Does Cory Booker have any actual political accomplishments?
When snow blanketed this city two Christmases ago, Mayor Cory A. Booker was celebrated around the nation for personally shoveling out residents who had appealed for help on Twitter. But here, his administration was scorned as streets remained impassable for days because the city had no contract for snow removal.
Last spring, Ellen DeGeneres presented Mr. Booker with a superhero costume after he rushed into a burning building to save a neighbor. But Newark had eliminated three fire companies after the mayor’s plan to plug a budget hole failed.
In recent days, Mr. Booker has made the rounds of the national media with his pledge to live on food stamps for a week. But his constituents do not need to be reminded that six years after the mayor came into office vowing to make Newark a “model of urban transformation,” their city remains an emblem of poverty…
[E]ven some fellow New Jersey Democrats who believe that Mr. Booker is their best chance to oust Mr. Christie, a Republican, say he should run for Frank R. Lautenberg’s Senate seat in 2014, arguing that Mr. Booker is better suited to speechmaking in Washington than to governing a state.
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Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 1:26 PM
Messed up the quote function.
Did Obama in 2008? Didn’t think so. What’s your point?
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 1:26 PM
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 1:27 PM
I would only add,
Did Hillary?
dogsoldier on December 14, 2012 at 1:30 PM
When the “food stamp challenge” came up on CNN (repeatedly), my co-workers and I were asking why this was even a story.
Given his level of self-promotion, he’ll get the “low information” vote for sure, and that makes him a natural for the D party.
apostic on December 14, 2012 at 1:30 PM
Not according to certain residents of Newark, whose homes and businesses are still without power…
steebo77 on December 14, 2012 at 1:30 PM
That question is RACIST!!!!
AH_C on December 14, 2012 at 1:32 PM
If he doesn’t have any actual accomplishments, but is a man of color, that gives him all the qualifications he needs to follow in obama’s footsteps, according to librul theology.
Go ahead, I already know it is racist. (true but racist)
Old Country Boy on December 14, 2012 at 1:34 PM
facts, accomplishments, qualifications, etc — none of that matters
this is now a political American Idol contest
All that matters is personality and coolness and identity politics
FFS, the Dims’ rising start at the convention was a mediocre mayor of San Antonio, who has done almost nothing while being mayor of one of the poorest cities in a booming state. But he’s latino so he gets anointed as a rising star in their world…
thurman on December 14, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Did 0bama in 2012?
Political cultists on the left (also known as Democratic voters) don’t pay much attention to political accomplishments. All they look for is the color of a candidate’s skin, a gleaming smile, and resentment towards anyone who has ever actually been successful in their lives.
UltimateBob on December 14, 2012 at 1:38 PM
I’d take service points over political points any time. He’s a dem. But that does not seem to impede his ability to act without government help. Didn’t he even shake his own detail to get his hands dirty?
Capitalist Hog on December 14, 2012 at 1:40 PM
Does Rudy Giuliani have any actual political accomplishments?
tommy71 on December 14, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Well.. What exactly are Christie’s?
Illinidiva on December 14, 2012 at 1:47 PM
Well, if being active on Twitter counts as a political accomplishment, then he’s good to go.
conservative pilgrim on December 14, 2012 at 1:50 PM
I don’t know. Does cleaning up New York City and making it liveable again, count? Does managing New York City in the aftermath of 9/11/2001 count?
But more to the point; What’s your point? No one is touting Giuliani for higher political office, are they?
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 1:53 PM
Touchy much, Mitoch55? Wasn’t Rudy a candidate in 2008? On what basis? Lol. So never underestimate Booker.
tommy71 on December 14, 2012 at 2:08 PM
Fixed.
UltimateBob on December 14, 2012 at 2:09 PM
He’s black, a dem, and can speak clearly. Is there anything else one needs to get elected these days?
blue13326 on December 14, 2012 at 2:16 PM
Who needs accomplishments to run as a D? Just so long as he’s clean and articulate, we’re good.
CJ on December 14, 2012 at 2:16 PM
Rudy Guiliani was one of the great mayors in our history.
blue13326 on December 14, 2012 at 2:17 PM
Well, I’m sure Joe Biden would tell you he’s a clean, articulate African American, so what more does he need in the way of accomplishments?
It’s supremely ironic that the left is always throwing around charges of racism, yet it is the Democratic Party which sets the bar so low for people of color. What have the Dems actually done to help improve the daily lives of Hispanics, gays, blacks and the other constituencies that reflexively flock to their ranks on election day?
Meredith on December 14, 2012 at 2:18 PM
What part of “…Does cleaning up New York City and making it liveable again, count? Does managing New York City in the aftermath of 9/11/2001 count?…” don’t you get. Both were political and societal accomplishments.
Does Booker have anything comparable (other than trying to dig somebody out of a snowbank)?
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Rudy was one of the great mayors? What a joke. He did his job, thats it. Hey, Rudy did his job very well. But Booker went beyond that. He did above and beyond his call of duty. If you all are blinded by partisanship, thats fine. But try and recognize the truth.
tommy71 on December 14, 2012 at 2:23 PM
Mitoch55, so without Rudy incharge, New York wouldn’t be livable? Lol. Get real, would you? Yes, after 9/11, Rudy did a good job. But that was his job, right? And for that, he entered the pub primary. Just for doing his job. Lol
tommy71 on December 14, 2012 at 2:28 PM
Above and beyond his call of duty? He didn’t jump on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers. He shoveled snow. Pre-teens and some teenagers use a shovel to clear away snow. Heck, enterprising ones could have made great money during that storm, and not a single person paying would have begrudged them.
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 2:31 PM
Before Rudy started his “broken window” policy and prosecuting minor crimes it WAS unliveable. Once word got out that criminal behaviour wasn’t going to be tolerated, no matter how small, NYC turned the corner and became liveable again.
I don’t expect a person who thinks someone shoveling snow is a hero to understand.
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Same number of accomplishments as Obama had before running for president: ZERO!
ButterflyDragon on December 14, 2012 at 2:42 PM
So without Rudys “broken window” policy, NYC was unlivable? Lol. Yeah, partisanship blinds people. Rudy did his job, period. Cory went over and beyond his call of duty.
tommy71 on December 14, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Booker’s a clean, articulate African-American who doesn’t speak in the black dialect unless he wants to.
Signed, Joe Biden and Harry Reid.
Pervygrin on December 14, 2012 at 2:56 PM
Tommy71, the difference in quality of life under Mayor Dinkins and Mayor Giuliani was massive. Under Mayor Dinkins, the city was in terrible shape — on all fronts. Mayor Giuliani’s impact on the city was dramatic and long-lasting (despite the efforts of his lame successor).
Throat Wobbler Mangrove on December 14, 2012 at 3:01 PM
Where’s all your exclamation points? Usually when people just reiterate the same points that have been demolished, they fill up the space with exclamation points.
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 3:05 PM
No, you just want your partisan hits. You don’t recognize or accept the other side of the aisle. Rudy did his job. Cory does more than just his job. That isn’t distinguishable by you cos hes the other party. Rudy, just because he did his job (and I accept that he was very good at it) entired the pub primaries. Lol.
tommy71 on December 14, 2012 at 3:13 PM
The horrible racist reality is that no majority black city has flourished. Detroit and Portland are both highly Democratic, but Portland is 92% black.
flawedskull on December 14, 2012 at 3:13 PM
Demolished, Mitoch55? Let me ask you one quest. Its a yes or no quest. Did Cory do above and beyond what his job is? Very simple quest. You demolished nothing. You’ve just reiterated the partisanship.
tommy71 on December 14, 2012 at 3:18 PM
eleventy!!!
P.S. You have no clue what my party affiliation is. I call out idiocy “…Cory went over and beyond his call of duty…” wherever it exists.
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 3:19 PM
Nope. He grabbed a shovel. He’s not a hero. Moreover, a case can be made he’s a gloryhound. Where did the video cameras come from? Maybe somebody in the Mayor’s Office told them where to be. Calculating? Sure. A hero going above and beyond? No way.
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 3:23 PM
Jeez, dude, a bit of reading comprehension please. Did I ask if hes a hero? Lol. Read my quest again.
tommy71 on December 14, 2012 at 3:37 PM
Speaking of reading comprehension problems, read my response again. Check out the first word:
The rest was exposition of why I don’t think he went “above and beyond.”
Mitoch55 on December 14, 2012 at 4:32 PM