Cory Booker to run for New Jersey Governer (maybe)/Senator (probably) - Now with More Dead Senators

[Ace-o-fire]

NBC just ran a little spot on Booker. I don't live in Jersey, but all I can do is hope he does try to climb higher in politics someday.

He has the best chance if Christie decides to leave and run for something in 2016 election. And while i like Booker, the problems of Newark are vastly different then the rest of NJ. I would like to see what he would have in plan for the state.

[arus2001]

Naturally, I wouldn't expect him to be able to be as hands on in a higher office, but in principle, he fucking cares. I don't know if that's a result of his military background or just in general who he is. The fact there have allegedly been zero lootings since the hurricane speaks volumes, too.

[Talint]

Rupert Murdoch is still a paranoid asshole, but I was wondering if there was going to be republican resentment for Christie doing the right thing. Mostly because I remember what happened to Charlie Crist, who had no problem working with the president.

Granted, Crist just rolled over and took it and got smashed by Marco Rubio for the senate seat, whereas I see Christie having no problems punching people in the face if he gets Tea Bagged. Still, it's something I've been wondering about.

[Andalusian girls]

if he does he'll have his work cut out for him

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...untry/?hpid=z3

tl/dr Christie's handling of Sandy boosted his approval rating into an atmospheric 77% and prior to Sandy approval was still at a robust 56%; almost unheard of for a Republican in a blue state

Booker is potentially a very strong candidate but Christie is starting to look like an unassailable incumbent and in all likelihood he's bailing in 2015 to run for president so Cory might just hit a tactical withdrawal and walk to a nomination 3 years down the road rather than fight it out next year

[Talint]

if he does he'll have his work cut out for him

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...untry/?hpid=z3

tl/dr Christie's handling of Sandy boosted his approval rating into an atmospheric 77% and prior to Sandy approval was still at a robust 56%; almost unheard of for a Republican in a blue state

Booker is potentially a very strong candidate but Christie is starting to look like an unassailable incumbent and in all likelihood he's bailing in 2015 to run for president so Cory might just hit a tactical withdrawal and walk to a nomination 3 years down the road rather than fight it out next year

Yeah. The smart play from Booker (especially since he's getting bad press atm) is to just bide his time.

Unless Christie gets a primary challenge from the tea party over the recent escapades with Sandy. The tea party, as far as I know, doesn't do local politics, but it would be an interesting exercise.

[Ragnus]

Bad press over what?

[Talint]

Bad press over what?

From the other thread:

But he is still a politician.

It's small, and I'm willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt, but it's still something he's going to have to account for.

[Plow]

He has the best chance if Christie decides to leave and run for something in 2016 election.

Don't think Christie would even risk running for reelection if he was still considering running for president.

[Brill Weave]

Booker is one of the few politicians that I respect. The guy just seems to have his shit together.

[Byrthnoth]

Seemed more relevant for this thread:

chris christie just gave a speech about what a failure the drug war is and how ridiculous it is that we're "warehousing" (his word) addicted people in jails instead of treating them

So Chris Christie is positioning himself for a 2016 run for president under the reformed Republican party, which is incorporating the potentially compatible parts of Ron Paul's ideology? He's young-ish and is enough of an asshole that people could be led to believe that he's telling old establishment Republicans to fuck off. Holy shit. Maybe that would be competitive.

[Andalusian girls]

it certainly looks like he is positioning himself to become the standard-bearer of a new Republican party

anyways he's right and it's a great law, it costs twice as much to incarcerate an addict as it does to treat their addiction and their primary crime is being committed against themselves not society. jailing them is a ridiculous concept, big ups to Christie for taking this position

for the unawares: the law in question forces addicts into a mandatory year-long treatment program for non-violent drug offenders instead of jail time, set to be phased into motion throughout New Jersey over the next few years county by county. be very interesting to see what kind of democracy laboratory effect it has on the state and if the findings, should they be positive, could be extrapolated to the nation as a whole, perhaps, under president Christie

few excerpts from the speech, he tries hard to cast it in a conservative and pragmatic and moral light, likely to ease the gut reaction of conservatives

If you're pro-life, as I am, you can't be pro-life just in the womb, every life is precious and every one of God's creatures can be redeemed, but they won't if we ignore them. I believe that the results will show, after this is fully implemented, will be startling because people can be treated and miracles happen every day at these facilities. Lives are restored.

It costs us $49,000 a year to warehouse a prisoner in New Jersey state prisons last year. A full year of inpatient drug treatment costs $24,000 a year.

The real reason to do it is to understand that addiction is a disease and that we need to give people a chance to overcome that disease and restore dignity and meaning to their lives. That's not a Republican or Democratic issue. It's a bipartisan issue that we accomplished this year.

You can certainly make the argument that no one should try drugs in the first place, I certainly am in that camp, but tens of millions of people in our society do every year, and for some people they can try it and walk away from it, but for others the first time they try it they become an addict, and they're sick and they need treatment.

the legislation passed back in July but it was buried under election politics, so it's not like Christie is flopping and flipping every which way following their defeat. he is a different breed than your daddy's conservative. either way glad to see people taking notice

[Lucavi]

Seemed more relevant for this thread:


So Chris Christie is positioning himself for a 2016 run for president under the reformed Republican party, which is incorporating the potentially compatible parts of Ron Paul's ideology? He's young-ish and is enough of an asshole that people could be led to believe that he's telling old establishment Republicans to fuck off. Holy shit. Maybe that would be competitive.

Even if its nothing but a mask (and all viable political parties are masks), its a hell of a lot better than any other Rebuplican party we've had in the last 20 years.

[Byrthnoth]

Even if its nothing but a mask (and all viable political parties are masks), its a hell of a lot better than any other Republican party we've had in the last 20 years.

I agree, and even if I end up voting against him I'd at least be happy that I don't have to consider all Republican voters to be idiots like in the last three elections (before that I was too young to care about politics).

[Boyiee]

I don't get it. First Christie is like I'm going to veto pro-marijuana bills, now he's like our laws are stupid.

Sandy was a blessing in disguise for him and hell for the rest of us.

[archibaldcrane]

Cory Booker's ideas on gun control: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cory-b...b_2346911.html

He's more concerned with everyday gun violence than mass shootings, as I feel should be the focus.

[Kanriel]

Cory Booker's ideas on gun control: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cory-b...b_2346911.html

He's more concerned with everyday gun violence than mass shootings, as I feel should be the focus.

If every day gun violence is as bad as mass shootings (which it is...in fact it's worse), everyday gun violence should be the focus.

[archibaldcrane]

It's like a mass shooting worse than VA Tech every day of the year.

[Milkster]

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comment...ew_jersey_and/

50% standom 50% semi-legit questions/answers.

[tyven]

With the passing of Frank Lautenberg this morning, Booker's road to the Senate just got a lot quicker.

[Talint]

I like to think that Lautenberg's (may he rest in peace) final words were "GAME ON, MOTHERFUCKER!", as said to Chris Christie.

For Chris Christie is not in an enviable position.

First: When the election is. Christie's up for reelection in 2013. Setting a special election in 2013 means Cory Booker is also on the ticket (for Lautenberg's seat). This is much more tenuous for Christie. Setting it for 2014 (when the senate seat is actually up for election), however, makes him look opportunistic and fearful of Booker.

Secondly: Who he appoints in the interim. NJ is a blue state, and picking someone who is ridiculously conservative will gain him street cred with national republicans, but hurt him in his own state. If he appoints someone more moderate, he'll shore himself up in NJ, but earn the scorn of national republicans and further hurt his national chances of a presidential 2016 run.

Utterly, utterly fascinating.