Cory Booker is gambling his 2020 hopes on an unlikely proposition

[brooklynite]

Washington Post

In the most acrid and divisive political environment in recent memory, Cory Booker is gambling his presidential hopes on the unlikely proposition that it is still possible to summon people to grace.

Indeed, that is the word the Democratic senator from New Jersey uses more often than any other as he travels the early-primary states.

“What’s called me to run for president is because I think we need a revival of civic grace. We need to reignite a more courageous empathy,” Booker told a recent Democratic gathering at a downtown arcade here, where his presentation was punctuated by eruptions of video games. “We need to understand that old African saying that if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”

On the stump, Booker weaves a spellbinding argument with his call to unity and collective decency. He starts with how his own destiny was changed by a volunteer lawyer who helped his parents buy the home of their dreams at a time when New Jersey real estate agents steered African Americans away from white neighborhoods. He touts his work with unlikely allies, such as conservative Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), with whom he advanced recent criminal-justice reforms.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

1. I love the message!

Biden/Booker 2020.

[TwilightZone]

2. A lot of people seem to want less partisanship, less divisiveness, etc.

But their actions don't always match their words.

I have an acquaintance who is constantly posting "both sides are too divisive" stuff on social media, then posting crap from Fox News and Alex Jones. She doesn't seem to get the irony.

[applegrove]

3. That is part of civil society which is all the rage. Countries that thrive

have it. The northern US had it. The Southern US, not. Canada is teaching it to immigrants: get involved, do charity, teach what you know, talk to the bus driver, join a union, etc... I did not read the whole article but it sounds like something worthwhile. And something that might appeal to some Christians who have not felt grace in a while and may miss it.

[comradebillyboy]

4. An interesting theory, my best wishes to Booker in this endeavor.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

5. Make America Normal Again

[Haggis for Breakfast]

6. Now THAT is a message I can get behind.

It's a start.

Amen. Brother Booker, Amen.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

7. Didn't Obama already try this

Over and over again, for about the first six years of his Presidency, without any real successs?

Problem is one side wants grace and the other side wants to exploit to the max, the “naïveté” of those stretching out their hand.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

8. For two terms.

[Bucky]

21. :o)

yes...

[Cha]

10. If you think President Obama didn't have

any "real success".. I'm sorry.. but you do Not know what you're talking about.

[dsc]

18. Not on this he didn't

The GOP didn't budge in terms of cooperation with Obama. He got his victories without them.

[Cha]

19. Well, of course.. that's what they decided

at that DC restaurant the night he was legitimately elected.

[dsc]

20. which is why we have no business promising that we can change that dynamic

it gives our opponents power over one of our promises.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

29. I think it's pretty obvious that I wa referring to his

Ability to work with Republicans. Through no fault of his own, they never wanted to work with him, not even a little bit. Not even when he would adopt their ideas - they wouldn’t even try. A fact about which he often lamented publicly.

[Cha]

30. Sorry, I misread it.. my apologies.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

31. No problem

Been there and done that myself ☮️

[aikoaiko]

23. Obama was successful.

[shanny]

26. He was?

Merrick Garland. eom

[aikoaiko]

28. yes, first 2008 and 2012

Of course he didn't do everything he wanted to do. Who does?

Garland was a tragedy, but there wasn't much he could do about it except hope the HRC won.

[ucrdem]

9. I really like him.

Dunno if Mr and Mrs Ohio are ready for a single POTUS though. It's a fairly trivial thing, but I think he'd click with more of the electorate if he campaigned with his gal-pal.

[Cha]

11. And, who is Booker's

"gal pal"?

[ucrdem]

12. I heard him mention her in an interview recently . .

no details though ... maybe it was on NPR? I just heard the end of a story. He was on a late-night show I think. I guess he'll introduce her when and if they're both ready. And there's no harm in that!

[Cha]

13. Chanda Gibson!

Who Is Cory Booker's Girlfriend? New Details On His Secretive Relationship With Chanda Gibson

https://www.yourtango.com/2018317632/who-cory-bookers-girlfriend-chanda-gibson

[ucrdem]

14. Wow

Stanford BA, USC law degree ... looks like a match made in heaven!

I hope they make it through the campaign . . .

[Cha]

15. Ikr! Very Impressive!

The reason I even asked was because a few months ago there was a thread discussing Booker's dates/girlfriends and someone mentioned Rosario Dawson(who turns out was a jill stein voter) might be her.

And, I'm thinking NFW!

[ucrdem]

16. Seeing what Michelle went through would give anyone pause I think

but if she's the one Cory is a very lucky guy!

[Sherman A1]

17. It is a good message

However I will stick with Andrew Yang and his message of rethinking the economy in the face of the coming avalanche of AI. I would believe that the two messages definitely intersect.

[Bucky]

22. It's a good message, but we need to find a way to weaponize good manners

and obliterate our opponents with courtesy

[Gothmog]

24. I like Booker

I got to hear Senator Booker at the Texas state Democratic Party fundraiser last year. We made Booker a honorary Texan at that event. Booker is a great candidate

[Gothmog]

25. From Booker's speech at Selma yesterday

Link to tweet

[shanny]

27. Sounds nice.

But it takes two to tango y'know? And, given that we don't have that, I want a president who is going to go all in on OUR agenda.