Has Cory Booker hurt his own political career?
Has Cory Booker hurt his own political career? That鈥檚 a valid question in the wake of his misstep last Sunday on NBC鈥檚 鈥�Meet the Press.鈥� Mr. Booker 鈥� the Democratic mayor Newark, N.J. 鈥� called President Obama鈥檚 anti-Bain Capital campaign ads 鈥渘auseating." He and the Obama campaign have been in full damage-control mode ever since.
Well, one thing鈥檚 for sure 鈥� a prime time Booker speech at the Democratic National Convention is now pretty unlikely. That would only cause the 鈥淢eet the Press鈥� clip to run in rotation on cable news again. So the Newark mayor, often described as a rising star, won鈥檛 get the exposure that then-little known Barack Obama did when he delivered the DNC keynote address in 2004.
Plus, his own ties to Wall Street have now become press fodder. On Monday, the liberal website that Bain officials and others in the finance industry contributed more than $565,000 to Booker鈥檚 first mayoral campaign in 2002. Stories about links between financial groups and Booker, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, and other Democrats who criticized the Bain ads came out so fast that some on the right suspect they were planted by the Obama camp.
鈥淚 expected them to send out oppo research on Republicans.... But I don鈥檛 think I ever would鈥檝e predicted they鈥檇 be digging up dirt on their own campaign surrogates,鈥� on the conservative RedState blog.
Booker鈥檚 in-state party rivals have even begun tweaking him over his misstep. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) of New Jersey, for instance, holds a seat that Booker is rumored to want for himself. On Tuesday, Senator Lautenberg said Booker鈥檚 words were 鈥渁 terrible blow, in my view, for President Obama."
The mayor of Newark is spending too much time giving speeches elsewhere, Lautenberg .
鈥淣ewark needs hands-on kind of leadership, and it鈥檚 not getting the attention" it needs, Lautenberg said.
But here鈥檚 our view: Booker is OK here. If anything, he鈥檚 helped his chances of winning a statewide New Jersey office, such as governor or senator.
First of all, he鈥檚 now more famous than ever. He鈥檚 gotten plenty of media exposure 鈥� and he鈥檚 a naturally appealing political talent. Yes, he鈥檚 eating a little humble pie, but in general voters agree with his original sentiment: Negative advertising is nauseating, and there鈥檚 way too much of it in our current political culture.
Second, it鈥檚 New Jersey. See that city on the other side of the Hudson? It鈥檚 New York, where Wall Street is. Any New Jersey politician will have constituents with financial-industry ties and likely will find it expedient to raise Wall Street money. In that context, it might be dangerous for Booker to come across as anti-Bain.
Third, Booker may be better off in the Garden State if there鈥檚 some distance between him and Obama. New Jersey is reliably blue at the presidential level, but it鈥檚 not liberal 鈥� Gov. Chris Christie is not only a Republican, he鈥檚 a possible Mitt Romney VP pick. And what Booker鈥檚 comments might really have done is expose the rift between liberals and the more pro-business, moderate wing of the Democratic Party.
Booker is a leading Democratic moderate, writes Josh Kraushaar in National Journal. He won his 2002 race by taking on the Newark Democratic establishment and the city鈥檚 widespread cronyism.
鈥淭he Booker governing model, premised on bipartisanship and taking on ideological party factions, runs contrary in many ways to Obama鈥檚 record. It鈥檚 why Booker鈥檚 call for Obama to elevate the rhetoric drove Chicago batty: It was a stinging reminder that the candidate鈥檚 promise of a post-partisan approach in 2008 had given way to the reality of governing in a polarized Washington and the necessity of running a highly negative campaign against Romney,鈥� in his 鈥淎gainst the Grain鈥� column this week.
