Cory Booker's rough primetime debut

[DonViejo]

The past few weeks have brought out a different side of Cory Booker.

For years, the Newark, N.J., mayor has expertly managed his national image as big city superhero, burnished by made-for-Hollywood feats: rescuing a neighbor's daughter from a burning building, saving a shivering dog from the bitter cold. But since he started exploring a run for U.S. Senate in December, in the face of tougher media scrutiny that was bound to follow, Booker is showing the unmistakable symptoms of glass jaw syndrome.

He's learning the hard way that a Senate race fought in multiple major media markets is different than a citywide one on his own turf. His sensitivity to perceived slights in news coverage is raising questions about how easily the high-flying mayor can make the transition from the mostly adoring national media coverage he's received over the years and the friendly confines of his 1.3 million Twitter followers.

"Is he a show horse or a workhorse? Can he be both?" said Doug Muzzio, a Baruch College political science professor who lives in New Jersey. One New Jersey operative, who requested anonymity, was blunt about the perils of running without preparation: "I guess only he can answer the question of [whether he is ready for] a 360-degree review of your life and times and acquaintances and friendships."

That includes personal financial disclosures, which will require Booker for the first time to disclose, among other details, the fees he's received for speeches that he travels the country to give.

-snip-

http://www.nj.com/us-politics/index.ssf/2013/02/cory_bookers_rough_primetime_d.html

[hrmjustin]

1. He talks too much.

I guess he will fit right in the senate.

[TeamPooka]

2. He did great on Bill Maher last night. nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. I thought differently...

He had a few points he wanted to make, but they were long statements and he kept getting cut off.
Plus, he was clearly interested in making campaign soundbites, instead of going with the flow of the discussion.

I like Booker and have been watching his political progress for some years now.
But
he was sounding overly political in the REal Time discussion.

[Beacool]

4. Saving the neighbor was a legitimate save.

Saving the dog was publicity. A reporter had sent a tweet about the dog and the mayor decided to go in person to save the dog. Must have been a slow day in Newark.

[Hippo_Tron]

5. Devil's advocate here...

We live in an era where trust in government is at an all time low and people believe that their elected officials could care less about them. So, was Booker going to save a dog good publicity for him? Sure, it absolutely was. But maybe that publicity stunt also did a little to help some of some of Newark's citizens trust their city government a little more.

[Beacool]

6. I happen to like Booker.

But, I rolled my eyes when I heard that he personally went to rescue the pooch. I live in NJ too and I'm about 25 minutes away from Newark, so I'm pretty familiar with Booker. The cops or Animal Control would normally respond to these kinds of calls, but the mayor took a trip to the house and personally picked her up and took her to his car? That's just funny.