Cory Booker wins New Jersey Senate race

[NFS4]

Republicans are probably STILL pissed at Gov. Christie for calling for a special election But man, what a horrible climate to enter in as a freshman senator.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, a rising national Democratic star, was elected to the U.S. Senate Wednesday and will become New Jersey's first ever African American senator.

Booker defeated Republican Steve Lonegan, a former mayor of Bogota. With 58 percent of the vote counted, the Associated Press called the contest for Booker, who was carrying 56 percent of the vote.

When Booker is sworn in, the Democratic Caucus will once again hold a 55-45 advantage over the GOP Conference. Booker will fill the seat once held by Frank Lautenberg, a long-serving Democratic senator who died in June. Gov. Chris Christie appointed fellow Republican Jeff Chiesa to be Lautenberg's interim replacement.

Booker, 44, will become the chamber's second African American member along with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

The Democrat will enter the Senate having already achieved celebrity status. A regular on cable news programs and Sunday morning news shows with more than 1.4 million followers on Twitter, Booker has cultivated a profile that extends well beyond New Jersey.

He could fill a void in the Senate. While there are a handful of freshman Republican senators with growing national profiles like Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.), there is a dearth of new Democratic senators eager for a spotlight.

Booker won comfortably Tuesday despite running a lackluster campaign. He veered off message by tweets he sent to an Oregon stripper and questions about whether or not a drug dealer he cited often in early political speeches was real or not.

His once wide lead narrowed in the closing weeks of the race. Lonegan sought to seize the opening, but was limited by his political profile. A conservative Republican who campaigned with Paul and Sarah Palin, Lonegan's views were out of step with most voters in the deep blue state.
Booker also had to deal with personal tragedy during the campaign. His father passed away last week, prompting him to take some time away from campaigning.

Elections are typically held on Tuesdays, but New Jersey opted for a rare Wednesday vote at the order of Christie, who said he wanted New Jerseyans to elect a a senator as soon as possible under state law. Critics suggested Christie was simply looking out for himself, and didn't want the popular Booker to appear on the same ballot as him next month, for fear a coattail effect might boost the governor's Democratic opponent.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...0/16/cory-booker-wins-new-jersey-senate-race/

 

[michal1980]

Christie is an asshole

 

[Agent11]

He's black? Seriously?

https://www.google.com/search?q=cor...WOiAKr24GwAg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=636

More power to him I guess.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Christie is an asshole

I don't mind him. He is the one Republican who seems likely to run who I think would actually be a pretty solid President. I don't think he'll be nominated, though, because he's probably not willing to say enough stupid, pandering things during the primaries.

 

[nanette1985]

Christie is an asshole.

I voted at the local school this afternoon. This is a wealthy republican community. Very large turnout People were furious. There was no way Lonegan was going to get elected. Booker is only interested in celebrity, but at least he's not a tea party republican like Lonegan.

 

[sportage]

Booker is a good man. Deserves to win.
Christie is petty, has a childish temper, and would self destruct fairly early
if he ran for the highest office.
Outside of NJ I doubt even southern republicans would support him.
And besides, we will know that Hillary will be the next president.
And the first woman president at that.

 

[nageov3t]

he ran such an awful campaign... I mean, don't get me wrong -- his opponent was terrible and I'm glad he won, but after such a blatant display of ineptitude, I can't believe people are already cheering him on to run for Governor or VP where he'd actually have to execute strategy (as opposed to the Senate, where he's perfectly suited to just talk endlessly and get press coverage for his pet issues)

 

[jackstar7]

Booker is only interested in celebrity,

What makes you say this?

 

[nageov3t]

Christie is an asshole.

I voted at the local school this afternoon. This is a wealthy republican community. Very large turnout People were furious. There was no way Lonegan was going to get elected. Booker is only interested in celebrity, but at least he's not a tea party republican like Lonegan.

yeah.... Booker ran such a bad/non-existent campaign that Republicans might have had half a chance (granted, a slim one -- NJ hasn't elected a Republican senator since like the 1950's), but there's no way a tea partier would ever get elected in a state-wide election.

 

[SP33Demon]

Booker pretty much undressed Lonegan in their last debate, it was hilarious to watch. Google it.

All in all, I like Booker. He stressed unity and reaching across the aisle, now let's see if he actually does it.

 

[justoh]

Except in rare cases, obesity indicates intemperance, an excessive indulgence of appetite or passion. How could anyone trust a fatty in the white house?

 

[werepossum]

I like Booker. Be interesting to see if he can maintain his independence in D.C. though.

 

[fskimospy]

I don't mind him. He is the one Republican who seems likely to run who I think would actually be a pretty solid President. I don't think he'll be nominated, though, because he's probably not willing to say enough stupid, pandering things during the primaries.

I wonder. If you look at the history of who Republicans have nominated they have consistently chosen electability over ideological purity in their presidential candidates. I think Christie will stand a good chance at being nominated. My primary concern is that he WILL be willing to say enough stupid, pandering things during the primaries and that he will allow himself to be driven so far to the right that he will lose much of his appeal to me.

 

[nextJin]

Not a fan of either of those assholes Tbh. Booker is a self serving mfer and the other one is just.... Well they didn't have good choices, put it that way.

 

[jackstar7]

I wonder. If you look at the history of who Republicans have nominated they have consistently chosen electability over ideological purity in their presidential candidates. I think Christie will stand a good chance at being nominated. My primary concern is that he WILL be willing to say enough stupid, pandering things during the primaries and that he will allow himself to be driven so far to the right that he will lose much of his appeal to me.

McCain all over again...

 

[jhbball]

Not a fan of either of those assholes Tbh. Booker is a self serving mfer and the other one is just.... Well they didn't have good choices, put it that way.

Provide examples of HOW he is self serving.

 

[nageov3t]

Provide examples of HOW he is self serving.

well, he hasn't actually used his term as Mayor of Newark to do much of anything but springboard to a higher office and gain national publicity for himself.

 

[Oldgamer]

Booker is a good man. Deserves to win.
Christie is petty, has a childish temper, and would self destruct fairly early
if he ran for the highest office.
Outside of NJ I doubt even southern republicans would support him.
And besides, we will know that Hillary will be the next president.
And the first woman president at that.

Booker pretty much undressed Lonegan in their last debate, it was hilarious to watch. Google it.

All in all, I like Booker. He stressed unity and reaching across the aisle, now let's see if he actually does it.

Yea that debate was hilarious. I like Corey Booker, he is pretty down to earth and very genuine. He really does care about the people and it shows.

 

[jhbball]

well, he hasn't actually used his term as Mayor of Newark to do much of anything but springboard to a higher office and gain national publicity for himself.

Yeah, the guy who moved BACK INTO THE PROJECTS after becoming mayor is really self serving.


Edit: sorry, he moved to the brick towers prior to becoming mayor. The point stands.

 

[Jaskalas]

I wonder. If you look at the history of who Republicans have nominated they have consistently chosen electability over ideological purity in their presidential candidates. I think Christie will stand a good chance at being nominated. My primary concern is that he WILL be willing to say enough stupid, pandering things during the primaries and that he will allow himself to be driven so far to the right that he will lose much of his appeal to me.

Cause we all know these sweet little angels tell us the truth during campaigns.

Why would you hang on those words?

 

[nageov3t]

Yeah, the guy who moved BACK INTO THE PROJECTS after becoming mayor is really self serving.

right... and is there evidence that his moving "BACK INTO THE PROJECTS" actually accomplished anything but getting Booker some press coverage?

outside of the "cop corridor" between Penn Station and the Performing Arts Center (wall-to-wall cops along the streets connecting the two), I still don't know many people willing to go through Newark after dark.

 

[jhbball]

right... and is there evidence that his moving "BACK INTO THE PROJECTS" actually accomplished anything but getting Booker some press coverage?

outside of the "cop corridor" between Penn Station and the Performing Arts Center (wall-to-wall cops along the streets connecting the two), I still don't know many people willing to go through Newark after dark.

LOL. You're not even worth the effort. Clearly you've already made up your mind about him.

"After returning to the U.S., Booker attended Yale University Law School, graduating in 1997. He then started several free legal clinics for low-income residents of the neighboring city of New Haven, CT. Returning to his home state of New Jersey, he was hired as a staff attorney for New York City's Urban Justice Center and then became Program Coordinator of the Newark (NJ) Youth Project. Although professionally and financially successful, in 1998 Booker moved into a Newark housing project called the Brick Towers, which was notorious for its run-down condition and festering crime problems. He led the project's tenants in their fight for improvements in housing, maintenance and security. That same year he won election to the Newark City Council in an upset victory over a four-term incumbent. The next year, as a council member, he went on a ten-day hunger strike to protest rampant and blatant drug-dealing in one of Newark's worst housing projects. In 2000 he spent five months living in a motor home, staying on streets in some of the most crime- and drug-infested areas of the city to get an idea of just how bad conditions were."

Again, sounds pretty self serving.

 

[nanette1985]

What makes you say this?

Because I'm an autism advocate and I've worked with the Newark autism folks, and seen Booker in action. He's there if there is some kind of celebrity, publicity action, but he's never accomplished anything in autism education, protection, and so on. I'll see if I can find some references to this.

He's a serious liar (duh, politician). There's nothing wrong with a politician trying to make a name for himself, and he's a smart guy - he could be worse.

 

[nageov3t]

LOL. You're not even worth the effort. Clearly you've already made up your mind about him.

made up my mind based on living right next door to Newark, working in the city for several years, and having many friends/family members who still work in (and for) the city, including my mom who teaches in Newark and a family friend who's a cop in the city... it's not like I'm pulling things out of thin air, I don't know many people who would be willing to say that he's had a significant impact on Newark during his tenure.

I agree with Booker on a policy level (and everyone would agree that his opponent was awful -- I'm definitely glad he lost) and I'm sure he'll make a fine Senator, but it's hard to feel like he used Newark as anything but a springboard to the next election.

 

[nextJin]

Because he is pretty much springboarding everywhere for anything. Absolutely zero done other than get his name in the national media. It's like he wants to be the next Obama.

Not that I'd want the other idiot to win (bodies in the river?) it's not even his policies, he is a liberal I get it. But he hasn't even relied on that.