New Jersey Democratic insiders believe Newark Mayor Cory Booker poses the strongest threat to Gov. Chris Christie in the 2013 gubernatorial election.
In Patch’s inaugural Blue Garden State survey, nearly 200 influential Democrats in the state were asked to weigh in with their thoughts on a potential Booker candidacy. The local leaders surveyed include state senators, mayors, town council members and local party chairs.
Of the 16 Democrats who responded to the survey, 68 percent agreed with the statement “Cory Booker would be the strongest Democratic candidate against Gov. Christie.” Some 31 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement.
Democratic insiders were also surveyed on their thoughts about statements Booker made in an appearance on Meet the Press in May. Booker criticized attacks on GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s work with private equity firm Bain Capital by President Barack Obama’s campaign.
"I have to just say from a very personal level, I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity,” Booker said during his Meet the Press appearance. “To me, it’s just we’re getting to a ridiculous point in America. Especially that I know I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people invest in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital’s record, they’ve done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses. … This kind of stuff is nauseating to me on both sides. It’s nauseating to the American public. Enough is enough. Stop attacking private equity, stop attacking Jeremiah Wright."
Patch’s Blue Garden State survey asked Democrats whether or not they agreed with the statement “Cory Booker’s defense of bankers and Wall Street could hurt him with New Jersey liberals if he were to run for governor.” Of the 16 Democrats who answered the survey question, 31 percent agreed with the statement, while 69 percent disagreed with it.
The Blue Garden State survey posed a similar question regarding the impact of Booker’s statements on moderates. Of the 15 Democrats who responded to the survey, 73 percent agreed with the statement “Cory Booker’s defense of bankers and Wall Street could help him with New Jersey moderates if he were to run for governor.” Some 27 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement.
Earlier this summer, Patch invited Democratic and Republican state leaders to participate in regular surveys about their thoughts on national and statewide issues. These leaders include state Senators, mayors, town council members and local party chairs. To become an insider, email Mike Pignataro at mike@patch.com or Jacklyn Corley at jacklyn.corley@patch.com.
-Obama only helps those on welfare -NJ needs open carry laws, so we can extinguish all the crimes that other states that has vanished because they are allowed to carry guns -Christie is fat - Democrats are the KKK - Obama is a divider - 'WASPS' can't win elections because of blacks - Democrats = Nazis - Christie is fat Simply wonderful, a lot of good points to ponder here
Woodrow Wilson Al Gore, Sr. Robert Byrd Bull Connor George Wallace Orval Fabus Benjamin Travis Laney John Stennis James Eastland Allen Ellender Russell Long John Sparkman John McClellan Richard Russell Herman Talmadge Lester Maddox John Rarick
Why are all the ads negative? Because the American people demand it. They only respond to attack ads. As usual, the American people are given what they want, and never stop whining about it. Booker will not run against Christie. Makes no sense. He's young and has time, so why run against a strong incumbent? Just wait for Christie to run for POTUS in 2016 (where he will lose to Jeb Bush and a Super PAC machine) and take his place when the GOP runs a lesser-known and more vulnerable candidate.
Keep trying though, it is entertaining...
Missouri Republican congressman and US Senate candidate Todd Akin -- who infamously said a few days ago, when speaking against a raped woman's right to obtain an abortion: “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down” -- is a current member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. These are the same people who deny the existence of climate change and global warming (in the face of near consensus by the international scientific community regarding their existence).
Keep trying though, it is entertaining..." Oh if we are going back in time Icecream Man, then really Bush Sr and Ollie North are responsible for 9/11 as they were ring masters of Iran Contra. I think Drug smuggling, drug dealing and illegal arms dealing are a lil bit bigger then some tryst with an intern.
More important, Obama’s record as a state senator was not merely pro-choice, but radically pro-abortion. His voting record indicates that he does not believe infants deserve protection even once they have emerged from the womb if they are deemed to be below the age of viability, and he did in fact, three times, vote to keep a form of infanticide legal.