Hello, Mr President: Cory Booker

Personal Background:

Senator Cory Booker was born in Washington D.C. by two IBM executives, moving to New Jersey later in life. Booker attended Stanford University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1991 and a Master’s Degree in Sociology in 1992. He attended the University of Oxford with a Rhodes Scholarship and received a Bachelor’s Degree in History in 1994. Booker completed his schooling with a Doctorate in Jurisprudence at Yale Law School in 1997. After working at the Urban Justice Center in New York, Booker ran and won a seat for the Newark City Council where he resided in one of Newark’s most crime-affiliated neighborhoods. Booker ran for the office of mayor and lost, but his second attempt in 2006 was successful. He focused on drug abuse, violence, and gun control. He ran after Senator Frank Lautenberg’s death and easily won. Booker has been mostly liberal, supporting same-sex marriage, increase in minimum wage, and taxing the wealthy more. Booker is a vegan and is an unmarried man currently dating actress Rosario Dawson. He announced his bid for the 2020 presidency on the first day of Black History Month and promises to have a female vice president on the ticket with him.

Cory Booker campaign video for 2020. Source: Cory Booker’s YouTube Channel 

Voting Record and Major Bills sponsored/authored:

Senator Booker currently serves on the following committees:

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

• The ranking member on the subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Committee, member of the subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counter-terrorism, and member of subcommittee State Department and USAID Management, International Operations, and Bilateral International Development.
• Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
• Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
• Member of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, member of the subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, and member of the Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism.
• Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Senator Booker currently has the following ratings by external groups:

• Human Rights Campaign (HRC): 100%
• Planned Parenthood Action Fund: 100%
• League of Conservation Voters: 98%
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): 88%
• The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: B+
• NIAC Action: B
• United States Chamber of Commerce: 43%
• The Club for Growth: 13%
• NumbersUSA: 7%
• Americans for Prosperity: 4%
• FreedomWorks: 0%

According to the GovTrack, Booker is more left-leaning. Booker has focused on social efforts such as criminal justice reform, the juvenile prison system in federal prisons, formerly incarcerated prisoners seeking employment be better accommodated, and has worked to be bipartisan with supporting legislation on increasing small business investment and apprenticeship programs.

Main Platforms:

Cory Booker has focused largely on criminal reform. He sponsored a criminal justice reform act that Congress passed, and is a supporter of Medicaid for all, Senator Bernie Sander’s proposal. New Jersey has received significant aid from pharmaceutical companies that had prevented Booker from reducing prescription drug costs, something that Booker is attempting to change. Booker is also a supporter of the Green New Deal, stating that environmental justice would be one of the top three policies on his campaign. Booker has also been a strong supporter of public and charter schools, arguing for free and public education. Booker has also been a supporter of marijuana legalization, abortion, and same-sex marriage.

Criticisms:

Cory Booker has always been a controversial person. Despite being a Democrat, his topics such as charter schools, Wall Street, and pharmaceutical companies differ from the Democratic party’s stance and the state of New Jersey’s stance on these issues. He has received praise from former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, a Republican which draws criticism from fellow Democrats on which party he is truly on. He has been accused by politicians and citizens alike that he is a “phony” who is not who he says he is. Cory is using his platform for presidential candidacy by emphasizing his family and past, urging viewers to discuss their issues, and stresses the importance of a community.

Popularity/Electability:

Cory Booker has been fairly popular with voters. His appeal to the African American community and his work of showing voters that he is just like them is what has made him a successful politician so far. It has been analyzed that Booker for the 2020 presidential election can appeal to the African American community, Democratic party members who are firmly loyal, Asian and Hispanic voters, and Millennial voters. Yet, the Left, in general, is a population that Booker is estimated to be not as appealing too. In a review of ten candidates running for 2020, Booker has made it to No. 5. Reportedly, the Post claimed that he could be amazing, or over the top. As the most recent of eight candidates coming out as running for the presidential bid, Cory Booker has a platform and is unafraid to speak up. We will see if he makes it to the presidency.

A recent poll from Monmouth University highlights the popularity in Booker over former governor Chris Christie but shows that polls for Booker have recently declined since 2013.

Q. Do you approve or disapprove of the job Cory Booker is doing as United States Senator?

Q. As you may know, Cory Booker officially announced that he is running for president. Do you think he would or would not make a good President?

Featured Image Via Cory Booker.com