Sen. Cory Booker announces his presidential campaign with a great launch video

Senators speak on the passage of the First Step Act

I’ve been watching the news a lot this week, or should I say, I’ve been watching most members of the news media try to act like Starbucks founder Howard Schultz is America’s new white savior. I can’t with the Schultz conversation – wacky billionaires just deciding to launch a third-party candidacy for no f–king reason? They don’t deserve all of this airspace and brainspace. Unfortunately, it just shows that the media really didn’t learn anything from 2016, nor have they learned anything from two years of Trumplandia fascism. I honestly sat there yesterday and watched a segment on MSNBC about whether Trump has a better understanding (than Democrats) of the working class. FOR REAL. IN 2019.

Anyway, today is the first day of Black History Month. On this day in 2017, Beyonce announced her pregnancy with twins. So of course Senator Cory Booker chose to properly mark that (Beyonce-related) occasion by announcing his presidential candidacy. He did so with an incredibly well-made and effective campaign launch ad.

I already said that I was for Kamala Harris – after which the already-active anti-Kamala peeps found me – but I’d just like to say… I wouldn’t be mad if I got to vote for Cory Booker in the primary or in the general. I like Cory Booker a lot, and he seems like a smart, pragmatic, progressive dude. Obviously I don’t know every single thing about him – that’s why candidates campaign, that’s why the media vets people. But mostly I want to skip all of that and just vote for Not A Nutjob/Not A Fascist 2020. I’ll also vote for Not A Russian Asset/Not A Creepy Homophobe 2020. I really don’t care – any of these candidates would make a better president than what we have now.

Sessions Confirmation Hearing

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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103 Responses to “Sen. Cory Booker announces his presidential campaign with a great launch video”

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  1. OriginalLala says:

    now that is a GREAT launch video!! I may or may not be tearing up

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      I’m not crying!! You’re crying!!!

    • sa says:

      That was a great video!

      I really like Booker – in 2016 I was hoping Hillary would choose him as her running mate. If the primary were today, he’d have my vote. Having said that, I’m not locked in and my vote may (or may not) change as I research/learn more about the candidates.

      • jan90067 says:

        I really like Corey; but I also love Kamala. Dream ticket would have them both, but damn, at this point, I’m not sure who’d I want in which position! They’re both badass great!

        Like everyone’s said, I will vote D no matter WHO is running, anything to get the Compromised Kremlin Criminal and his Cabal of Cohorts out (yes, I LIKE alliteration! lol).

      • Megan says:

        I really like Booker, Harris and Warren. I would be fine with any of them winning the primary.

    • Frida_K says:

      I had to cry a little for this one, no shame here!

      Cory’s my dream president and this clip really solidified it for me.

      We’ll see how the things go, but I am full of hope at present!

    • H says:

      He’s had my vote since he was Mayor. I’ve been following him on Twitter for that long and he’s amazing. He routinely goes out in his community and helps shovel snow for the elderly and housebound. He walks the walk. Booker 2020!

      • Megan says:

        His response to a twitter troll today was everything. I forgot how refreshing kindness can be.

    • minx says:

      I’m open to everyone. I just want whomever can beat Trump, If he’s still around. Any of these candidates will be a million times better than that corrupt slug in the WH.

  2. lower case lila says:

    I like Cory Booker glad to see him announce his candidacy for President. Maybe, this will give the 24 hour news cycle shows something new to talk about beside Howard Schultz. For me, the Democrat who makes it to the finish line I will be voting for them for President.

    • Jerusha says:

      If Kermit the Frog is the Dem nominee, he’s got my vote. Vote D all the way. But seriously, any Democratic nominee would be better than any R running. The Republican Party is totally FUBAR. Time to clean out the Senate, also.

  3. Nichole says:

    My husband and I get to apply for citizenship this spring, and I am *very* excited to vote in my first election since moving here in 2011!

  4. Nev says:

    wicked news!!!!!!!!!!

  5. Eric says:

    I’m glad there will be a plethora of Dem candidates to look at during the primaries. However, Booker is keen on (and gets support from) pharma.

    Kamala is running with no PAC support and is great at making privileged white men uncomfortable (Sessions/Kavanaugh).

    • OriginalLala says:

      Booker has recently stated that he is not accepting any PAC or Super-PAC support either !

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      Re: Kamala-
      She’s already getting blowback from white male pundits- yesterday George Will ( groan & eye roll) said midwestern (potential) candidates Sherrod Brown and Amy Klobuchar would be the ones most likely to beat Rump…specifically, he said that AK wasn’t “angry,” obliquely referring to Kamala’s fiery speech, and all I could think of as a middle aged, white lady who has lived in the midwest for 15 years was, “Get the fuck out of here with your tired, old, racist tropes, you dickhead. Your day of reckoning is coming.”

  6. SarahLee says:

    I thought Pete Buttigeig had a great announcement video. This one puts that one to shame. Wow.

  7. Jerusha says:

    My grandson turns 18 on 11/3/20. You can bet he’ll be registered and voting. And voting Dem.

    • TabithaStevens says:

      He can’t choose who he wants to vote for?

      • Arpeggi says:

        Well, Dems might very likely be his choice and something he voiced in the past.

        If I was about to turn 18 in the US, you bet I’s be counting the days until I can do my part to try to kick the dotard out and everyone would know it!

      • Jerusha says:

        Of course he can. And since I’ve been picking him up after school for the last six years, I know his opinion on current events. He’s sharp, he’s smart, he pays attention. He loathes Rs as much as I do, thank you very much.

  8. Diana says:

    I am still holding out for my man Beto! But yes, any D running who wins the nom gets my and my husbands votes! We need to heal this country and stop living in constant terror.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      My entire household of five, too… twin sons will be 18 next month.

    • Dani says:

      Beto is really the only likely candidate to get every dems vote. Everyone is so divided. Those who want Kamala most likely don’t want Cory and those who want Cory won’t vote for Howard Schultz should he run (but IIRC he wants to be Independent).

  9. Babadook says:

    Not American, but did I shed a tear? You betcha.

  10. Lightpurple says:

    The Democrats have a strong field of good people from which to choose. Let’s all approach it by building up our preferences and why we support them instead of tearing others down.

    • NotSoSocialButterfly says:

      Agreed.

    • Esmom says:

      Amen.

    • lucy2 says:

      Yes! Every time someone announces a run, all I see are criticisms and nitpicking. Certainly some of the criticisms are valid, but FFS, all of these candidates would be better than Trump.

      I’m in NJ and I’ve been following Booker since he was the mayor Newark, and of course no one is perfect but I think overall, he’s a great leader and really puts in the work. I’ll be happy to vote for him should he end up the nominee.

    • Kk2 says:

      I don’t really agree, actually. Whoever is the candidate is going to be deeply and thoroughly scrutinized by the media and general public. How does the Democratic party benefit by trying to censor criticism from within at the earliest stage of the primaries? Sure you don’t want to trash your potential candidate in the press, but I think it’s fine for liberals to express concerns about a candidate’s record or appeal. That’s the whole point of the primary process.

      I don’t know enough about Cory Booker to have a strong feeling. He seems smart and charismatic, which is important for whoever opposes Trump. I wish he were married… I’ve heard he was quite the active bachelor which is fine but a distraction in a high profile political campaign. I’ve also heard mixed things about his record in Newark but don’t know enough to say if that’s valid. He send like a big ideas guy more than a down in the trenches manager but that is fine- that can win elections.

      • Dessi says:

        Just search Cory Booker – Charter Schools – and his ex-pal Betsy DeVos… Yeah, that Betsy.

      • lucy2 says:

        Yeah, that Betsy – he voted against her confirmation, BTW.
        I don’t agree with him 100% on the school choice issue, and probably some other stuff too. And I do think it’s fine to raise concerns and see how the candidates respond, but this immediate rush to dismiss everyone for something is not going to help in the long run.

      • Arpeggi says:

        As for not being married… I so wish the next POTUS is single, in a partnership or in a same-sex relationship. Relationship statuses should not be a distraction, it shouldn’t matter and going outside of the norm in that regard would be a good thing.

      • pottymouth pup says:

        There’s nothing wrong with noting certain votes/opinions with which you disagree but the progressives have a bit of a history of ideological purity testing to the point that in the last election, the Bernie-stans, Greens & others were gladly advancing GOP talking points/sharing Russian bot delivered propaganda

        POTUS is not king, (s)he will have to work across the party and across the aisle to build consensus to get things done. I hope people accept the fact that pragmatism is not a weakness. I like Booker & Harris, I have to do some research on Castro but think we’ll have a crowded primary of qualified people with many shared progressive values and some differences that I hope can be debated in a professional manner. That said, if we do end up with an old white guy, please let it be Sherrod Brown instead of Bernie and let him pick one of the other, well-qualified, progressive contenders as a running mate

  11. WingKingdom says:

    My only worry is that a white man will end up as the Dem nominee. I am going to be so excited to vote for a woman, also excited to vote for a POC, but if it’s another white dude I’m going to have to drag myself to the polls. Yes, anyone but Trump, but nominating a white man is going to feel like a major step back to me. I’m for Kamala so far- but oh lord let’s keep Beto and Biden out of the mix.

    • Diana says:

      I totally get your sentiment. But with Trumps destruction of the decades of progress we’ve achieved as a country… we have to be singular about getting rid of him and his cancer administration and spineless republicans. I know it might seem backwards to support another white dude, but growth and change is two steps forward one step back.

      • lucy2 says:

        Same here. I’d love to see a woman and/or POC elected, but I don’t want to rule anyone out, and will strongly support whoever the nominee is.

      • Ali says:

        +1 @diana’s comment this election is big picture time.

    • isabelle says:

      eh..I would vote for a paper bag at this point over Trump. Please don’t fall into the trap a lot of people fell into with the last election of “they aren
      t good enough”.

      I would actually vote vote for Sherrod Brown maybe the only “white” man at this point.
      Beto won’t win. too many candidates for hims at this point to pull it off.

      • lucy2 says:

        I like Sherrod Brown too, don’t know too much about him but what I’ve seen so far has been promising.
        I’d like to see Beto maybe as a VP? Or run for a different office.

      • minx says:

        I like Sherrod Brown a lot.

      • cr says:

        I like Brown a lot, he’s my Senator. And frankly, that’s where he needs to stay, because if we lose that seat if he becomes POTUS or VPOTUS we’re not getting back.
        As for Beto, I’d like him to stay in Texas and work on turning it blue.

      • isabelle says:

        CR.. I feel the same about Ron Wyden. He is an amazing Senator and my heart would die a bit if he left our state.

    • Snowflake says:

      I agree with you but I’m still gonna vote for him if that’s the only D

  12. Reef says:

    I just…lol. Sure, why not? We’re already in hell.

  13. Lisa says:

    No no no. He’s crooked af. Like most politicians he’s vocal around popular social issues to grow supporters and then acting in the exact opposite way to appease his ties with big pharmaceuticals, netenyahu, etc. This problem plagues the Democratic Party. He’s going to follow kamala harris to emulate the obama-formula to appeal to black and minority supporters but people are more informed now than ever before. There’s just too much dirt on him online and people are still upset about his pharma votes. I wonder if he’s just trying to up his profile, knowing he won’t be the candidate.

    • Lightpurple says:

      And this is exactly what I was talking about above.

      • lucy2 says:

        Yup.

      • Diana says:

        I know!

      • Lisa says:

        I understand your point. But it think it is critical to have a skeptical and honest eye when it comes to the most important office in the country. We need the best candidate with the strongest record in order to beat Trump. If we don’t point out difficult realities now, he will later.

      • Purplehazeforever says:

        Can we not do this with every single person who announces their run? I’m from NJ…I know about Booker better than most & he’s still 100 times better than Trump.

  14. Case says:

    I live in NJ, and from everything I know of Cory Booker, he’s a good man. I don’t know his complete history or stance on everything, but I know I like him, and I know he was a gentleman to Christine Blasey Ford.

    Also, just gotta say “Where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame” hit home. I remember just a few short years ago feeling so proud whenever I saw Obama speak. What a sharp contrast we’ve experienced since then.

    • isabelle says:

      Lived and worked in DC for a bit and the place gossips like crazy. Booker is liked on the Hill and has a good reputation among interns and the “peons”.

  15. FredsMother says:

    Who in 2019 would vote for a billionaire in any country on Earth? Who? Which village idiot?

  16. Ann says:

    I’m waiting for Gavin Newsom to say he either will or he won’t for 2020. Until he does I’m liking Cory Booker. He’s giving me Obama vibes in that video and it feels like a big warm hug. I hope the rest of the announcements are this feel-good.

    • OriginalLala says:

      Both Booker and Harris’s launches filled me with hope – I’m Canadian and we could also use some of their hope, optimism and message of love!!

    • lucy2 says:

      I think a Newsom run is likely in the future, but not in 2020. Wasn’t he just elected governor of CA? I think he’ll do that for at least a full term first, and depending on how it’s going, will then look beyond CA.

      • Ann says:

        It’s very unlikely because he is the governor and because I don’t think he’s quite ready. But he gives it to Trump all the time and he is so freaking liberal. Plus he’s a stone cold fox. He’s pretty orange, gotta say, but he could replace our current shade of racist cheeto orange with progressive tangerine dreams.

      • jan90067 says:

        Newsom is my governor, and I really like him, but man, every time I think of his first wife…. she’s now Jr’s girlfriend!

      • Fluffy Princess says:

        I also think Newsom won’t run for president in 2020. Maybe after he is Governor for at least 1 term. After that though, I believe he has his eye on the White House in the future.

    • tuille says:

      Gavin said last week that he won’t run for pres (at least now.)

    • M.A.F. says:

      I highly doubt Newsom is running in 2020. He just got elected to be our governor.

  17. kristen says:

    Not a Cory Booker fan. He’s taken way too much money from Big Pharma. I stan Kamala, Beto, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.

    • ladytron2000 says:

      Ditto.

      Everyone jumping in now though, has me worried. Remember back in 2015 when the Rethuglicans had a circus act with like 30 candidates? I just hope too many Dems won’t split the pot.

  18. PhillyGal says:

    Come on Beto and Klobuchar, make the announcements that you are running!

  19. Lady Keller says:

    Amazing. Inspiring. Authentic. Uplifting.

    But the realist in me says he will never win. Sorry my American friends but as Donald Trump proved nearly half of you are horrible people. You don’t get to have nice things.
    Now please, go out there and prove me wrong.

    • Case says:

      I distinctly remember being in Disney World right after the election, looking around, and thinking, “I can’t believe I’m walking among so many horrible people.”

      I hope many of those who voted for Trump realize their error and will swing left in 2020. I imagine (and certainly hope) those still standing by him are a small fraction of voters who don’t like to admit they were wrong.

    • Annabel says:

      You’re not wrong, Lady Keller, but I’ll never forget the night Obama won the presidency for the first time. I live in the most bubbly of liberal bubbles, but even among my circle of left-leaning friends, it was commonly accepted that while the polls showed a close race, there was no way America would elect a black man. And then it happened, Obama won, and what I remember thinking is, “America’s actually a better country than I thought it was.”

      Of course Trump’s victory would seem to prove exactly the opposite. “Wow,” I remember thinking the next morning, “this disgusting country got the disgusting leader we deserve.” I remain disgusted and think about returning to Canada all the time. But all I’m really saying is that America can surprise you either way.

      • OriginalLala says:

        Annabel, with the federal election in Canada coming this year – and with the growing popularity of the Cons i am worried we are going down a dark path as well 🙁

  20. Dee says:

    I have been waiting for this day for some years now. I’ve been hoping Cory would run. Maybe it’s because I saw Newark’s turn-around with him as mayor, but I really admire him. That said, I am excited for Kamala Harris. I’m excited for the next election either way; there’s a lot more potential and promise compared to the last.

    I’ll have to wait and see what happens in the next year. Unfortunately, Cory’s taken money from big pharma corps and he’s not the most popular amongst Democrats. Thankfully there’s a lot of great candidates to choose from!

  21. Bettyrose says:

    Is it true he’s vegan?

  22. Marjorie says:

    I cannot overemphasize how important Big Pharma is to New Jersey. Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Becton Dickinson and Wyeth are all based here, and many other companies have facilities here as well. Hundreds if thousands of jobs. So most pols from NJ have a history of donations from these companies. If Cory says going forward he won’t take Pharma money, that’s ok with me.

    Cory is unique – Rhodes scholar, division 1 NCAA football player (which is why Kavanaugh didn’t try the athlete schtick on him) and the first mayor of Newark in 45 years to not be indicted. He also once ran into a burning building to save woman inside. He mesmerizes young people, I have seen it happen many times. He is just great.

    • Annabel says:

      Agreed. I’ve been a fan of his since his mayoral days and I’m so excited for this candidacy. After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Booker’s house had electricity but much of the rest of the neighborhood didn’t, so he opened his home and invited the neighborhood over for a slumber party; I remember really nice stories about people whose homes were without power or heat coming over and warming up, eating pizzas that he provided, charging their phones, etc.

    • Arpeggi says:

      Agreed to all of this, I’ve been impressed ever since I saw him at the Daily Show years ago. As for the pharma money, maybe it’s because I work in the life science industry (in Academia though) but I don’t quite see it as a terrible thing. Of course there are issues with not fully disclosing study results, ganging up to set drug prices and so on which could and should absolutely be resolved and lawmakers have a role to play there, but I doubt their money could truly be derail a vote like the oil industry can with regards to climate change (in part cuz the oil industry generate a gazillion more profits than pharma). If he doesn’t systematically side for pharmas whenever there’s a choice, then it shouldn’t matter too much

      No candidate will ever be perfect and running for POTUS is expensive, it’s impossible to run without donations from companies/investors but those should be easy to identify (hence, no PAC). But no one can be 100% pure, we aren’t either after all

      • Cerise says:

        Reality is that politicians need money for their campaigns. And unfortunately big oil and big pharma and big media and big whatever have a lot of money.

  23. adastraperaspera says:

    So proud of all of these Dem candidates! They’ve earned their stripes. Booker is a strong debater with solid policy positions, who will be interesting to watch.

  24. Heather says:

    I didn’t watch that MSNBC segment, but I think it’s an important discussion to have. Trump doesn’t understand the working class…but he knows how to sell to them and he does have a grasp on how to manipulate news coverage to his advantage. This has to be taken seriously and shored up against.

  25. tuille says:

    Booker has intrigued me for years & I’d definitely put him high on my list. His support for inner city ‘hoods & schools has always been impressive.
    Kamala as DA didn’t push back much against SFPD corruption & racism. She played it very safe. She’s had only 2 yrs in the senate & wasn’t a strong AG.
    My sibling is an AG (in another state) & I’ve got some insights. She’s attractive, speaks well, etc., but her record is thin if she’s going for the top job. I think she’s positioning herself to be the vp candidate next year.

    • Cerise says:

      So basically some politicians don’t give their best in their current job but merely do enough and play it safe in order to climb the career ladder?

      I don’t like such types. If you get elected as DA or into the senate then you should do your best in that position and not just eye the next step of the career ladder.
      In our company it is the wrong guys and ladies who get promoted much more frequently than the best person for the job.

  26. R says:

    Kamala is my first choice, although i will vote for any Dem well probably not Tulsi she is no different then Trump imo. I just like Kamala, but I respect Booker and think he’d be a strong candidate. I feel really lucky that we have so many interesting and competent people running for President on the dem ticket. I also agree with points up thread, every time someone announces you can’t trash them because they aren’t our top pick. We have to be open minded and hear the candidates out.

    I also hope that they decide to have the top vote getter be president (obviously) and the second to be VP.

  27. Shannon Malcom says:

    Damn, that video just took my vote and ran away with it lol! Seriously, I like him a lot, but ultimately I’ll vote for whoever gets the nomination because I am ride-or-die #NeverTrump. The Democrats literally cannot put anyone up who would make me not vote Democrat in 2020.

    • Fluffy Princess says:

      Me too. I would vote for anyone or anyTHING that is not trumpty dumpty–or has an (R) after their name.

      An old oven mitt? Yes.
      A broken coffee mug? Absolutely.
      Tangled headphones? You betcha.
      Gum stuck to the bottom of my shoe? Sure.
      A piece of crumpled paper? Why not?

      all of these things would do a better job than what we have going on right now.

  28. EJW says:

    When it comes to issues like: Medicare for all, tackling climate change, raising the marginal tax rate on the top 1%, free college and increasing the minimum wage there are a number of candidates ahead of Booker.

    I want the Democrat with the most progressive platform and the track record that indicates they’ll fight to implement it once they’re elected. Which, funnily enough, would make them the candidate with the best shot at beating Trump.

    • Cerise says:

      I would agree with all those issues and perhaps add: good schools for everybody and more support for libraries and their literacy programs and more support for public parks and such.

      however I fear the election will be decided by money.

  29. Helen says:

    where were all these people in 2015?!!

  30. Ader says:

    I thought the video was cheesy and awful. I LOL’d at how he makes sure to appeal to the “white savior” crowd (lawyer bit).

  31. Cerise says:

    Here is one of America’s real problems and I really would like that the presidential campaigners do adress this because a problematic police force can be improved by the laws of your country.

    “…According to recent data, Americans are far more likely to be killed by police officers than previously thought, many times more likely than the risk of being killed by a terrorist.

    Previously, it was accepted that citizens are 8 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than a terrorist but that might have been a radical underestimation, according to new official FBI data.

    There is no national requirement for police departments to provide information about police-related shootings. Some stations do voluntarily provide the data to the FBI but that meant a national averages drastically underrepresented the number of people being killed at hands of police officers.. …”

    “… In this attempt by official record-keepers to assess the number of previously unknown “law enforcement homicides,” researchers found that an average of 928 people were killed by police annually over the same period, much more than the 383 number published by the FBI data before.

    That number can be compared to the number that the number of civilians who have been killed as the result of terrorism. In 2013, the US Department of State puts that number at 16, the most recent year data there was available data.

    Dividing the average of the number of people killed by police with the number of American citizens not in the military who were killed from terrorism, you get the 58, suggesting Americans are actually 58 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist.
    …”

  32. EJW says:

    I’m a supporter of the progressive left, so Booker is too corporate for me. At this stage Elizabeth Warren is my prefferred nominee. But there’s a long way to go.

    • TabithaStevens says:

      She is phony. Talks about taxing the wealthy ‘freeloaders’, as if working hard is a crime, but stole a spot from a Native American by pretending to be native. Shame on her.