention in the byline to this article is about diversity and race.... Newsflash! Someone’s skin color or ethnic background doesn’t make them a good candidate, politician or policy maker!!!! Suggesting otherwise is in fact racist and despite the years of indoctrination and guilt peddling done in these pages, the voters aren’t buying these manufactured narratives.
11
It is far from over for Cory Booker. He could still be president someday. He is an outstanding leader and one of the best. Thank you Mr Booker and wishing you the best future.
4
Out but not down: Booker would be an excellent choice for vice president, especially if the ticket is headed by a white senior citizen.
4
I got tired of all his talk about what people want and feel in “his neighborhood “; his neighborhood is Newark, perhaps one of the most dysfunctional places in earth. I don’t want people in Newark setting United States policy. Would never vote for him bc he had a too narrow world view of a president needed to focus on.
5
Too obsessed with his identity all the time. At a certain point the identity obsession is just basic narcicism.
11
I never liked Booker. He was a mouthpiece of the Woke Left and feigned outrage at every turn. With his wild eyes and borderline hysterics and racial finger-pointing, he represented what so many people dislike about the democrats.
He's probably a great guy at heart, but his far-left theatrics and crazy eyes rendered him a non-starter.
Maybe he knows the flavor of the Kool-aid in Newark, but not in America as a whole.
9
"leaves one African-American candidate"
Must we view everything instantly in terms of skin color?
Have you stopped for a moment to consider that skin-color hypervigilance just might be doing more harm than good to the goal of everyone's being treated equally?
11
@polymath
Truly, I had forgotten about Deval Patrick, who seemingly joined the race about 20 minutes ago. Looks like the Dems can continue to prate about diversity for a little while longer.
2
Having nearly every person of color in the Demo primary races eliminated before even the first primary is a shameful situation which is going to hurt the party in the 2020 elections. How much credibility will people of color give to the Demos when they can't field non-white candidates for President? The Demo party will only win against Trump's multi-billion dollar corrupt machine by energizing people of color to vote in huge numbers and Democratic commitment to promoting equality and fighting racism looks to be sorely in question. The Democratic National Committee, which heavily influences directing big donor money into primary candidates apparently chose not to support people of color. Apparently the DNC thinks that presenting a non-white candidate will alienate their white midwest Democrat "moderates" and fire up Trump's white racist base. Whatever happened to practicing equality while you preach it?
America just isn’t ready for a President named “Corey.” Especially the black part of the Democratic electorate, to whom Booker probably wasn’t black or masculine enough. The same goes for Deval.
And yet - these un-woke voters are probably key to winning in 2020.
Hopefully Sanders or Biden will pick someone like the inestimable Stacey Abrams as a running mate. 2020 is going to be an all hands on deck election. We need every group to turn out everyone within it. Who we pick is critical to this effort.
Whoever’s left standing, we absolutely must unite to rid ourselves of the terribly destructive present occupant of the White House. People, please!!! We must stop the divisive discord and unite. We just must. We can’t bear four more years of this.
It is Sanders versus Trump. The NYT will take the boldest step and endorse Trump since a Sanders presidency will mean the end of life as we know it.
2
Well he was a lousy Mayor of Newark.....and aside from his smooth, slick talking points.....always thought he was a mediocre Senator at best. His gigantic ego pushed him to seek the office of the Presidency. Forget about race for a change and think about what did he ever contribute to the better good of mankind? A short-story in my humble opinion.
10
Biden/Booker '020. Cory was an outstanding candidate - much better than the anointed media darlings Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren - and he deserved more of a shot in this race than what he got. The insistence of the Democratic media (including NYT) on emphasizing identity politics led to favoritism of those 2 female candidates in particular that was unjustified.
1
Keep up the good fight Cory, your time will come.
1
Please, in all the discussions and lamenting about race, note that Booker had abysmal support among African Americans. Also Kamala Harris. Don't blame their failure on race.
10
It shows how black voters are being taken for granted by the Democratic Party. Of course they are. They have nowhere else to go.
Nobody better than Booker at gesture politics. Make sure the press covers you getting diapers for a snow bound mother; instead of doing your job and getting the streets plowed.
9
Correction: with only Deval Patrick left, there's only one-half African American left. Patrick has never stood on the debate stage, he has no ground game, and no national media campaign.
3
And...cue the commenters and opinion articles about how he wasn’t given a chance because of his race. It will be twisted that the Dems are racists even though Booker was a terrible candidate that stood for nothing much like Kamala Harris.
7
I lost what little interest I had in him when he appeared at the Senator Bob Menendez trial as a character witness. You cannot support sleaze without a lot of it rubbing off on you.
9
There are four top front-runners. One, Biden, is a committed Roman Catholic. Sanders is Jewish. Warren is a woman. Buttigieg is an out-gay man. By any standard other than that apparently used by NYT, that is the most diverse list of candidates for president ever. NYT is the only one I hear complaining about lack of "diversity." Maybe it's time to give it a rest.
10
I read in the media about his message of "unity" but never saw it actualized. His attacks on the front runner of the month, while sugar coated, mirrored the other candidates. His denouncement of Trump in the debates was a carbon copy of every other. He polled low from the outset and stayed there. No surprise here.
5
Many years ago, in the computer programming industry, young programmers were told to do something known as "3 and 2". That meant that you never signed up for a job where the project that was due to be completed in less than 3 years, and you never stayed at a job for more than 2 years.
I always thought about that, when Cory Booker's name came up; he didn't finish the Newark job, and used it as a springboard to higher places. I suspect that many people had the same view of the situation as I did.
If he had done a fantastic job of cleaning up Newark, he would have been a hero of Herculean proportions, and a strong candidate. But at least - unlike the Republican candidate - he was interested in helping other people, and did not lie continuously, so I wish him well.
6
The current primary system is a mess. I think the DNC should change their nomination process.
How about a national primary, held in July or August, with a quick series of run-offs until a candidate received a clear majority.
4
Coolest thing about Booker is being a vegan and single; both more historic and unusual than being an African-American contender, at this point. He could be a good VP for Bernie, though I believe Sanders/Warren is the winning ticket to beat Trump and bring the party and eventually the country together for a Green New Deal, a kinder, gentler nation and a livable future for our children and grandchildren.
3
The press constantly declares that Mr. Booker did not have the support of votes of color but how would they know? The election has not yet happened. More attention should be paid to the issues and the candidates position’s and much, much less to flawed and suspect polling data. Have we already forgotten what the polls were predicting in 2016? Good grief! Act like journalists not number crunchers.
4
Sorry that Senator Booker’s campaign is ending. He is smart, caring, passionate and gets things done. We are all losing a strong candidate. I hope he runs again.
2
The list of who's running and who's not fails to list me among those not running for president. I would make a far better president than Donald Trump. But then, so would millions of other Americans.
1
There is far ,far too much money in electoral politics. The Citizens United decision was a disaster and needs to be remedied .
2
There are so many good leaders who I keep hoping and praying will stay and do exactly what they have been: the hard work of being a senator is needed now more than ever. Booker’s timely, impassioned intelligence has sunk in to this reader’s heart in a permanent way. Keep going— nose to the grindstone
Is what we need now, not just from our great senators, but from everyone.
3
I never felt that he came across as authentic . To me he came across as “ preachy “. Enough with the
“ all we have to do is love each other “routine. Nice words but doesn’t help our current situation in this country.
And his low poll numbers have absolutely nothing to do with being black . If Stacey Abrams was running I can guarantee you that her numbers would be high , because she is authentically passionate about real fairness in the system and is highly articulate.
His jumping against Biden for the busing thing didn’t work for either him or Kamala Harris. Hence , voters didn’t buy it .
And running for President is hard especially with so many candidates running .
3
Comprehending his probability for appearing on the ticket as running mate and coming to terms with his rapid descent as a leading candidate for President, Corey Booker becomes pragmatic before more damage is done to his image so he can vie with Kamala Harris for what they both fantasized would instead by at the top of the ticket.
1
Corey:
You can do a great deal of good if you stay in the Senate and provide the kind of leadership the country needs. Winning control of the Senate would help us as much or more (because you can serve longer) than if you were to become President.
Thank you for trying.
3
Too bad. A well planned campaign. Dropped out before anybody voted. Brilliant planning. If only his campaign knew the dates of the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary in advance.
1
Senator "Spartacus" never had a chance. He doesn't have enough money or supporters. Liberals will moan that the pack of contenders is less diverse now, but winning is more important than diversity. His histrionics at the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings didn't impress me. My support will go to Biden.
3
As a NJ voter, I have voted for Booker but he does not reveal his personality to NJ voters. We vote because he is not as Republican, we don't like him. Don't even know him.
He belongs in the senate. Unless he changes his style, he has no chance.
4
It is too bad how elections are run. I think Booker and many of the lesser known candidates deserved to be seen on the debate stage. The front runners are not the only ones who have something to offer. Certainly in the age of trump we need as many intelligent, capable people as possible bringing their best to the table.
I don’t even know why he bothered running. Has nothing to offer except for repeating that he lived in Newark and knew the problems there. I doubt he spends much time there given his senatorial duties and his travel schedule. Somehow that did not come across as very believable given that he mentioned his Harvard and Rhodes Scholarship (named after Cecil Rhodes who named Rhodesia before it became Zimbabwe, the epitome of colonialism in Black Africa) every time he was in stage, when he spoke about the problems of the poor and disenfranchised.
Had absolutely nothing else to offer except for his second rate preacher oratorical skills.
Still, a nice guy. Best of luck in the senate. Try to get something useful done there.
4
and so we return to White, old (male) presidential candidates ... not what I was hoping for the new decade. I still mourn that Kamala Harris never got more traction.
Perhaps Booker should have a leadership role in the impending Senate impeachment trials? We now have two strong, articulate Senators (Cory Booker and Kamala Harris) who could replace Schumer. Schumer is the weakest link in the Democratic Party... when the stakes are this high, you put your best forward.
4
For the life of me, I'm not sure why I wasn't more enthusiastic about Booker. I got wind of him when he was mayor of Newark and followed him pretty closely. I liked his accessibility and his "man of the people" approach. I wasn't surprised when he ran for the Senate and I was happy when he won. Did he become more glib? Did I ding him disproportionately for the "Spartacus" comment? Have I just become far too cynical and pessimistic?
Hopefully, Deval Patrick will also do a Booker!
2
Apparently a Black candidate cannot attract the 'Obama coalition.' That coalition was fueled by the catastrophic Bush years (bad war & financial collapse) and Palin, giving a strong tail wind in 2008 and- with ongoing relief, momentum & Romney gaffs - a push through in 2012.
Now the only fuel for unifying turn out on the Left is the environment. Climate change is humanity's existential issue. Even if the Trump people try to spin some contorted business twist to reducing the global carbon foot print- a clear voiced Democrat can expose that as ridiculous con artistry.
The Right has abortion, tax cuts, guns and immigration. The Left has planetary survival, floods, fires, hurricanes and super storms.
The business argument would show solar, wind, water tech as productive investments & job creating.
1
The only Democratic candidate that I gave money to. He will be missed.
1
Nice guy, provided no rationale for voting for him.
1
Call me a dreamer, but couldn't Steyer or Bloomberg stop listening to their own vanity and help finance Booker ?
In return? VP, or Nice juicy ambassadorship wouldn't be bad, we could use a few out there in ...
Jeez, what did I just say ?
1
I liked Booker. Too bad he never went anywhere in the polls.
Can anyone cite any legislation he is responsible for? I can't.
2
I'm sorry, but I wasn't paying attention. Is this an old story? I had no idea he was even still in the race.
Good. He was needlessly divisive.
1
As a frequent small donor to Cory's campaign and thus having actually received the campaign's emails, I would like to respond to some of the comments about his financial support. He may have started out with big donor support, but he built a strong small-donor campaign---he surpassed the donor number threshold for all of the debates, including this month's, with donors from all 50 states, and his campaign emails stated that he did not accept donations from superpacs, lobbyists, fossil fuel interests, or Big Pharma. If I remember correctly, when I looked at Iowa and NH polls, he was in the top 3 in likeability. Why didn't his donor support translate into higher overall poll numbers? Because those numbers correlate with spending on TV, Facebook, and Google ads. When Cory's funding reached the point in the past couple months where he could spend on TV ads as well as digital, his poll numbers started to move, but he realized he'd have to spend a lot more in order to stay close enough to the top tier to get into future debates. Only 40% of Iowa voters have made up their minds. An Iowa friend of mine, a Bernie supporter in 2016, was so impressed by Cory when she heard him speak last spring that she told me if he made it to caucus day, he had her vote. Unfortunately, his starting from scratch building his small donor campaign didn't allow him enough time to build a small donor base large enough to pay for the necessary advertising. This is what is sad to me.
2
If the Democratic Party now has only one African American -- the longshot, VP-hoping Deval Patrick -- and no one "of color" on the debate stage, then does that mean Democrat voters are discriminators, essentially racists?
That's the logic of progressives when "no one of color" makes it for a debate, Oscar nominations, etc. Could it be that Democrats vote on the basis of the qualities of the candidate they see campaigning and not their skin tone? Booker, who polled just 2 percent, just didn't measure up as a quality guy. So, would he even be a voter draw as Biden's VP? I doubt it.
16
@Scott Especially since, as NYT itself has reported, the vast majority of African-Americans supported other candidates.
1
@Scott I'm glad you brought up the Oscars. In politics and culture the NY Times has abandoned the “content and quality of your character / policies / art” to advocate for the loathsomely racialist “color of your skin” position, to harken back to Dr. King’s famous words... The question you ask is worth investigating. If Democratic voters do not support the candidates they are goaded and shamed into focusing on by the methods employed here, what does that say about the voters? The readers? The efficacy of the tactics and language being used and the evidence and signs of its rejection? Id love to read an article about that...
1
I used to support Sen Booker until the day he voted with the republiCONs to not allow import of name brand drugs from Canada. His excuse was he wasn’t sure of the safety of Canadian meds (Note: no reports of Canadians dropping like flies) This is at best a ragged excuse by pharmaceutical corporations which must own Cory. It’s a real shame but corporation money talks more than voters well being.
21
@William
That’s exactly my problem with Booker. Lofty rethorics until you start looking at the unimpressive specifics. His record as a Mayor is quite mixed with a focus on headlines and a mistaken belief in “data”. He should have watched the TV series The Wire!
6
@William: Booker is a Senator from NJ. NJ is the state that has the largest number of pharma headquarters. He has no choice to carry their water if he wants to represent that state. It is the same as Klobuchar promoting the rights of mining companies to operate in Minnesota's most pristine wilderness or Biden working on behalf of the banks and corporations that call his state home. Even Sanders is doing everything he can to save the ailing dairy industry, which is important to Vermont.
4
@William
Both of my Dem senators voted against that as well. Then Cantwell tried to excuse it with some lame commercial showing Canadian pills with skull & crossbones on them. I, too, missed the news reports of Canadians dropping like flies from their tainted meds.
I'll never vote for anyone from trump's GOP so I guess I'll just write in my own name when they're up for reelection.
4
I am sorry, Booker always impressed me until he coopted Kamala Harris's ridiculous claim that Vice President Biden was the reason she had a miserable busing experience as a child, aleging Biden a racist (oh, without calling him a racist). Booker jumped aboard and I have never respected him since. He never distinguished himself in any productive way.
20
@Benjamin —
I wholeheartedly agree. Booker, like Harris, attempted to gain traction by smearing Joe Biden.
The tactic backfired for both Booker and Harris, diminishing them.
What a shame. We're now the party of billionaires and unrepentant socialists. Not a good look.
5
Thank you, Senator.
4
@EPMD - For what? Ruining Newark?
To be fair, it's Newark. Can't expect miracles. But he's way too much of a showboat I agree.
Quite disappointed. My fave candidate. Was ready to vote for him. Dems don't want unity. They thrive on disunity and will probably self-destruct once again in November because of that compulsion. Good man. I'm not interested in most of the others.
1
Is Booker going to hide behind populous rejection of an African American candidate, or admit that his smirks and lectures never resonated with people?
15
If Cory Booker had been a billionaire, he'd poll better and still be in the race. Tell me I'm wrong.
On a shallower note, I'm going to miss seeing Rosario Dawson standing behind him.
6
I never did understand his strategy on foreign policy, how he planned to deal with the Russians, or fake news.
3
Right candidate, wrong time.
2
Biden-Booker.
The killer bees.
Four years under steady Joe and eight years a president after. that will give us a solid 12 years to clean up the mess.
4
Pathetic is the word that comes to mind.
He’s my number one pick for VP.
5
But he is most certainly not Joe’s pick for VP! No disrespect, but Joe is going to think (a) who brings me votes I don’t have (Booker numbers being so insignificant!) and (b) who can rally the populist wing and energize the base.
That person is not Booker. If I have to guess that person is Elizabeth Warren. And my guts tell me that if it’s Bloomberg, he too will find a way to make peace with Warren. Because, if the populist wing does not turn up, Trump wins for sure.
2
He never got above 2% in the Polls. Good riddance. He wasn't likable.
9
@Philip W: Interesting how earnest young white guy Rhodes Scholar who worked for the putrid consulting firm McKinsey is considered "likeable." Meanwhile, earnest somewhat-older black guy Rhodes Scholar who has spent a lot of energy trying to help poor people is not. Booker has significantly more experience. But, you know, he apparently needed to be paler.
4
Cory Booker's eloquence & courageous voice may not have prevailed in the face of Big Money, Overt & Covert racism, but he will never be silenced...and neither will we. When that day comes, and it MUST, & we get bigoted process' & $$ out of electoral politics, we will finally have the likes of Cory Booker in the Oval office.
5
The Guardian Council of the GOP led by Moscow Mitch decided a long time ago, that America will not elect another African American president any time soon. Certainly given the vile, racism rampant in the country, whites say openly that they would not vote for a black candidate, period. Booker should stay in the Senate, defer corporate money and fight against inequalities that are destroying the American society.
@CHARLES 1A - Mitch is running the Democrat primary? Who knew?
1
It's about time. This alleged, closeted gay senator who can't explain what happened to the $100 million dollars Zuckerberg donated to the Newark Schools, his cozy relationships with Betsy DeVos & Jared Kushner, his failure to stem the crime wave in Newark, his failure to address the tainted water crisis in Newark during his tenure and other policies of negligence that thankfully many voters were able to glean. Enough speeches and national tours, back to the Senate to avoid a primary challenge Senator Booker.
8
Still might have a shot at VP, and has gorgeous Rosario Dawson to come home to (I was in her forthcoming show "Briarpatch." Should be good).
1
And yet Tulsi Gabbard is still in the race. Boggles the mind.
15
Awww....! Anyway he'll be available for something else good.
2
Whites seemed uncomfortable with Booker, and Booker seemed uncomfortable with blacks. Odd because unlike Kamala Harris, Booker actually is black and a descendant of chattel slavery to boot. Had he approached this differently by scrapping baby bonds and creating useful proposals that would benefit black Americans, he would have that base (in a real way, not the fake “Biden has the blacks” story) and been on his way to the nomination. He still has the Senate though so....
4
Well, you can now focus your time on Rosario, Senator.
1
@JP - I'm pretty sure she was just a prop for the campaign. Apparently, Dem primary voters are both racist and homophobic.
1
Cory Booker's Senate bill over slavery reparations was enough to doom his bid. He had the right stuff, but he continually sought to be the Pesident of the Hood
9
@Timit: I don't agree with you, but, if I did, what would be wrong with that? The multimillionaires have had many Presidents. Surely "the Hood" deserves at least one?
2
And the old white socialist thinks a woman can’t be POTUS. Looks we’re stuck with either an IMPOTUS with Alzheimer’s disease whose family and enablers are covering for him or Biden, another old white dude. No wonder young people don’t vote what’s the point.
3
As the role of the primaries is to narrow the field to one,
isn't it to be expected the field would become less diverse?
5
Senator Booker is a remarkable man. I admire him very much and I think he is extraordinarily successful. He didn’t fail at running for President. Only a tiny handful of Americans make it so far in life. Cory launched an excellent campaign, demonstrated intelligence and integrity, and I am very happy that he will remain in public service.
15
He wasn't my first choice but I will miss him. He would make a great cabinet choice for the new president or perhaps a good running mate. I am in the camp of wanting a major shake up in government and do not believe that the Republicans are going to extend and olive branch to our new president or to the Democrats in Congress.
12
Senator Cory Booker dropped out but He still remains a Senator and a good one.
He gave it a try but the field was too crowded for the mild mannered Senator to catch on to the race.
6
Yes disappointed that he could not remain in the race largely due to the almighty dollar. Hopeful that he remains involved in some way, shape or form and thankful for his impact. Thinking he would make the perfect VP on numerous levels for Warren, Sanders or even Biden.
6
I like Senator Booker and I hope he's still on a shortlist for VP. I think his presence on the tickets could inspire many Democrats to actually get to the polls. In the meantime, we need him and Senator Harris focused on impeachment in the Senate.
5
I am sorry to see you go Mr. Booker. I really am. I think you are a good man. Maybe too good to be a presidential nom at this point in time. My hopes, you get the VP nod by the chosen candidate. Especially if it's one of the old guards ... Sanders, Biden or Warren. You're the perfect candidate too groom to fill the seat four years from now. I wish you well. I'm glad you're on our team in the Senate. And I thank you for putting yourself out there and running. Your intelligence and political savvy during the debates and throughout race was deeply appreciated.
10
Just a big loss - can’t for the life of me understand why he didn’t get some traction in this election cycle. He’ll be back, hopefully sooner than later.
4
Senator Booker added a great deal to the debates and I’ll miss his voice in those to come. I’m sorry that he wasn’t able to convince the black community as a whole to rally behind him, rather than Biden (the older black voters), Bernie (the younger black voters) or Kamala (college educated black women), etc.. It also seemed that he thought big donors would back him rather than Joe and Mayor Pete, so he didn’t put together a digital fundraising machine to match those of Bernie and Liz. He seriously miscalculated. It will be good to have him back in the Senate full time. If Democrats can flip the Senate in November then he can build on his record for a few years and try again. I, for one, really hope that he does.
4
Winning is more important than a particular candidate.
But not more important than a particular direction. Choosing a neoliberal centrist is what got us Trump in the first place. Many voters of both parties reject neoliberalism. The 2016 choice should have been Trump v Sanders. Maybe we will get that in 2020. Trump v Warren would amount to the same. Cory Booker takes too much corporate money, especially from big pharma, and for me he falls into the neoliberal camp. If we choose another neoliberal, imo the chance is smaller that Trump is defeated, but even if he is defeated, our chances as a species trying to avoid extinction are smaller still.
5
@unreceivedogma Can’t help but notice how nasty Bernie supporters often sound like.
1
About time. Booker would be an excellent VP pick for any of the candidates.
Mr. Booker, like other good, qualified men and women, is a victim of too many choices and our system that requires too much money. That said, every candidate must find a way to stand out from the pack, to bring something new and compelling to the national discussion, to tap the emotions (resentment, fear, anger, hope, compassion) and to validate people's lived experiences. Voters have only one vote to bestow and most only a few dollars, if any, to give. Yes, it is sad to see the field lose its black and brown candidates and the life experience and perspective they bring. It is also sad that our presidential elections never have candidates who work with their hands and backs to earn a paycheck. till the soil and harvest, rehabilitate drug addicts, and care for Alzheimer's patients. When was the last time a union leader ran for president, if ever?
3
@abigail49 have not seen anyone mention the word “Union” in a long time. Wow. Thanks for the boost to my day.
1
Had this been 2004 or 2008, when a candidate could run on a broad and unspecific message for change and unity, Corey would have had a chance.
There is simply no demand from democratic voters in this market for such a candidate and such a program.
I have listened to Booker in interviews. One on one, he is powerful. But then, the day after, you wonder what, specifically, he had to talk about apart from the power of love and unity? As best I can tell, he was making a pitch that baby steps are what works politically, and we should trust him. Overlay this with an emphasis on identity politics and race, and here you go!
Part of the problem is that Corey’s lane was primarily occupied by Joe and so far, Joe is still around. More humiliating for Corey is the success of a “nobody” (Buttigieg) in that moderate lane getting traction in polling and voting. And I learned that Buttigieg’s killer political instinct is vastly superior (no disrespect) to Booker’s.
For now, Booker and Klobuchar are better off in the Senate. Their political messaging full of (hum) platitudes just does not cut it in presidential politics in 2020.
1
I saw Sen.Booker give a motivational speech at Drew University. His thoughts made so much sense. I’m sorry to see him pull out of the race. Yes, he is Vice Presidential material.
5
One other thing I would like to say about this candidate.
A lot of people here describe him in their own various ways as a nice man. And Cory is a nice man.
Many voters showed us in 2016 that they don’t care about that. They care about someone who will do something about their pain. “I feel your pain.” Remember that? Democrats seem to have forgotten.
If they don’t learn the lessons of 1992 and 2016, we are doomed to 4 more years.
1
It's a shame. I thought he had the best policy ideas. Hopefully he can try again in the future. I think he has the talent and skills to be a great leader.
2
He's been a force of nature. I wish him well.
3
Unfortunately, for us, Senator Booker is too nice for the current moment. I wish him well in his re-election campaign. Still annoyed that the far less qualified mayor Pete is still hanging around.
3
The Senate race is now more important in my mind than president. Cory Booker is a leader here and here he should stay for now. His time will come and if it doesn't, God help us all.
2
Booker had no signature issue to break through the noise. He was boring. The only thing I learned about him this campaign is that he is vegan and that’s just a personal detail, not a political platform.
4
Booker has always been a man who went not with his ideals but with the polling data. He took Zuckerberg's money with no problem and left Newark in the far more convicted and capable hands of Raz Baraka when he bailed for greener pastures. He's never been more than an opportunist.
8
Love him... he’s class and he will continue to grow and be good for America
1
Perhaps Booker’s time has not yet come. By current age standards for presidential candidates, he’s a mere baby with decades ahead of him in which to try again. Still, sorry to see him go.
From the Silver Lining Department: we need Booker in the Senate, perhaps more now than ever.
3
Sounds like many commenting here believe that any candidate of color should have a weighted average applied to their polling and fundraising numbers to keep things fair?
Look, the guy didn't simply generate enough support. Not because of his skin color, but because of his policies/demeanor/massive Wall St money or whatever.
8
The DNC continues to trip over its own shoelaces with the thresholds they have established. Hard to believe that this process is ushering out Booker while opening preferred access to Bloomberg and Patrick.
2
@Todd In a nutshell why the Dems keep losing.....
So sad. He was the most inspiring, intellgent, competant candidate. Dems are left with flawed, aged, white-appealing choices. Lot of slogans, short on the kind of appeal that Obama brought to two strong victories.
2
If his ethnicity mattered to black voters, you would've seen them rally around him. Instead, Booker never actually went beyond polling around 2%. Given this is the case, why act as though his ethnicity mattered at all?
5
Doesn't anybody just quit anymore?
I guess at some point "suspended" campaigns quietly become "ended".
4
Sad. He was my choice. Maybe we can get Bernie or Biden to promise 1 term w/ Booker as VP. The Booker for Pres in 2024.
3
When elections are decided by money, not character, we deserve to be doomed. It is purely immoral.
Give every candidate the same envelope of cash and see where that leads.
I would have voted for you, Senator Booker. You are the real deal.
2
While he was still mayor of Newark, I had the extreme pleasure of randomly meeting Mr. Booker after his morning run. He was shadowed by s small security detail, and a photo-journalist for Time magazine. He had commented on my London T-shirt, which started a wide ranging, 45 minute conversation on the sidewalk in front of his house. I was impressed by how genuine and transparent the man is. In the most heartfelt ways, he is genuinely attentive, curious, and engaging. He is also remarkably smart and thoughtful. I was most struck by how hard he worked to really understand every word I said to him. The conversation became more lively as we discovered that through my brother, we shared remote common connections to colleagues and college acquaintances. In spite of gentle prompting from his security detail to stay on schedule and move on, his attention remained focused on our exchange until we were finished.
Mr' Booker's departure from the 2020 Presidential campaign will be sorely missed. As a whole, our country is not yet aware of how sorely we'll miss him. Perhaps we'll be more aware when we're ready to be more kind, compassionate, civil and inclusive than we are now.
5
Too bad. Corey Booker was a credible candidate. The field was too crowded and people who should have had more traction got lost in the crowd. He certainly has better credentials and more experience for the job of president than Tom Steyer or Pete Buttigieg. I wish the pre-primary process had gone differently and a number of the serious candidates with deep experience in elected office had stayed in long enough for the early caucuses and primaries. But Corey Booker is young enough to run again.
8
If all you talk about is race, race, race... Promoting identity politics that divide this country won’t get you to the White House.
23
Actually, Olivia, it turns out that if you speak in carefully cultured Whites R Us code with the 'Birther Lie', "immigration !", 'Merry Christmas !" while demonizing 'others', it will in fact land you in the White House to boil division for a Presidential living.
Sad.
1
I like the sound of "Vice President Booker"
9
Liberals: "We need more African-American candidates! We need more female candidates! We need more Latino candidates!"
"What about Barack Obama?"
"I hate him! He's a Republican!"
"Well what about Cory Booker?"
"I hate him! He's a Republican!"
"What about Hillary Clinton?"
"I hate her! She's a Republican!"
"What about Kirsten Gillibrand?"
"I hate her! She's a Republican!"
"What about Julian Castro?"
"Who?"
"Well what about Bernie Sanders?"
"Oh yeah, I love him!"
Progresses love to talk to talk. But the end of the day they support an old white guy.
24
@Mike I find your last sentence extremely biased and narrow-minded. "they support an old white guy".
What is your definition of "old".....and why would you discriminate against who just happens to have been on this planet longer than you?
And what does the "complexion" of this old guy have to do with anything? does it make him more or less qualified?
And why is it a "guy". Do you dislike men?
If you ever wonder what is wrong in this country, simply look in the mirror.
6
@Steve
All valid questions, which is why it is quite curious hearing them from the crowd that says we need more diverse candidates and a new generation, not the same old retreads. Which way do progressives want it?
For the record, I support an old white guy, too: Joe Biden.
@Mike: A progressive democrat is any candidate who promises to deliver things democrats have promised to deliver since 1945.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
3
One millionaire less in the bunch.
Here's the problem with Booker:
"Booker Gets More from Wall Street Than Any Member of Congress"
https://www.wnyc.org/story/booker-gets-more-wall-street-any-house-senate-member
This is not the time for another democrat Wall Street lackey.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
11
@Rev. E. M. Camarena, PhD lol please
1
I guess the institutional racism is so deep even the Democrat base is mired in sin. *sarcasm* Seriously though, these African American candidates were so weak they only appealed to white people and were rejected by blacks. So if the explanation is racism, someone needs to explain how African Americans are biased against themselves. And if your white and think 'institutional racism has turned blacks against themselves' then slap yourself on the face and drink a cold glass of water.
19
Great. The identity party has now gotten rid of all the blacks and Latinos, only a couple of women and a gay guy to go and we are back to the norm.
11
@Richard
Elizabeth Warren is not about to go away. Her motto is "persist", and persist she will.
President Elizabeth Warren: that sounds right.
2
@Fran
Elizabeth Warren is that annoying 6th grade teacher who got on everyone's nerves. She's unpleasant and arrogant and she has no chance to win a general election. So no.
3
@Richard Ralph
You will change your mind before the year is over. Warren/Sanders or Trump: your choice?
Warren for President, that's who.
So, who is left? Let's review. All of them members of the white race. Check. Two of them Jewish men, one of them old and cranky and angry, as if he didn't get enough tartar sauce for his early-bird dinner, the other a multi-billionaire. Check. One former mayor (oh yeah, he's gay). Check. Another old-white guy, this one with loose dentures. Check. And finally, Elizabeth Warren, white woman ("I am not a woman of color"); with the frozen fist in the air. Check.
6
@Dante
And all of the above have more intelligence, dignity, and humanity than the liar we have now.
2
@Dante We might take you and your sad attempt at 'whatever' seriously, Dante, if you had enough information to also include the candidate Andrew Yang who is 5th in the money raising category of small donations. How people can read and talk about politics as much as they do and still not be informed just completely boggles my mind!
1
Wait a minute. The party which claims to be inclusive of all races is suddenly fielding a group of presidential candidates that are all white, when Deval Patrick who has a snowball's chance in hell of winning is discounted. How can that be? Is this some sort of conspiracy, or just the usual hypocritical bunk that the Democrat party practices on a regular basis.
9
This is a Clinton rematch ,with Biden ,nothing more.This is not about who will drop out, it's just when.The problem will be family ,again ,with Hunter playing Bills' part ,while the entire Trump family campaigns to another victory.
5
@Alan Einstoss
Conspiracy theory (new and not an improvement over previous models)*:
1. Biden gets nominated;
2. Biden chooses Hillary Clinton as his vice-president;
3. "Vote blue no matter who" gets Biden elected;
4. Biden steps down in order to "spend more time with his family" (real reason: lost his dentures, does not remember where);
4. Hillary Clinton is upgraded from vice-president to president.
Et voilà: our Queen gets her Throne, and we are again ....ted.
[* blame it on bad weather and a bad cold, please]
3
@Alan
It won’t just be about Hunter Biden. If I have to guess, Trump will gut Joe’s power base by ruthlessly painting Joe as a: racist and segregationist (Joe’s old friendships with racists senators and Joe support for the 1994 crime bill), sexist (Joe going after Anita Hill), warmonger (Iraq), elitist and anti-working class (NAFTA , the 2005 credit card-friendly bankruptcy bill) and corrupt (Hunter Biden). Trump will be absolutely ruthless and the Joe will lose badly due to a low turn-out in his base.
Whoever supports Joe because of current projected polls against Trump is a fool. Those polls, today, mean nothing. In that, I agree with Bernie.
4
I chalk it up to today's political climate that his campaign never caught momentum. His passion and message of unity was a bright light amongst the field. I think he will continue to be an important voice and a great leader. Unfortunately, we live in strange political times. As a reaction to President Trump's vitriol, I think a lot of voters don't have the patience for a message of positivity and hope. They are looking for practical solutions and a brawler who mirrors their anger and frustration - and hence we see some party divide - do we want a practical get-it-done centrist or a anti-corruption tear down the establishment liberal. Here I think Booker's value as a unifying figure may have been overlooked. He is passionate, savvy, and he is a fighter, but he projected it differently.
235
@Jake Everytime I saw a picture of him he seemed po'd. And I'm a P.O.C., he wouldn't have been someone I vote for. And as a single man, his fake romance with Rosario didn't impress me. I just feel he needs more seasoning. Besides....I could never find out what he accomplished as mayor of Newark and in the senate. Sure, he had a lot of ideas but what did he do?
17
@Jake
Notwithstanding the term limit issue, I firmly believe Barack Obama could announce his new candidacy tomorrow, run on "Yes We Can," and win with a Reganesque landslide.
Cory Booker is not Barack Obama, in style or substance, and never will be.
2
@li
Newark NJ hasn't moved forward l when Booker was mayor and is still thirty years behind the rest of the state.
Dishonest Mayor, like Trump known to fabricate stories to hide his incompetence. Always had higher aspirations like Ms. Harris, not willing to do the work in one position before jumping to another position.
Booker and GOP Governor Chris Christie highlighted the fact that he could be brought by the white GOP, Hedge Fund managers Wall Street, Betsy education secretary, Jared,Ivanka there fund raisers for him.
Booker suffered from racism , however he to attended elite schools, professional IBM parents his suffering not as horrific as the black men at Rikers for crimes that they have no legal representation.
He didn't have a message , people could see that he was no President Obama
Booker took the American people for granted and tried to feed them nonsense during a critical time for democracy in this country. Either he didn't realize the level of stress Americans are feeling , the attack on democracy or he thought that the lack of a clear message just didn't matter.
It does matter , he needs to do his job now during this Trump impeachment trial. He needs to hold press conferences that let the American people know that he fully represents the American people. and understands all of the Constitutional issues.
2
I've been following Senator Booker's career for a long time, and as soon as he declared for president last year, I was all in. His well thought out policy proposals, his experience and maturity, his genuine empathy for people who struggle, his warmth, humility, and enthusiasm. I do hope I live long enough to vote for him for president one day. 2020 is starting to look like a rerun of 2016, the less than ideal against the truly awful. Defeating Trump takes precedence over everything, and I will certainly vote for whomever the Dems choose. I just wish that money wasn't always the deciding factor in US elections.
7
I had hopes for Senator Booker's campaign, and am sorry to see him go, but $22.1 million is a pathetically low total to raise for a presidential run. The ability to effectively gather cash donations is in itself a test for a presidential campaign's viability to be successful in a general election, and if that's the best he could do, that's a strong sign his messages weren't good enough. Perhaps a more aggressive stance is what he needed.
5
I am sorry Mr Booker, you couldn't gather more steam in this process. I heard you speak many times on TV, and feel you would have made a great president. I think if Pete makes the presidential runner, that you would make an excellent vice-president. You would balance each other out, and I think the both of you could beat Trump. I am old "69." My problem with those running at the top are too old, you have to be in alignment with the younger voters. They will be the ones to protect our Constitution and the United States and it's people in the future.
5
Early in Senator Booker's campaign, his idea for establishing a "baby bond" struck me as an excellent strategy to begin to level the unjust and uneven economic playing field in our country. I will miss him as my choice to be the next US President. Smart, kind, creative, real.
11
I’ve supported Booker’s causes since the early 2000’s. He was one of just a few who to my mind really understood the awful dependency and dysfunction cycles at play within blighted urban cores like Newark (and Baltimore) and was willing to stand up for people (instead of the awful divisive rhetoric and policies coming from the extremes). Then he went statewide and then he went national. And what made him stand out faded behind a carefully crafted veneer that for me was shallow and unbecoming. At the National level voters are looking for someone who they can visualize (for better or worse) making waves on a world stage. Booker doesn’t have that. Too bad we live in times when being a fabulous Mayor of a city desperately in need of one is not enough.
3
It’s a shame - Booker had some amazing ideas on the child savings account, parental leave, and combating climate change. I hope the Democratic nominee will consider those proposals in their campaign.
7
What were those great ideas again? Except for their titles I didn’t here much elaboration there.
@Blunt: Feel free to go to this link on his website for elaboration: https://corybooker.com/issues/
1
"He started his campaign with a limited base of online donors and a heavy reliance on traditional big-dollar fund-raisers." That's why he never caught on. We're sick of big donor money deciding who runs our country. We are taking back our country from big money oligarchs who think that they know how to run a country because they're rich. Running a business is not the same as running a government.
8
I mean, yes, we’re sick of the rich wielding undue influence and wish we had a system without massive private financing of campaigns. AND...until we get there, we can’t fight Trump with chump change. So no, I’m not getting on the “big money fundraisers are evil and if a candidate does them they are evil too” bandwagon. You fight in the system you have in order to create the system you want.
1
Booker is doing what is best for his party. The Dems urgently need to narrow the field and focus on the urgency of voting Democratic in 2020. Trump and his enablers offer voters a near-monolithic Republican front. If the Dems offer only fragmentation, their message and appeal become diluted.
3
If he hadn’t chastised Obama on multiple occasions for being tough on Wall Street, hadn’t helped dilute Obamacare (by being in the pockets of the Pharma industry) and hadn’t been pro-charter school no matter the evidence, I would have supported him and contributed to his campaign. Too bad he’s just another corporate politician.
12
I wish only the best for Senator Booker. And I am positive, he will continue to do great things.
5
Farewell Corey. An impressive candidate who somehow didn't seem to make a dent. I'm glad he can continue his work in the Senate, especially if God willing, we flip it in 2020.
6
Let the voters, not the candidates wallets, decide who is qualified to stay in the race. Laws should be changed so that all political candidates must put donations received into one single pot that is then divided equally by all candidates to share. That would put an end to qualified candidates dropping out due to lack of money. "Campaign Donations for All." I'd like to see Elizabeth Warren or Bernie get behind that one.
3
@Jane Bernie's donations come from normal people who support his campaign, not corporations. Why should that money be shared with loser candidates like Booker who got plenty of Wall St and Big Pharma money?
Thank you, Senator Booker, for being a positive force for NJ and the Democratic party. I wish you had stayed in the race, but I understand that money is (always) an issue. I hope that you will get another chance at this.
4
Cory- My appreciation for you grew during each debate. I appreciated your views, your experience, and how articulate your are. I agree with others that while you may have forfeited a bid this time around, your future in the national arena is far from over. I know you will work to make the campaign civilized and I hope others will drop out, as well (Joe, please!). We have to stop playing into Trump's divide and conquer strategy. Right now, less (in terms of the number of Dems running) is more: we need unity, clarity and strength to combat the present incumbent.
6
I’m so sad to see Cory Booker out of the race. He’s just what we need right now. He’s young and so I see him successful in the future for our country. He has heart, vision, compassion, and strength. His time will come. Please soon!
6
Senator Booker is a fine man and it's a bit of a mystery to me why he was unable to gain traction. But I hope that his lack of success in this effort was not due to the color of his skin and I base that hope on the fact that Barack Obama was a two-term president (and how I miss him!).
I disagree, though, with the commenters who decry Steyer and Bloomberg "buying" their way into this race. Yes, they are using their wealth to accomplish what Senator Booker could not, but both of them are espousing policies that are good for this country and for the world. I'm grateful to both of them for spending huge amounts of money to try to get things turned around, because we are in serious, serious trouble. You needn't go any further than the climate to realize this (the images from Australia are those of no less than a tragedy). We are insanely destroying our life-support system, aided and abetted by Donald Trump, and both Steyer and Bloomberg understand this and are trying to stop it, which has to happen soon.
2
If Senator Booker wants to know why he did not appeal to a broader audience, all he needs to do is go back and watch his performance in each of the televised senate hearings - especially the Kavanaugh hearings. Booker only sought to embarrass Kavanaugh not find the truth.
7
I hate to see qualified candidates drop out before a single vote has been cast. There is something badly wrong with our primary system.
4
I always thought Senator Booker would make a great vice president and subsequent president. Any of the remaining candidates would do well to choose him for their VP.
5
Booker is a good guy. I was an early donor, but couldn't figure out his central message. In the debates, he pitched his street cred as an inner city guy, and that didn't prove a winning strategy. He never figured out who his core supporters were. But he's already showing he's going to continue to be a positive force. He deserves to be in the race far more than Steyer and Bloomberg and others, but then again, so did Castro.
4
Your voice in the Senate going forward takes some of the sting out of this for me. I wish you all the best!
4
An outstanding leader with significant experience in government. We will see him again in the future running for President.
4
I am not certain that Iowa and New Hampshire are the best two opening forums for deciding who will be the Democratic nominee for President.
Something needs to be done to ensure that the early contests are more representative of the Democratic Party.
Mercy, Steve King is a member of Congress from Iowa, and Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are its Senators.
5
The money situation is deplorable, eliminating too many for the wrong reasons. Public financing and shorter campaigns.
4
As is so often the case with the Times recently, the writer immediately complains about a lack of diversity--a very important issue generally, but the writer does not explore whether Booker (who I have voted for in NJ) simply campaigned poorly.
Booker spent more energy attacking Biden in debates than attacking Trump. And he made insufficient efforts to appeal to moderates, especially whites. His in person appearances generated little support.
The risk of trying to be seen as Obama II is that many Obama supporters think Obama, for all his virtues, was not tough enough and did not try hard enough to sell Obamacare to the public, resulting in the horrendous Democratic losses in Congress and the states, bringing McConnell to power and setting the stage for Trump to win by lying about Obama.
I hope he has a bright future and learns from his failure.
1
With twenty-something candidates in the race, unless you are Bloomberg or Steyer, one is left competing with others for funds within the Democratic base. There's not enough money to go around, so there's natural attrition. Warren, Sanders, and Biden, who have been in politics for 30 years longer than Booker, have raised most of the available finite capital.
He was truly one of my favorite candidates. I was a proud donor. Good to the bone and not engaging in smears. I do hope he runs as VP and tries again for president in the near future.
5
No surprises here. Senator Booker is a good man. But he never caught on. I think it will come down to the 3 B's. Bernie, Biden, or Bloomberg. That's not to say a VP nomination is out of the question.
1
My problem with Sen. Booker: He voted against a pharmacy bill. Why is that such a big deal to me: 1) Proves money instead of a principal moves him - it might me too. 2) My perception is there are candidates who won't be bought: Senators Sanders & Warren come immediately to mind and Steyner & Bloomberg also. 3) VP Biden doesn't make my cut, too old and his track record doesn't measure up.
1
I'm sorry to see him go. He was my early-on favorite, but he made donations other than online virtually impossible. No phone number, no mailing address posted on the campaign Web site. He brought this on himself.
1
Cory Booker will make an excellent 2024 candidate and will likely win the Presidency then. Furthermore, the Senate Impeachment trial will not be considered “unbiased” unless those Dem Senators running for 2020 quit the Race. Holding an impeachment trial during an election year is patently absurd.
1
Baffled as to why he didn't catch on more but I believe Cory will be around for some time and still has much to offer and give.
3
Booker is a placeholder for VP, solely on the basis of his only asset which is identity politics. But I shudder to think that someday he ascends to the top of the ticket. He's no Obama.
He will have other chances. Curious to see if he'll back someone, though I suspect not.
I always like Cory Booker but he just seems too soft, nice and bland to be president in this day and age. The GOP would eat him alive and I can't think of anything memorable he's done as a U.S. Senator from NJ.
2
I really like Cory Booker, but he has time to season...
plus he'd make a great VP.
1
Never had a chance, never will. Now the rest just need to stop wasting time and money and decide between Sanders or Biden already.
4
It seems like the good candidates are gone.
I originally supported Cory Booker. Problem was he never took a stand. Many other candidates were in favor of Medicare for all and other entitlements. i can't recall him saying anything at all about the topic or maybe he couldn't get the coverage. He is perhaps the most eloquent of all the candidates and would make an outstanding president but yo haver to have ideas, goals and thing you want to work on. Sorry to see he's left the race,
1
Cory Booker was the only candidate who genuinely made me smile.
1
This is very sad ... for me, for the country, and for our system. Perhaps the best qualified to be a unifying leader, he was victim to the pettiness, greed, and egocentricity of each of the other Democrats (and certainly Republicans). Oh well, now there is no one to hold the "pack" to the human standards of decency, civility, amicability, empathy, thoughtfulness and honesty that I (and I hope others) certainly crave. Now it's just another (dirty) election.
I'm glad he threw his hat in the ring, but the diversity of ideas that unite and advance our American experience are more important than gender and race. Ben Carson wants to throw the poor on the trash heap like wrinkled rinds at HUD and Gina Haspel ran a secrete torture chamber in Thailand, destroyed 92 interrogation videotapes of torture and is the director of the CIA. My hope is the blue wave in 2018 will turn into a tsunami this year and bring new people who understand why all legislative Powers shall be vested in a Congress of the United States rather than a president that tends toward the monarchy, as Patrick Henry warned James Madison will happen with someone like Trump.
I think Booker might have been our single most "electable" candidate: a charismatic African-American with a moderate-friendly agenda, strong business support, and a striking temperamental contrast to Trump's mishmosh of viciousness and ignorance.
Unfortunately, we Democrats are at most marginally more drawn to substance than those on the other side, and have restricted our main options to a senescent gaffe machine, an angry old man who found a hair in his soup, a guy who's barely eligible by age and seems to have no core beyond ambition... and a superbly qualified, clearly brilliant woman who'll somehow have to overcome our country's misogyny and anti-intellectualism.
It was once said that "God has a special providence for fools, drunkards, and the United States of America." Some days I wonder if we've run beyond our divine favor.
1
What's noticeable and telling is that African-American voters seem to largely prefer Joe Biden over the two main African-American candidates, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.
That says something about Harris and Booker, although I'm not sure what.
6
Harris and Booker ran the Obama 2.0 Playbook not realizing or not believing how toxic the Obama brand is among many blacks. If anyone believes blacks support Crime Bill Biden, I have some oceanfront property in Kansas I’d like to sell them.
3
Cory looked interesting to me but then he never really let us know who he was or what he stood for until it was too late.
Cory - we are so grateful to have you represent us as a Senator. Do not feel discouraged. We’re with you!
3
Glad to see him leave. Weed this field down to one candidate, asap, so all the focus is on extricating the current disastrous mess occupying the White House.
1
All it takes is money. (We need to change our requirements for entrance into the Presenditial race.)
1
Diversity is important but not more important than electing someone other than Trump.
I always felt excluded when he talked about "my community".
4
Empty suits don’t always make the grade. Booker strategized that he could emulate Obama and slide into the WhiteHouse simply because he comes across as a good speaker like most empty suits tend to be.
Sucking up to Schumer and Pelosi also didn’t produce any slick results. Now he can go back and dust off the Newark NJ renaissance that has been an empty promise of NJ politicians for decades.
That Trump was elected should have been proof enough that this angle won’t work again. Scary outlook for the Dems grasping at straws for a strategy they can sell us. Their slate of candidates resemble bumper cars driven by adolescents.
3
Booker needs to get some more bills passed so he can build a following, he's still young and he has time try again 2032.
Dear Senator Booker
This was not your time but perhaps you can spend the rest of the year advocating the senate take up the 200plus bills passed by the house. It is time for someone to highlight the travesty of a Senate that doesn’t vote on anything but judges.
2
Both Harris and Booker had the biggest mouths and displayed the loudest outrage during the Kavanaugh hearings, thinking that would get them to the White House. Seems the people don't go for grandstanders after all.
6
Women, Latinos and African-Americans have the power to select the Democratic nominee of their choice. Mr. Booker polled poorly in all three voter blocs. Thus he could not beat Evil. He is a good man and has a bright future.
Why Mayor Pete eclipsed Booker is a bit of a mystery. In part it may have been Pete's status as shiny new media object. Also, being white and gay helped showcase him as a boy-next-door sort of minority candidate. But another part of Pete's eclipsing of the mayor of a larger more complicated city may have been due to the fact that Booker runs hot--as In his Senator Spartacus moment before the campaign began--and Pete never seems to lose his cool
. Also, the big punch against Biden that Booker telegraphed before the first debate was thrown by Kamela Harris, who managed to steal Broker's thunder and ding Biden at the same time. All that said, Booker has a bright future.
Cory Booker was my second or third choice of candidate, after Elizabeth Warren. I'd still like to see him be her running mate. I hate a process where Cory Booker and Kamala Harris drop out while stuffed shirts like Pete Buttigieg are still in, not to mention people that have no business at all running as Democrats like Mike Bloomberg and Tom Steyer.
1
If it's Biden, Sanders or Buttigieg in the top slot then it better be a black female. Stacey Abrams perhaps? If it's Klobuchar or Warren then Mr. Booker would be a no-brainer pick for VP.
Senator Booker is still totally in the race. Totally. Gotta be the leader for Veep at least.
It's hard to know what happened here. Booker was a great candidate on paper and in person. He's a Stanford graduate, Rhodes Scholar earning former mayor and current US Senator. And yet, a snoozer like Buttigieg comes along and gives the nomination to Biden or Warren. It's a head-scratcher.
2
I really like Booker. He is a calm and smart man and would be a great national leader. He avoided the sweeping policy changes and therefore probably didn't garner as much coverage as his fellow candidates. But his steady hand and reasonable ideas, as well as his personal persuasiveness, convinced me he would have made a great president. He was an Obama type of leader without the grand rhetoric. I guess that means a candidate needs some sort of grand idea to win. Promising continuity, rationality and niceness seems to flout where the electorate is these days.
144
@David
Perhaps Booker emphasized niceness too much. The country needs unity, but it also needs justice Trump and his Republican enablers have suffered no consequences for their unethical and dangerous actions.
At the ballot box, they have endured some comeuppance for their betrayal of the country and the law, but not enough compared to the great harm they've done.
3
@David absolutely right. His unwillingness to go full AOC hurt him among the Twitter-verse lunatic Left base that is running the primary phase of the Democrats race.
3
@David
As a republican I can only hope a majority of Democrat voters see candidates like CB as you do- calm and smart.
I wish there was also a ranked-choice measure incorporated into primary debate qualifications. Obviously, the primary is a race to choose the candidate amongst candidates, but primaries pitch to the furthest left or right. Booker and Harris clearly have more support than their poll numbers show, and Kasich and Rubio would have benefitted from a ranked-choice measure last cycle.
4
Booker speech always made me think of a junior high vocabulary word :
Smarmy : extremely polite or helpful or showing a lot of respect in a way that is annoying or does not seem sincere:
37
This is why the Democrats have been losing big since 2010; "Bipartisanship", "Inclusiveness", and yet more Black candidates after we already had a black President. I'm not a bigot. The people don't want retreads. The people want a fighter, not an appeaser.
But actually, this was a very smart decision on Corey's part, instinctive or deliberate. He is needed in the Senate, not the White House. There as President is only four years as opposed to six years with likely continuous reelection. He can do much more good for everyone there.
4
Booker might have been a viable candidate had he not been owed by Big Pharma. He was against Medicare for All and for me this was the disqualifying factor. I won't vote for any Democratic candidate that does not endorse Medicare for All.
33
@Purple Spain - So you'll let Trump win, just because ... . What or who is worse? I'd say "attitude".
16
Another B list Democratic presidential contender for the nomination drops out. The other B list who dropped out was Beto. That leaves Biden, Bloomberg and Bernie to duke it out. Bernie is surging in Iowa polls and Biden should see the writing on the wall after his picture standing alongside bipartisan worst war mongers in history behind a sitting president who made colossal blunder in initiating wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, none other than George W. Bush.
My prediction is that Bloomberg will make the 2020 presidential election, a battle of the billionaires by his commitment to spend a solitary billion dollars out of his 50 billion dollars to slither his way into the white house. Like he is waiting like a vulture to see all the democrats running until the super Tuesday to drop dead.
Sorry Cory your Spartacus moment will be all what you will be known for. Hope you and Ms Dawson have a lasting friendship. Thank you for making the Democratic presidential contenders a more compact crowd.
4
He would be a stellar VP. I applaud him for stepping up.
4
My only prior knowledge of Booker was in the televised parts of the Kavanaugh hearing and I was not impressed. Not with him and not with most of the others in the room.
17
@Margo What, you didn't think he was Spartacus?
11
@JerseyGirl Good one! I had forgotten that!
3
@JerseyGirl Nope.
2
I couldn’t always agree with Cory Booker’s platform. But, he excels in projecting warmth and decency Even when discussing difficult stuff.
Listening to Mr Booker leaves a person feeling hopeful. I’m hoping he sticks around in politics for a very long time.
6
Corey is an honest and good man. I hope he will stay in government and continue to advocate for all people.
30
I don't dislike Booker, but his positions and affiliations were not made for this primary electorate.
Let's remember that Cory is pro-charter school and he's in deep with Big Pharma. The voters who care about health care and unions were never going to accept him.
In this particular circumstance I don't think race was a huge factor (although it usually is).
12
@Cousy
While Booker is still hanging onto the charter school model, it seems he is currently rejecting money from big pharma.
I cannot defend his record in taking campaign contributions. But, all current politicians come out of a political environment where huge amounts of money are required to run a successful campaign. If we are now transitioning to more responsible fundraising models, can we afford to dump every Democrat who did what they needed to survive politically in the very recent past?
That kind of purity test leaves us at a serious disadvantage, and with only a couple of candidates nationwide. We might need some sort of amnesty going forward regarding past contributions, even as we insist on more accountability now and in the future.
It is unfortunate that the ability to raise vast sums of money, or have vast sums to begin with, becomes the most important qualification of anyone seeking public office in the US.
821
It’s unfortunate but not unbelievable.
9
@Robert
I agree with your general point--money in politics is toxic. However, Senator Booker's failed candidacy is a poor example of this.
Senator Booker has been in the national spotlight for more than a decade. He was a star Mayor and remains a highly respected Senator. All within miles of one of the the biggest media markets in the world. Yet, he cannot even consistently poll above 5% whereas no-name candidates like Yang and Klobachar can? That is on him.
72
@Robert H. Boyte True, marginal candidate Buddy Roemer form Louisiana in 2012 was always demanding to get the money out of politics with campaign finace reform—no PACS, limit contributions to $1000, full disclosure. NO honest person will have a problem making his proposal into law.
8
From a distance he seemed terrific. The unfortunate part was that when he spoke, his factual emphasis was on telling stories about what he did for Newark, a city that never returned from the devastation of riots. He's been an excellent senator and serves his constituency well. His role in government and history is secure.
11
Corey Booker is a good man who will help the eventual 2020 Democratic nominee fight for victory and help end the disastrous Trump campaign to Make America Hate Again.
November 3 2020.
60
All I know is, in the debates Booker sounded like a game show host impersonating Barack Obama.
50
@mpound
I like the guy, but that description is spot-on.
2
@mpound I thought about that Obama impersonation during his 2016 Convention speech; I liked him before that but he was trying too hard to "wow" us. I think he's a good guy but somehow he never quite rings true for me.
3
@mpound That does a disservice to Barack Obama.
Cory Booker never embodied Obama’s vision and sincerity.
Not even close.
2
I respect Booker tremendously both for his message and for making the hard decision to step down now. We need MORE candidates willing to make this hard decision so Democrats can focus on just a couple possible paths to 2020. Splitting fundraising and attention in so many different directions just makes it harder to fight Trump.
In the coming weeks, I hope that more primary candidates will recognize this and drop out respectably. I also hope their supporters will recognize that winning the 2020 election is more important than backing any one particular candidate.
19
Winning is more important than a particular candidate. Yes.
But not more important than a particular direction. Choosing a neoliberal centrist is what got us Trump in the first place. Many voters of both parties reject neoliberalism. The 2016 choice should have been Trump v Sanders. Maybe we will get that in 2020. Trump v Warren would amount to the same.
I don’t know Cory Booker that well,but I’ve always liked him. I’m a conservative person,whatever difference that makes.
12
It is a sad day. Booker brought so much to the presidential primaries with a message of unity. And, yes, his firsts were matched by other candidates, but he is just one extraordinary person. Maybe VP and then a run in 20204.
14
Cory Booker is a good man and I hope he continues to serve New Jersey as its senator, assuming he wins the election. I think he has learned a lot during his current run for president and hopes he considerers running again. I look forward to his leadership in the senate.
46
Thanks so much for your honesty, service, thoughtfulness, and for putting yourself out there. And for reminding us that the foundation of the Democratic party looks nothing like the rest of the candidates on the stage.
For me, your shining moment in this campaign was at the end of the (nth) debate when you ad-libbed a closing statement with a shout-out to John Lewis, and said that we need to go to the mountaintop.
VP is probably out given your Senate campaign, but looking forward to your service - a cabinet post? - in post-Trump America
14
Drive through Newark one day and show me what he did.
53
@PM Exactly. He claims he was some kind of Mayor savior for Newark.
10
@PM As Mayor, I think he did a lot for Newark primarily by not being corrupt and not ignoring problems, as his predecessors did. You can't snap your fingers and eradicate poverty, but you can keep it from getting worse on your watch, and I think Booker did so.
The problem is, he also started taking money from big donors (which to be fair, is consistent with what the Clintons and Obama did), so he started to feel less like a man of the people and more like a man carefully triangulating for higher office. His voting record on the pharmaceutical bill that would have helped reduce drug prices alienated a lot of progressives I know, and his support of charter schools alienated teachers.
I think he's a good man. But I don't think he had the "it" factor in a time when people are clamoring for change.
11
@PM Newark was worse in the 70s, 80s, etc. Never recovered from the riots and the mass exodus of businesses and people to the suburbs. Having a national politician who still has feet on the ground in one of our problem cities is much better than a Mayor Pete for one.
https://www.nj.com/essex/2019/02/now-everybody-is-talking-about-cory-bookers-time-as-mayor-of-newark-but-how-did-he-do.html
2
Biden-Booker, Bernie-Booker, Bloomberg-Booker, Warren-Booker. What do you think?
275
@Franz all but Warren-Booker is a go for me
@Franz: Warren-Sanders
11
@Franz It will be Trump/Pence, but keep your hopes up.
3
Another synthetic candidate with little to offer, like Kamala Harris, Beto O'Rourke and Julian Castro, falls by the wayside.
Looks like we will have a repeat of the Hillary and Bernie show, this time with Joe and Bernie.
22
If Buttigieg drops out, wondering if the Times headline will read: “Buttigieg Drops Out, Leaving no LGBT Candidates in the Race.” We have the most diverse candidate field in history: a gay candidate, females, a Jewish person. We’ve never had a president from any of those groups, and yet the Times insists on casting their reporting here very narrowly in terms of race. Growing tired of the narrow perspective.
327
@IntentReader
Thank you for pointing this out. And, FWIW, I believe that Biden would be only the second Catholic president.
25
@IntentReader .
Three Jewish persons.
12
IntentReader, I could not agree more.
9
As President, he would have been destroyed within four years. That is the way of our nation. But as Senator from a friendly state where he has perpetual support, he can continue as Senator for many years through reelections and he can do remarkably good deeds for all Americans there without the focus given the Presidents of hatred and anger.
23
So long Booker. You won't be missed.
29
Good riddance. One more Stop Sanders candidate down the tubes.
12
@Doug Tarnopol
Careful. It's comments like this that keeps undecided voters from supporting Sanders.
And no candidate can afford that.
2
N Smith:
Who are you? Who appointed you the censor about what we should be careful about or not? It is still a free country and we can express our opinions as long as we do it civilly.
Take a nice walk. It is nice outside.
@N. Smith C'mon, man: that's the only reason Cory jumped in: Biden seemed wobbly and, as the NYT (to its eternal credit) was nice enough to note, there is indeed a Stop Sanders campaign. Neera Tanden, Mayor Pete was there. You can find the article, if you didn't read it.
Thanks for trying, Cory. Now you can get back to doing what's best for the country, especially when it comes to bipartisan legislation. Set a new standard for your colleagues.
238
@Locals4Me I'd appreciate him doing something for NJ, the state that he was elected to represent! Likable guy, impressive resume and he's never been indicted, which is sadly too uncommon for a NJ politician.
6
He would be an excellent VP choice, as long as there's a strong candidate behind him for his Senate seat.
Let's all please keep an eye on McConnell. He needs to be removed as much as Trump.
12
@DP You can contribute to Amy McGrath's campaign-- she seems like she has a good head on her shoulders.
1
I never quite understood what his campaign was all about. Was he evolving from his earlier centrist positions and embracing the progressive policy platforms of Sanders and Warren? Last November Peter Beinart , Professor of Journalism at CUNY explained "Why Cory blew it" in a piece in The Atlantic which foresaw this outcome.
19
Senator Booker had a discordant message - wanting to unify the country while simultaneously whining about his lack of support implying the process was racist, even when he wasn't supported by Black voters.
Can’t have it both ways. Thank you, next.
34
It’s sad that candidates like Steyer and Bloomberg are able to buy their way in while others like Booker are forced to drop out due to finances.
149
@Dan
Booker didn't drop out due to finances. He dropped out because very few Democrats supported him.
Dan Kravitz
83
@Dan Booker was not a good candidate, and that trumps money.
5
@Dan Why is it sad? Booker campaigned and won lots of media coverage for about a year and only received about 2 percent in the polls?
6
He doesn't deserve to be dog catcher if "peace and unity" is the best message he can deliver. We can get toothless platitudes from a novelty candidate like Williamson. But he's quitting in time to run for re-election as senator so he won't lose his power, perks, and platform for sanctimony.
31
He had no business running in the first place. He didn’t do much for Newark as Mayor and he hasn’t proved himself as Senator.
Get back to work. New Jersey has numerous issues such as infrastructure and unfunded pension liabilities. Otherwise you can follow that empty suit Christie in the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
34
Once again it is the Democratic Party machine that is forcing 'mainstream' candidates on the primaries. Pelosi's holding the impeachment articles until just before the Primary/Caucus season begins is going to help those candidates who are not Senators the most - I guess she wants Biden.
1
Cory Booker's announcement makes me very sad. He is such a bright, compassionate and public spirited man. His stepping down somehow diminishes the competition.
367
@Elizabeth Bennett Cory Booker is a smart man and looking at the bigger picture here: the importance of recapturing the Senate. He can do a lot of good in the Senate and needs to be able to focus on his Senate re-election campaign. Just one of the reasons he would have been a good President. He is young enough to run again in 2028 however -- let's look forward to that!
46
@Elizabeth Bennett
Really? the other candidates aren't worth all of the hard work they have put into this election for the American people?
He should never of been in this race to begin with. This country is sliding into madness and we need action not inspirational words that don't matter while Trump is putting kids in cages, starting wars and just destroying the foundation of this country.
He should of stepped out of this race months ago. There was no traction because he didn't offer the American people anything of substance.
Good decision -- even if it means a less diverse field. But we need socially conscious voices like Cory Booker's -- especially now in the G.O.P. - controlled Senate.
20
@ Jackson
1) he went to Harvard
2) he was a Rhodes scholar (named after the racist colonialist Sir Cecil Rhodes who named the country Rhodesia after himself until it was renamed Zimbabwe after the colonialists were kicked out)
3) he has a second rate preachers oratorical skills
4) he is risk averse to a fault
5) he keeps talking about Newark and how he lives there (I would like to know how many hours a year)
6) he keeps playing the Kumbaya guy.
1
@Blunt,
He went to Stanford, not Harvard.
I'm so sorry to read this! I knew it was a matter of time, still ... I'm saddened his uplifting message was not enough.
I admire him tremendously, glad he will still be in the Senate, and hope to see his candidacy for President again, in not too distant future.
16
A welcome end to an insufferably sanctimonious candidate, funded by big money, for more of the same.
95
@jrd , funded by big money? Not! He announced when he started he was not taking money from certain sources including oil and gas companies, pharmaceutical companies and Wall Street firms. Part of the reason he has run out of cash. Even if he was (he had, like Warren taken funds from "Big Money),these purity tests about where candidates get money could do more harm to progress than help. Winning is everything. Because of Obama winning, we got 2 Supreme Court justices, the Consumer Financial Bureau, Dodd-Frank (both opposed by Wall Street) and the Clean Power Plan (opposed by oil and coal companies) not to mention the Iran nuke deal. But because of purity, that progress has been reversed.
36
@jrd Right? How dare someone bring ethics and accountability into the conversation, strive to find the good in people, and demonstrate what it means to be a decent human.
7
@jrd Hopefully Senator Booker does not view this as an insult. I'm not suggesting anyone should aspire to be sanctimonious, but the world could use more people with a high moral compass who walk the the walk and talk the talk. I can criticize Senator Booker multiple ways, but he is a genuine "do the right thing" guy. We need more of him.
P.S. We should all live in glass houses.
9
There is something very wrong with a process that weeds out candidates of color. We're not even at the convention yet. We need to fix this so we can truly have representation from all parts of our culture.
104
@Anita They're not being weeded out, though. Voters of color have just been supporting other candidates instead of Booker, Harris, or Castro.
116
@Anita Though I think the process has been far more exclusive than it has been in the past, with a greater diversity of candidates, the problem is the demographic fact that the first two primary states are overwhelmingly white. I'd love to see a more diverse state, solidly Blue, lead off the primary season.
11
@Anita Booker (for whatever reason) didn't seem to strike a chord with African-American voters and other voters of color. Nor did Kamala Harris. Biden seems to be vacuuming up that support.
26
He'll be a great pick for a cabinet position!
8
I doubt that President Trump will make him a member of his cabinet.
16
@Dan Miklos. You’re right, Trump won’t. Because he won’t be president 13 months from now. :)
1
@Dan Micklos you never know! ;-)
Democrats need to change the system so that so many interesting candidates can stay in the race until the voting starts. It’s shameful that only billionaires like Bloomberg an Steyer and very well funded candidates face the voters. And because White people have most of the money, people of color like Booker and Kamala Harris are eliminated before the first caucus. The Democratic system now is racist and classist because it so favors rich, White people as candidates and the political interests of rich, White people.
4
@Rick
Was the process that twice nominated PRESIDENT Barack Obama racist?
How is it racist when black voters don’t support black candidates and Latino voters don’t support Latino candidates? It sounds like minority voters are more sophisticated and pragmatic than the electorate at large.
6
@Rick - Up until "The Democratic system now is racist and classist because it so favors rich, White people as candidates and the political interests of rich, White people." I agreed with you.
The DNC is taking hits for being as inclusive as they were.
1
NOOOOO! I hate to see him drop out of the race. I hope he'll earn a Cabinet position under the new Democratic presidency, or perhaps even be considered as a VP running mate.
10
Booker failed to present himself as a national leader although he thought that he did.
21
Dear Cory Booker, I am so sorry you quit. Now we are the poorer.
8
This paper remains reliable in its insistence of reporting how the Democratic field gets less diverse as candidates drop out of the race. This race will produce, by definition, a single candidate which means it will not be diverse at all. So why point this out every time? It's obvious. It's boring. But more importantly, it's harmful to the Party and the electorate to make readers think that something is wrong when that something is the result of the fact that a single candidate must be picked. That person cannot be black and white and gay and straight and male and female and hispanic and asian. Please stop focusing on identity. Other things matter too.
228
@SJG
When 44 out of 45 presidents have been white men, yes, there is a pattern of discrimination. That is obvious.
6
@SJG
Well stated, thank you.
The NYT implicit suggestion of racism and misogyny in a process that nominated a minority and a woman in our past three election cycles does a disservice to the electorate.
Perhaps we should focus on the major party which has never nominated a minority or woman.
40
Maybe because the other side is so much more diverse?! Or...maybe not.
6
I know it's not over, but he's so valuable in the Senate.
11
Senator Booker ran a fantastic campaign and had one of the best ground games in Iowa and other early states. He was on many Iowans' lists.
I can't believe Steyer made it to the last and next debate and Booker didn't.
I think it's unfair that Steyer and Bloomberg are getting polling bumps with their $$$. The dearth of early state polls during the holidays was also a blow to Booker's chances of making the next debate, I'm sure the DNC didn't think that through.
6
How about Corey Booker as Vice Presidential running mate ? You pick the Democratic nominee and Corey Booker makes the ticket much stronger and it's not because of his ethnicity .
5
It is not enough for a candidate to BE a person of color ... they must also offer policies and solutions that will HELP people of color, as well as all Americans. It just so happens that that candidate is a 78-year old white guy named Bernie Sanders.
20
Seriously: One look at Newark and nobody would want him to be president.
39
@Me: People from fly-over country say the same about New York. As if one individual is responsible for New York or Newark. Try reasoning or seriousness.
6
If he wasn’t Vegan he might have had a shot. Mistrust of vegans transcends all levels socio economics, race and sexuality.
9
@Mat - Sen Booker a Vegan! I didn't know that but he wasn't among my candidates.
If I had Rosario Dawson as my girlfriend, I wouldn't stick around in the slimepit that is US power politics. There's whole new worlds for them to explore in the entertainment and movie business. And he won't have to compromise his principles. Much success to him and his enchanting lady.
1
@Charlie,
Not sure if serious. The entertainment industry as a place to get away from hypocrisy?
Personally I was hoping for a surprise Booker win and White House wedding. Everything happens at its own pace.
1
Sad to learn that Sen. Booker has withdrawn from the race. Thank you for your service to this country.
11
He was my favorite. But with he and Castro out, that's $20 a month freed up for future senators Mark Kelly and Sara Gideon.
5
Thanks, Cory. You may not have been my favorite candidate for president, but you sure delivered one of the funniest lines at the Democratic debates.
Biden: “Before I legalize it nationally, I want to make sure we know a lot more about the science behind it.”
Booker: “I heard him literally say we should not legalize marijuana. I thought you might have been high when you said it.”
3
Rhodes Scholar who chooses to live in public housing
We need more people like Booker
25
@John — I commend Booker for living in the heart of urban Newark.
That said, I find it difficult to believe that Booker’s income was low enough to qualify for public housing.
Booker was picked out by Wall St. at Stanford or Oxford as a potential Obama, meaning a candidate who could deliver eight years of Democratic neoliberalism for his rich backers, before anyone has heard of Obama. So they made him mayor of Newark and senator from NJ. But then the Peter Principle kicked in, and from his embarrassing Kavanaugh “Spartacus” moment on, he just looked like an amiable dunce. Both he and Kamala simply not that good. Ironically, after the failure of their Booker plot to save themselves from progressive economics, the next black president will be Wall St.’s worst nightmare, AOC in 2028, when she’ll be Pete’s age and finally break the glass ceiling for women, when most Boomers will be dead and the progressive Millennial wave will crest.
4
@Fred White
You and your progressive millennial wave may hate us, Fred, but this Boomer is hoping to live long enough to see AOC and Joe Kennedy duke it out in a Democratic presidential primary. Like you, my money's on AOC, who'll replace the 2-term president who broke the glass ceiling for women.
That’s okay. And not for any reason regarding the presidency. We need him in the Senate, just like we need Kamala Harris there. Yet it is truly a disappointing testimony to our supposed “color blindness.” The Democrats preach against racism and bigotry. However, our front runners are lily white. A bit of hypocrisy, I would posit.
3
@Kathy Lollock
It might be "okay" but it's still a shame. Mr. Booker deserved to be on the stage. He brought a voice of intelligence, compassion, and dignity to the race. He's not as full of himself or singularly self-promoting as Mayor Pete. He's much more well-rounded than Kamala Harris. I'm going to miss him.
Your comment is mostly just annoying.
1
@Kathy Lollock Respectfully, I don't agree that racism was a major factor in this, the primary. Cory, as is Kamela, is widely liked and respected within his party, but they were always going to be underdogs against the even more familiar faces like Biden, Bernie, and Warren. Plus, Andrew Yang is still in the fight.
2
@Kathy Lollock
Who are the hypocrites? The black voters who gave him 2% support?
5
I’m sure he’ll be President one day. Just not now.
143
@SteerableDad
What is the obsession about this? It was one statement in the heat of a senate hearing, defending a woman.
Think about all the hyperbole that comes out of the mouth of Trump. I mean, if someone is going to obsess on hyperbole...Trump is the best fit.
10
Thank you...that made me smile.
1
I am so sorry to see Cory Booker drop out of the Presidential race. His message (as it has ALWAYS been) is full of hope. love and understanding of all human endeavors and problems. It is a voice that must be heard and followed if we are ever to become one united country again.
384
@sassa418
Until we start hearing similar voices on the Republican side any hope of unification is a pipe dream. The Republicans need to get past their need for absolute power at any cost including their lack of honesty, dignity, scruples and integrity.
13
Cory, it's not the quality of you or your campaign; it's the quality of the competition. The Seahawks may have been as good as Green Bay but they both can't continue in the playoffs (yes, I'm still a little sad about last night's game).
We hope you'll be back.
4
Senator Booker can play a role in who wins the nomination and should be a strong VP choice by the nominee. It would be nice to see Senator Booker back Mayor Pete as a young energetic team would be tough for Trump to beat. Democrats need to take the lead with a Young energetic candidate and not another 70 year old!
2
Senator Booker is an intelligent, articulate man and we are fortunate to have heard his points of view in prior debates. He will continue to fight the good fight as a senator.
14
We need him in the senate but I am a bit discouraged that none of the newcomers are likely to be the presidential candidate. I am not inspired at all by Biden, Sanders is just too angry and preachy and could be as embarrassing as Trump on the international scene. I sort of like Warren but some of her economic plans scare me. I don’t especially want the stock market to crash and if she is the nominee I think it will. Right now I guess my favorite is Bloomberg.
3
Cory Booker--I'm your fan. thanks for your wonderful spirit, your moral courage, and your contributions to the country. I wish you were still in the run, but I KNOW you will make a big difference no matter where you serve. You are smart, kind, wise, and we need you to help pull the USA back from the abyss. You've made an impact on me and many, many others.
12
I like Cory Booker and I'm sorry to see him go. However, I would like to know why the Editorial Board covered him as a candidate but ignored Tulsi Gabbard. I like her signature issue of getting out of wars and her status as a veteran. Getting out of wasteful forever wars is the key to taking on the key issues of global warming, repairing infrastructure, health coverage, and growing income inequality. There is nothing more important than climate change as an issue. If we fail on this issue all other issues will be meaningless. I'm terrified that we don't have a leading candidate who is a sure winner against Trump.
7
@hd
She wasn't ignored. She declined to participate. Huge difference.
9
We're not ready for "peace and unity" yet. Even those who don't like Trump's message of hate, fear, and divisiveness are in hate or fear of Trump and his Trumpettes. Even many who oppose Trump have been corrupted by his methods; the thing about "Trump Derangement Syndrome" is that we ALL have it to one extent or another, in one way or another - even his supporters. Too many people think that nice is not going to work to take Trump out. And that's fear talking.
2
I think Cory Booker could have been a great candidate. Be he focused his entire campaign on one issue: race. Every comment he made, every rally he attended - revolved around race. Nothing else. I never heard him talk about healthcare or foreign policy - just race. He'd manage to bring up race even when addressing issues that had nothing to do with race.
Not sure who gave him the poor advice to hammer over and over again on one issue. It's too bad because I think he could have been a top candidate. But you can't win a nomination as a one-issue candidate.
30
@J.M.
Why not? It worked for Trump.
3
@J.M.
You may be right that Booker needed to craft a broad agenda for his campaign. But, like it or not, race impacts virtually everything in American life and politics -- including foreign policy and healthcare.
1
I agree that Booker’s campaign was too narrowly focused on race.
I’m sorry to read this.
He seems like the most genuine if the bunch. I’ve got my fingers crossed that he’ll be in the VP position
Good wishes to Senator Booker and his positive message!
8
I was studying and living in Newark when Booker was mayor and the difference he made was wonderful. He would have been a great President and I’m sad to see him leave. I know he was fairly criticized for being pro-corporate. But when you take a step back, and compare that downside with the relentless atrocity that is our current President, I think reasonable people will see Booker to have been a good option.
11
I met Booker in a coffeehouse just outside of Detroit. I wasn’t sure what he was doing there; not many other candidates had yet traveled to Michigan. We talked a bit, I introduced my daughter, he made a short video on my phone asking my absent 18 year old son to give him a look, I shook his hand and said good luck as he left. He was a good mayor, is a good senator and a good man. I’ve no doubt, non whatsoever, that he also would have been a good president.
14
Perhaps. But when all you do is talk about race, then he will never go anywhere
7
Difficult for a journalist to define just what the reasons are for why any candidate connects, or doesn't connect, with voters.
It was always my impression that Cory Booker is a fine person, very intelligent, and an above average Senator.
I simply could not imagine him as President. His overly caffeinated way of speaking strikes me as that of a self-help guru.
If he had gone on to win the nomination I would, of course, vote for him.
The candidate who impresses me the most - not so much because of policies or a single issue, but for basic core democratic values - is Pete Buttigieg. His calm intelligence and deeply thought through solutions fit my expectations for a President.
Plus, he truly does seem to be the most mature of the bunch.
11
@Pat Boice
The downside re Mr. Buttigieg is that he has so little relevant experience. I'm mystified that so many people overlook that.
1
@Maggie Mae - Experience in what? Look at the cumulative experience Congress has and they are lousy at their job with public confidence in the single digits, and getting nothing done but obstruction.
Buttigieg has what it takes to appoint the right people to cabinet positions.
2
I was hoping he'd stay in just so he could pull votes away from Biden. That was the only real contribution he could have made to this primary.
3
Sorry to see Senator Booker leave the race, though it is the right thing to do at this point. He's a good man, but these are crazy times so he is apparently seen as too soft to beat trump. He will, and I hope all the others who have chosen to end their runs for now, will fully support the Democratic candidate with all his heart because he IS a good man.
3
Stating that he's"suspending" is campaign, rather than "ending' it drops him a few notches in my opinion. And I like him.
3
@Scottilla There are good reasons why candidates call it a “suspension.” Suspending a campaign rather than ending it allows the campaign to work to retire campaign debts. They are prohibited from paying off a campaign’s debts after it has “ended.”
1
It would have been unthinkable a decade ago to use race, gender or religion to define the reason a subgroup votes. Yet, the Press has become the greatest promoter of bias.
I was at a board dinner when my dinner companion, a successful middle-age white woman former tech CEO declared to me her unwillingness to vote for "another white male". I wonder how she would have reacted if I had said, "I would never vote for a black female". This willigness to divide the country along racial, ethnic, gender and religious lines is fundamentally wrong
53
@Chris
Man, did you miss the point. I too am a middle-aged white woman, though in a much lowlier station in life, and I too am tired of being asked to suck it up and vote for another white male because to elect a person of color or woman would somehow spell doom for this country.
I will vote for a three-toed sloth over Trump regardless of what genitalia it comes equipped with, but I am angry that women continue to be regarded as "unelectable" because "this country is just not ready for a woman president." That IS sexism, and in in its purist form, whether you are prepared to acknowledge it or not.
We are not the ones willing to divide the country. We are the ones who seek to be represented and included. Can you imagine living your entire life, as I have, being told "it's just not a woman's turn this time"? We women are not the ones imposing the gender requirement. You are, under this transparent pretense that it's "divisive" unless we maintain the status quo of male hegemony.
9
@Chris I hear you. It has now become completely acceptable to disparage whites, especially white males, in the media, in public, in polite conversation - anywhere at anytime. Reverse racism is now the norm. But the backlash against this has begun.
10
@Chris
I’d like someone to explain how the blanket statement about “never voting for another white man” isn’t racist.
Granted, if I was faced with a choice of two equally good candidates, I’d choose a minority or woman (or minority woman). But if I think one candidate is better I’m voting for them regardless of race or gender.
The only candidate I will never vote for again is the GOP one.
8
Cory wasn't a very good candidate, this round. Give him time!
2
"His résumé, which had drawn national attention for its breadth throughout his career, was matched at every point. A Rhodes Scholar and former mayor? That also applied to former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind. The first black person to be elected senator from his state? That also applied to Senator Kamala Harris of California."
Perhaps this is partly the fault of media coverage. Why, for instance, does this argument not read the other way around? "Pete Buttigieg a Rhodes scholar and former mayor? That also applies to Cory Booker. Kamala Harris the first black person elected senator to their state? That also applies to Cory Booker." In a field that's chock-full of candidates with overlapping resumes -- senators and congressmen and mayors (or ex-mayors) and even a couple of billionaires to boot -- why is it Booker who's painted as "struggling to shine"?
2
Senator Booker, as a contributor to your campaign, I hope you will run again. We need your voice.
I’m the meantime, NJ, make sure he’s re-elected to the senate!
6
The field is still likely the most diverse in history. There are two women candidates, a Jewish candidate, and an Asian candidate. Booker simply wasn't resonating with any demographic, including black voters.
14
Sen. Booker would have made an excellent president and I am sad to see him leave the race. In part, I blame the DNC and their unfortunate rules for qualifying for the debates, themselves a multi-ring circus. I also blame the money madness foisted upon all candidates and the country as a whole by the utterly senseless Citizens United decision; how does one get their message out from behind the relentless begging required to run for office in 2020?
But don't count the senator out; more people know about him now, and the VP slot can be filled in numerous ways, perhaps by him. In the meantime, I am proud that he's my senator and that he will continue to be a positive influence in and on that beaten-up McConnellized institution. Thank you for being who you are, Sen. Booker. We sons and daughters of the state of New Jersey know who you are and are proud to support you.
284
@CP
Couldn't agree more about the DNC's arcane debate process. Booker, Castro and Harris each had ideas the voters deserved to hear, and the Democratic primary is diminished by their absence. None was my candidate -- I chose early and I'm sticking with her -- but each brought significant experience and insight to the campaign. I'll miss their perspectives as the actual voting begins.
13
This breaks my heart. His compassion, his intellect and his articulate manner of expressing himself is exactly what we need in the White House. But thank goodness he will remain in the Senate. His is not done with the things that our country needs desparately.
13
@CP, I take your general points but note that Bloomberg and Styer are spending personal funds not the corporate money Citizens United changed the rules to allow. Pertinently, in 1976 in Buckley v. Valeo SCOTUS held that the section of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 which effectively limited a candidate's expenditure of their own funds was unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. That reasoning has been extended several times. So it is actually worse than just Citizens United.
7
Mr. Booker was qualified but didn't strike a chord with engaged Democrats. End of story. I am monumentally indifferent to diversity in the Democratic field. I am absolutely riveted by the qualifications, ideals and programs of the candidates.
I am sick of identity politics. Identity politics elected Trump and could elect him again. American Democrats have proved conclusively that they overwhelmingly ignore race and gender when selecting a Presidential candidate... does anybody remember who the last two were? If you have forgotten, their names were Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Dan Kravitz
Dan Kravitz
62
Senator Booker, you are one class act, and the Senate desperately needs your wisdom and tenacity. Thank you for your continuing service.
655
And, if you mean continuing service as a race baiter and SOLELY as one, more commonly referred to as a "one trick pony, then yes, he has wildly succeeded.
5
@Michael Neal
No kidding! I have always liked Mr. Booker.
As for the vast sums of money argument, Sanders and Warren both have refused the Big Bad you allude to (though in fairness Warren more recently)....and African American voters favor Biden by wide margins. Are they racists?
This is the best Democratic primary I have seen in my 50+ years, and I will be proud to support the winner.
2
As I watched the field of candidates, I became convinced that Cory Booker was the best person running. Not necessarily the best candidate but the best person.
Well done, Senator Booker.
60
@fast/furious
Well said.
1
Booker is someone very public-spirited, caring, and committed to social progress. He's someone whom every sensible person would want in a governing role.
75
@Eleanor N. Great guy to have in the Senate, but he’s no Obama and will never be President.
3
He's a good man. One of the best we have in elected office.
His girlfriend grew up in my old neighborhood in New York City, she is a dynamic and highly accomplished woman from an impoverished background.
Real People: principled patriotic workers for justice.
Our country is full of such good people, we need to elect them as our representatives. He certainly represents me.
Good Speed Cory Booker!
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@ab2020 : Well that is a fantastic recommendation for a President: "He is a good man and has a fantastic girlfriend."
2
I am glad he will be fighting for us in the Senate. We need him there.
Mr. Booker was part of a groundbreaking diverse group of candidates for president. It was an important milestone, breaking a glass ceiling for future candidates.
Mr. Booker may one day be president.
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@Better American than Republican:
Your commentary expresses my thinking completely. Senator Booker has a long political trajectory in front of him, and I certainly hope to see him again on the Presidential campaign trail.
I will miss his hopeful and optimistic approach to life and problem solving solving. At least his presence will be felt in the Senate. G-d knows we need him there too!
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@Better American than Republican
Are you forgetting that Obama was president?
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I'm very sorry to hear it. Truthfully, I'm sorry that all of the Democratic candidates who have dropped out have done so - apparently there's no way past the oddities of Iowa caucuses. Iowa is so far from being even vaguely representative of the national population that its restrictions and requirements are now being destructive. Would that there could be a nation-wide or even region-wide gateway to a nomination.
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@GWPDA
I believe this has more to do with the national staging of the campaigns more than Iowa and its first in the nation status. When lots of money is needed to get points in the national polls, a feedback loop sets in. Who is popular nationally becomes who is popular in Iowa. Another problem is the way polls are conducted. Who are getting calls and what are they being asked? Someone I know was recently polled and only the top five candidates were given as choices with a sixth choice of "other candidate." The system is definitely flawed but blaming Iowa is short-sighted.
4
Let this be the defining moment for any “democrat” who supports billionaires defining how our public schools are run. No more charter schools, they promote inequality. The Devos “Democrats for Education Reform” must get with the program to support equitable public schools for all without privatizing charter gimmicks. Booker even wrote a pro charter opinion piece for the Times last year. Let his failed candidacy be a lesson.
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@Aras Paul Charter schools done the right way is a viable strategy. If they worked in NJ for Booker, then they can work elsewhere. The problem is the same for charter schools as for other kind of schools: when the wrong people run them, they're disasters. That goes for pretty much anything else, too.
America's educational system isn't rated in the 20s or 30s in the world because of charter schools.
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@Aras Paul I sincerely doubt it was Booker's stance on charter schools that caused his campaign's downfall. But we all have our pet issues.
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Yes, this! Thanks for writing in.
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Cory Booker is still presidential material; and he'll be back.
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@steve Yup, but that's politics
@steve "gravitas" seems to be inversely proportional to political exposure; and has little to do with political potency.
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Cory Booker is an extraordinary public servant and would have made a great president. That said, I think it's a mistake to promote a score card based on diversity. A candidate should not be supported or elected based on their genetic background.
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@Patriot
Save for Obama all of the US Presidents have been white men with several fathers and sons and cousins being president. Identity politics isn't new. The game changer is that appeal to identity is no longer exclusively white and male. Why not outrage against so many capable people being excluded from serious presidential consideration because of their race or gender?
Booker is a good man and I am glad that he will be an important voice and leader in the Senate.
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@Patriot
He ran on principled patriotic work for justice for all Americans.
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@Patriot
I know what you are trying to say with “genetic background”, but the term really has no meaning. All of us share the same genetic “background”. We share the majority of our DNA with every living thing on the earth and about 99 percent with all other humans--the other one percent simply provides us each with our own identity and variation. There is simply no such thing as “race” in science. The sooner we all come to terms with that, the better.
8
sad to learn - I think he was ahead of his time so maybe 2024 or 8. Hopefully Senator Booker will remain in the Senate as he is a force on his committees.
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“All You Need Is Love”.
To me, that sort of summed up Cory Booker’s messaging. It was never remotely enough, and, like-able though he is, it seems most Democratic voters agree.
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Perhaps VP? Unless of course you think a woman is mandatory if she is not in the top spot. He is a humanist and a healer in every sense of the word.
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I also think he’d make an excellent VP - preferably for Amy Klobuchar. That would be my dream ticket.
4
@AGoldstein
Fingers crossed for Stacey Abrams!
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Keep fighting Senator Booker! The Democratic Party still needs your voice. Best wishes, An American
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@Diane
The Democratic Party needs to do more than just pay lip service to Booker.
It needs to apply the concept of Affirmative Action in selecting its candidate.
Enlightened Dem leadership must see that rank & file Dems are perpetrating against minorities.
Change the rules for minority candidates to keep them all in the race to the very end and let the voters decide.
SEE: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/affirmative-action/
1
I think Booker is simply too nice. Maybe his time will come later.
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We haven’t hear the last from him re president.
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@Bjh
“He pledged to offer sweeping clemency to thousands of nonviolent drug offenders ....”
The convict officially imprisoned for a nonviolent crime has, in fact, most often pled down from a violent reality - and a violent past.
Ordinary men with a marijuana cigarette do not go to jail. The guys in jail have hurt people and have stolen hard-earned property. Real criminals are a real problem and if you do not like mass incarceration you had best come up with a real alternative.
That these men with nonviolent convictions actually live a violent, criminal lifestyle does not concern him, that his policies will neither confine nor deter them does not concern him, that they will prey on your loved ones does not concern him.
Unfortunate news. He had a chance to repeat Obama’s success.
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What success was that? the reason we are stuck with Trump now is because of the damage Obama did. Obama's tenure is what placed this loose cannon Trump in office. We dont need a repeat.
11
"the damage Obama did"
Not even you believe that.
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@Cromwell
The only people to blame for trump being in office are the people who voted for him.
Please don't try to put the fault of white racists in the laps of black politicians. Maybe whites should just stop being racist? How about that?
7
Senator Booker ran a strong campaign and would’ve made an excellent President - far better than the current abomination.
Thank you for advancing the ball on many issues, Senator, and keep fighting the good fight.
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@Andrew Strong seems a little overstated. He’s at 2% among registered Democrats.
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@TR88
As we know, there’s not always a strong correlation between the quality of a candidate and their ability to win support.
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@Andrew Now, he can go back to taking the most money in the Senate from Bigpharma. Also, voting down the ability to buy cheaper drugs from Canada, (which he did). He should try to get the nomination on the Republican side.
7