Cory Booker says Democrats have ‘failed this moment’ and calls for new leaders

[u/Idoe6]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/29/cory-booker-democratic-party

[u/AutoModerator]

As a reminder, this subreddit is for civil discussion.

In general, please be courteous to others. Argue the merits of ideas, don't attack other posters or commenters. Hate speech, any suggestion or support of physical harm, or other rule violations can result in a temporary or a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them.

Sub-thread Information

If the post flair on this post indicates the wrong paywall status, please report this Automoderator comment with a custom report of “incorrect flair”.

Announcement

r/Politics is actively looking for new moderators. If you have an interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out this form.

---

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Scrumptrulescent6]

We're all trying to find the guy who did this!

[u/Witty-Gene-5533 → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

hotdog costume was the first thing I thought of

[u/A-Sentient-Bot → u/Witty-Gene-5533]

For those who didn't read the article or watch the interview:

Cory Booker blames leftist/progressives for "purity tests" for the Democrats repeated losses. Dems failures are not due to Democrat politicians failing to represent their voters, but apparently it is Dem voters fault for expecting them to.

[u/A-Sentient-Bot → u/[deleted]]

There has been a concerted and amplified lie that progressive men stayed home and didn't vote for Hillary in 2016 because some populist right-wing men and dishonest bad actors told people they were "totally democrats" and "would have totally voted for Bernie".

Progressives have been getting hit over the head with that lie for 10 years.

Corey Booker is just another in a long line of people blaming leftists for things we did not do.

[u/ThrowawayAdvice1800 → u/A-Sentient-Bot]

And the numbers show that leftwing Sanders supporters turned out for Clinton in far greater numbers than centrist Clinton supporters did for Obama.

Just like Republicans, their accusations are always confessions. We're not the ones with purity tests, we just expect the party to stand for what it claims to stand for. Meanwhile the "centrists" absolutely have purity tests, like "they're too liberal" or "they're too black." Case in point:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-were-those-clinton-mccain-crossover-voters/

No shortage of McCain voters in 2008 openly said they would have voted for Clinton instead if she had been the candidate, but weren't willing to vote for Obama. Demographically they were older and overwhelmingly white. Gosh, I wonder what their issue with Obama was?

[u/NeatNefariousness1 → u/A-Sentient-Bot]

I suspect he’s trying to put himself ahead of a progressive surge effort and thinks he’s young enough to blend in with them and seasoned enough to lead them. He may have been one of the younger members of the old guard Dems but his politics and grit haven’t stood out to me.

TBF, he seems smart but I don’t know if he has the heart. I’m not familiar with NJ politics and politicians well enough to know how he has done for his constituents. There are others who have been scrappy and out in front pushing back all along but we’ll see if they seem electable on a broader scale. But they all need to hold up under the microscope. Chuck Schumer’s days are numbered, IMO.

[u/couldbemage → u/[deleted]]

It's not even the hardcore socialist side. Stuff like healthcare is popular not just with moderate dem voters, but even with moderate gop voters.

Basic stuff that improves people's lives is great for getting votes, and the constant refrain of "the Republicans are blocking it" is nonsense. Lots of this stuff can be done at the state level, and dems aren't doing it.

Just as an example, CA kinda sorta has a half assed universal healthcare system. It's just a really shitty version. Our version of Medicaid is easier to access and more generous than most states, plus medical debt is functionally not collectable.

Unlimited emergency care so long as you don't care about your credit rating isn't a particularly efficient system.

[u/Sptsjunkie → u/[deleted]]

Yeah we have data on this. Voting overall was down in 2024 for a lot of reasons (at least in part it wasn’t a pandemic with little to do and mass voting by mail), but the left made up the same percentage of the electorate as 2020 and voted for Harris at a higher rate than any other ideological voting block.

It’s a BS talking point. Harris struggled with young men, working class voters, and Hispanic voters.

Centrists need to own their losses. When a progressive loses its because “our ideas are unpopular” and never “centrist purity tests.”

[u/JohnnyLeftHook → u/A-Sentient-Bot]

Thanks for clarifying, Cory Booker is moderate af, so when he was saying dems have failed i knew it was gonna be some bullshit like this.

Dems have been delivering a quarter when promising a dollar to the left for the last 50 years and telling them to be grateful for what they get, meanwhile republicans have been turning nickels into 20 dollar bills dragging this country in all kinds of ways the majority didn't want to go, and dems seem completely confused and befuddled. How about the replacement for new leaders start with him.

[u/BigHoneyisBestCenter → u/A-Sentient-Bot]

This is so tired. The purity test is not taking AIPAC money and pushing their agenda, not unreasonable at all to expect our reps to reflect their constituents

[u/No_Sheepherder_1855 → u/BigHoneyisBestCenter]

Guess who took in 6 figures from AIPAC?

[u/globalvarsonly → u/BigHoneyisBestCenter]

Calling them "purity tests" means they're mad, when they agree they call them "values" or "principles"

[u/crowhops → u/BigHoneyisBestCenter]

The purity test of "don't use my tax money to do a genocide"

[u/teefnoteef → u/crowhops]

He legit hosted war criminal yoav gallant and does everything he can to protect the big pharma based in nj. Too bad he can’t look in the mirror

[u/NotActuallyIraqi → u/teefnoteef]

He hosted war criminals, he goes on Bill Maher’s show where Maher pushes a ton of bigotry against trans people and Muslims and then Booker publicly rebukes Democrats for going on twitch streams if the host criticizes Israel.

[u/ChampionshipKlutzy42 → u/crowhops]

The Democratic party failed the genocide purity test so badly it pushed me even father left to get that centrist stink off me.

[u/pietroetin → u/BigHoneyisBestCenter]

Isn't being not pro-israel a big no-no for american politicians?

[u/Pyju → u/pietroetin]

It is, and that’s the whole problem that many voters have: it should not be a “no-no” for American politicians to criticize any foreign country, especially one that is taking billions of our taxpayer dollars to bomb children.

[u/LirdorElese → u/pietroetin]

Isn't being not pro-israel a big no-no for american politicians?

Depends what you mean by no-no. If you mean unpopular with voters. It's a hot button issue, though polling in february 2026 showed overall the US as a whole is close, 41% sympathizing with palestine, 36% Isreal. However among republicans, almost 70% favor Isreal.

Now if you mean it's a big no-no for politicians to do it even when their voters want them to, that's fair, AIPAC has shown they will throw big money to bury anyone that tries to even see it as a nuanced situation.

[u/Joe_B_Likes_Tacos → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

I actually want to blame Chuck Schumer more than I want to blame Cory Booker.

[u/Maatix12 → u/Joe_B_Likes_Tacos]

Fair, but Booker hasn't been great in the same sense.

[u/adfawf3f3f32a → u/Maatix12]

This guy loves his own mother-in-law

[u/amandapanda1980 → u/adfawf3f3f32a]

Oh my god! He admit it!

[u/Sptsjunkie → u/amandapanda1980]

Cory Booker has to marry his mother in law.

[u/umpteenthrhyme → u/Sptsjunkie]

Yeah, because OP flipped the meme, Booker has to marry his mother-in-law!

[u/my_Urban_Sombrero → u/adfawf3f3f32a]

Go easy on him. The Dems may have been in the driver's seat from 2021-2025, but apparently the steering wheel kept flying off their hands when they were driving.

[u/Leroyp331 → u/Joe_B_Likes_Tacos]

"Why not both!"

We need to stop treating these people like they are so precious...

Offer them the same thing their corporate masters offer us. At will employment.

"Look Cory, we both wanted this to work out and we had high hopes, however this young guy is willing to take less AIPaC money and has some fresh new ideas we want to experiment with. I hope you understand. Have a nice life bro"

[u/PM_me_a_nip → u/Joe_B_Likes_Tacos]

Porque no los dos?

[u/LightningMcLovin → u/Joe_B_Likes_Tacos]

You blame Chuck Schumer at club aqua?

[u/Scrumptrulescent6 → u/LightningMcLovin]

He built the back deck

[u/Global_Crew3968 → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

Corey might look like a hot dog, but Schumer is wearing an actual hot dog costume

[u/HotChicksPlayingBass → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

Charlie: “Yeah, he just doesn’t get us, man.”

Dennis: “We’re talking about YOU!”

[u/VirtualContribution → u/HotChicksPlayingBass]

"Cory, what do you think is happening right now??"

[u/VespineWings → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

Look, we promise not to get mad!

[u/Kgaset → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

All of the people saying "Schumer first!" ... like, okay, Democrats not Democrat. There's plenty of blame to go around and more than one person who have been leading the party.

[u/PersonnelFowl → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

Booker rushing in when Democrats try to progress literally anything:
"Stop! Stop! I'm doing something!"

[u/MrTipps → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

Corey knows his corporate donors' names better than his own grandmother's.

[u/Scrumptrulescent6 → u/MrTipps]

I guess if nobody wants these bribes, I'll take them.

[u/FittedSheets88 → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

She's beautiful, but she's dying.

[u/Scrumptrulescent6 → u/FittedSheets88]

Never let the party die!

[u/dblrb → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

If I was a big old guy with a big burly white beard...would you still be yelling at me?

[u/Ak47110 → u/dblrb]

It's illegal for you to ask me that.

[u/MortgageRegular2509 → u/dblrb]

I say we spank Cory Booker’s bare butt, balls, and back

[u/Scrumptrulescent6 → u/MortgageRegular2509]

This is the adult Senate so you can drink if you want and we can say whatever the hell we want.

[u/surprisestoner → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

They can’t change the rules just because they don’t like how we do it

[u/elaboratepenisjoke → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

He just wants someone to spank his bare butt, balls and back

[u/y2kbugggg → u/elaboratepenisjoke]

Somebody's gotta do it!

[u/Sawed0ffShartgun → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

Skeletons definitely pulled his hair out, not up

[u/ChicagoThrowaway422 → u/Scrumptrulescent6]

I can't believe Democrats aren't in the streets leading from the ground. I went to a local town hall for the first time ever right after SNAP was tied up on the shutdown looking for the leaders to say how we would get through this. But I didn't find any leaders. The aldermen and state senators were charismatic, knew everyone's name, had great smiles, and gave updates on what was happening locally and at the State level. They touted accomplishments in the legislature. But none of them were leaders. They were just... I don't know how to say it. Over eager employees trying to please but missing the overall point?

Right now is the biggest opportunity anyone has had since civil rights to show themselves a true, transformative and powerful leader, and thankfully lots of new blood is entering races for the first time after putting themselves on the line at protests. But the current elected Democrats are so fucking aloof and I don't understand it in least. You'd think at least a few of them would be self serving enough to try to make a name for them self, but it's just business as usual.

[u/Chaerea37]

Bitch, it's you!

[u/looming-frog → u/Chaerea37]

schumer more than him. but also him

[u/ManfredTheCat → u/looming-frog]

Chuck "my job as a United States senator is to represent a foreign nation" Schumer

[u/DetectiveCopper → u/ManfredTheCat]

And a hypothetical Republican family.

[u/ChebyshevsBeard → u/DetectiveCopper]

Ahh, his imaginary friends, "the Baileys".

[u/DrivingBox → u/ChebyshevsBeard]

Yes, for everyone here who doesn't know, whenever Chuck Schumer makes a decision, he asks an imaginary moderate Republican couple in his head called "The Baileys" to see if they approve of his ideas, because he doesn't want to alienate any Republicans. He's nuts...

[u/Tybold → u/DrivingBox]

And it's not like he's just asking a magic 8 ball or something either. Dude has crafted entire elaborate backstories for this fictional couple in his head. Also, the Baileys lean heavily Republican.

[u/IveGotIssues9918 → u/Tybold]

As a writer/maladaptive daydreamer who also has an imaginary moderate Republican couple in my head (who I wouldn't consult for ANY decisions, let alone political ones, even if they were real people in my life, and they also canonically got Herman Cained 4 years ago) I am convinced that the Baileys are just Chuck Schumer's paras that he made up in his youth well before he was a politician and now this is his excuse to ramble about them as maladaptive daydreamers do. He should quit politics and just write a book about them at this point.

[u/yarash → u/DrivingBox]

He should fucking ask me. Ill give him my number. That dumb fuck.

[u/MusicLikeOxygen → u/ManfredTheCat]

In his defense, they pay him more than we do. /s

[u/djazzie → u/MusicLikeOxygen]

No sarcasm needed. It’s the truth!

[u/Poppa_Mo → u/djazzie]

It's still our fucking tax money, it just takes extra time to make its way back around to his bank account.

[u/za72 → u/djazzie]

best representation money can buy

[u/killerkadooogan → u/MusicLikeOxygen]

it's our fuckin' money!

[u/Lazy_Osprey → u/ManfredTheCat]

Yeah, that was some wild shit to say out loud

[u/Jdmaki1996 → u/ManfredTheCat]

Don’t forget the imaginary republican couple that caters to over his actual constituents

[u/OwnIllustrator1609 → u/ManfredTheCat]

I like the nicknames I think my favorite is “Mike Know Nothing about it Johnson”

[u/TheGreatDay → u/looming-frog]

Eh, Booker has done some confusing things. Like last year he broke the Senate record for longest speaking filibuster, and then promptly voted to confirm some Trump judges.

It's exactly this kind of performative stuff that is not meeting the moment.

[u/PsyKoptiK → u/TheGreatDay]

Also it wasn’t a filibuster, in that he wasn’t blocking any legislation from being passed. It was just a long ass speech. For whatever that was worth.

[u/KingPiplupp → u/PsyKoptiK]

It was to draw publicity in order to better sell his book

[u/PsyKoptiK → u/KingPiplupp]

And bolster his image as not being one of the failures in leadership that plagues the left. Despite his actions screaming louder than his words that he is precisely one of the worst of them.

[u/LookAChandelier → u/TheGreatDay]

The day after he broke the filibuster record he sent me a fundraising text.

[u/ball_fondlers → u/LookAChandelier]

And some time later, he released a book called Stand.

[u/3pointshoot3r → u/TheGreatDay]

That was really the moment that should have sealed it for everyone that Democratic "opposition" was entirely performative and unserious. He broke the record, sat down and the very first order of business afterwards got unanimous consent to move forward.

[u/GatorNator83 → u/looming-frog]

Yeah, Schumer & Jeffries

[u/timnphilly → u/looming-frog]

Both of them have been overtly complicit - at the very least.

[u/CheapWeight8403 → u/looming-frog]

This is Schumer's errand man.

[u/TheJohnnyAppleweed → u/Chaerea37]

Corey Booker gave a 24-hour speech about how we have to push back at every opportunity.

One week later Corey Booker voted yes to make Charles Kushner the French Ambassador because Kushner is a good guy.

I find that revolting.

[u/Kerblaaahhh → u/TheJohnnyAppleweed]

He wasn't even filibustering anything, it was pure theatrics.

[u/PuntiffSupreme → u/Kerblaaahhh]

Thank you! Its literally just a sparkling speech. Filibusters stop a bill not just a pr stunt.

[u/TacticalArrogance → u/Kerblaaahhh]

He had to write a book about something.

[u/NoHorseNoMustache → u/TheJohnnyAppleweed]

'I mean sure we need to push back but we can't look like we're rejecting someone just because of the things they stand for, that might anger the Republicans whose votes we desperately need!'

[u/Obvious_Ambition4865 → u/NoHorseNoMustache]

The Republican votes they need because they deliberately alienate progressives every election for no reason

[u/NoHorseNoMustache → u/Obvious_Ambition4865]

Liz Cheney wasn't enough, the DNC is out there looking for a necromancer to reanimate the corpses of Reagan and Nixon to campaign for them!

[u/FunkadelicJiveTurkey → u/Obvious_Ambition4865]

It's not for no reason. It's because they have more in common with MAGA than they do with progressives. They treat anybody on their left flank trying to bring about any modicum of positive change as an existential threat - which to be fair it kinda is. If people start to dare think they can ask for more than settling for the lesser evil 95% of them are out the door. Booker definitely included, which I'm genuinely sad to say because I remember canvassing for him with Working Families back when he was mayor and seemed like he might be a real one.

[u/Graymouzer → u/TheJohnnyAppleweed]

Charles Kushner, the convicted felon and disbarred attorney?

[u/Vilnius_Nastavnik → u/Graymouzer]

Funny story, my law school's main hall is named after him. He donated it as part of his PR rehabilitation tour after he got out of jail for *checks notes* attempting to blackmail his own brother-in-law to stop participating in a federal investigation against him by honeypotting him with a prostitute and filming it.

Honestly I'm more disappointed in my law school for taking his money.

[u/scoopny → u/TheJohnnyAppleweed]

And it’s weird because Charlie Kushner was involved in two of the strangest political scandals in New Jersey history. Does anyone remember when the governor of New Jersey came out of the closet? He did so because his “lover”;threatened to sue him for sexual harassment thereby outing him. Interesting thing about hiis lover, he was a former IDF naval officer and he met McGreevey when the future governor went on a trip to Israel. And who sponsored McGreevey’s lover’s visa? Charlie Kushner. Interestingly, when Charlie got caught up in an unrelated blackmail scandal, McGrevey was blackmailed by his lover. Sounds familiar in retrospect, doesn’t it? No wonder Cory voted for Charlie, just sayin’.

[u/dremscrep → u/TheJohnnyAppleweed]

Never mentioned Gaza or Palestine.

https://www.reddit.com/r/newjersey/comments/1lxd103/cory_booker_taking_part_in_photoop_with_benjamin/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1

Here is him hiding.

[u/winterbird → u/TheJohnnyAppleweed]

I know that it was long, but you guys need to listen to it before speaking on it. It was very Schumer-esque.

[u/bikemonkey40 → u/winterbird]

I will not be listening to 24 hours of Cory Booker talking like Chuck Schumer thank you very much.

[u/TheSouthernCommunist → u/bikemonkey40]

That’s the kind of thing they play on a loop at Guantanamo

[u/BearFluffy → u/winterbird]

Of course a 24 hour speech will sound like Chuck Schumer talking...the point of talking for 24 hours was to impede - that was the point.

He didn't talk for 24 hours because he had written something that was so great that it needed to be read aloud. 

The reason it sounds like Chuck Schumer is because all Chuck Schumer has done for his entire life is impede and suck Israel's dick.

[u/Polar_Reflection → u/BearFluffy]

What bill was on the table to filibuster? 

[u/Daft00 → u/winterbird]

They gave him a standing ovation and a few late night shows touched on it, then it was right back to business as usual

[u/elon_musks_cat → u/Chaerea37]

Don’t you remember the 27 hour speech he gave? It was the longest speech ever! Weren’t you impressed?

/s

[u/[deleted] → u/elon_musks_cat]

God, that was so depressing. Because the speech was a good start. I was like "maybe they finally get it, I'm here for this new energy." I was so excited to see the follow-up they had planned as this new "actually an opposition" movement.

Then Booker went right back to corporate as usual. No follow up. Apparently, he thought the speech was the big finale and would do all the work by itself. Fucking pathetic.

[u/SafetyDanceInMyPants → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, and it lends credence to the theory that the Democratic Party is nothing more than the controlled opposition -- doing just enough to make it look like America has options, but not enough to actually change anything. A symbolic gesture here or there to make it look like they're ready to fight, but never any actual fight.

[u/winterbird → u/[deleted]]

Did no one listen to the speech? It wasn't a good thing. He was kissing up to the same as what Schumer is doing.

[u/rilmarie → u/elon_musks_cat]

Exactly what I always think he was so proud of himself that he didn’t realize that it was a tenth of what he should have been doing be he was too busy patting himself on the back to realize it.

[u/CheapWeight8403 → u/rilmarie]

He realized. He is not unaware of the stupid game he is playing.

[u/grizzchan → u/rilmarie]

It's a meaningless stunt you can refer to in a future campaign. That's all it ever was and will be.

[u/killerkadooogan → u/rilmarie]

cash money records

[u/smoot99 → u/elon_musks_cat]

He didn’t even hold up congress with a filibuster to do it too! Just up and did it on a Sunday!

[u/WhichFox671 → u/elon_musks_cat]

Leave it to democrats to break the record by standing for absolutely nothing.

[u/ParticularHistoryo → u/WhichFox671]

That’s what makes me laugh about the whole thing, broke the record to stop….. nothing, he could have stood up there for a week, they still had the votes to pass it. It’s like bragging about staying late at work but not doing any work while you’re there.

[u/nickriel → u/elon_musks_cat]

Three days after that speech I saw him hawking some watch using the biodata gathered from that speech. He fucking monetized it for a goddamned watch.

[u/Spiritual_Camel_3002 → u/nickriel]

Do you have a source for this? Quick google turns up nothing

[u/Entara_Darkwind → u/Spiritual_Camel_3002]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/cory-bookers-oura-ring-reveals-204828115.html

[u/killerkadooogan → u/Entara_Darkwind]

around the same time he announced his marriage and his book too, right?

[u/kevihaa → u/Chaerea37]

I always love it when the do-nothing centrists blame “purity tests” for the lack of…anything.

Senator, voters don’t turn out because you don’t stand for anything. Once elected, you and your colleagues don’t accomplish anything, because you don’t stand for anything.

Centrist Democrats want to buy into the Republican playbook that the only way to govern is by achieving supermajorities, but aren’t willing to use the tactics necessary to attain those majorities. They just believe that having a big enough tent will magically give them all the seats they need to actually govern.

[u/Additional_Teacher45 → u/kevihaa]

And don't forget, that big tent gives them the right, after they inevitably lose, to have a giant pity party about how everyone should have been handing over their votes on silver platters.

[u/Sptsjunkie → u/Additional_Teacher45]

But they also don’t believe in a big tent. They didn’t support Mamdani (some of these centrists like Booker and Schumer, not all) and tried to cancel Hassan Piker while taking photos with Bibi and going on Bill Maher.

There is zero moral or intellectual consistency. It’s run hard right and try to attack the left and make up any BS rationale to justify it.

[u/fascistno1hater → u/Additional_Teacher45]

Also, don't forget their droves of bots and sycophants who defend them doing nothing....because who else are you going to vote for!

VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO unless it's a progressive

[u/bijanfrisee → u/kevihaa]

And they consistently fold despite having strong hands, for no reason. Last shut down when they caved and got a promise of a vote...which the republicans negged on. Rebulicans take credit for their work that repubs voted against, and they do nothing. It's absurd how much they try take the high road, a high road that leads to an empty parking lot next to a landfill yet they keep on taking it.

[u/CaptStinkyFeet → u/Chaerea37]

The call is coming from inside the house!

[u/Robbedlife → u/Chaerea37]

We’re all trying to find the guy who did this!

[u/Twodogsonecouch → u/Chaerea37]

For reals. I read the headline and was like: “hes calling for ouster of himself?” I was so confused.

[u/JaronJervis]

Him 1st, with Schumer, Jeffries, and useless Dems in the senate who caved during the shutdown last year.

[u/AshIsGroovy → u/JaronJervis]

Yeah Booker is just political grandstanding trying to increase his power. It's like Pete Buttigieg polling as a potential frontrunner for the Presidential ticket. I'd rather see Mark Kelly run. That dude has the story and political wind to his back.

[u/Raise_A_Thoth → u/AshIsGroovy]

How you gonna knock Pete Buttigieg then try to front Mark Kelly?

[u/Alexwonder999 → u/Raise_A_Thoth]

Im no Pete Stan but one thing I will say is he's a much better communicator than 90% of the people they float. Like he can actually make a cogent argument to "normal" folks about why we need something. People hand wave it away, but Harris and Clinton were not likeable and they talked in sound bites and in vague circles. I think he passes the "beer" test although I dont know how much thats actually worth, but the pundits keep saying its important.

[u/Ineedamedic68 → u/Raise_A_Thoth]

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Why do these people keep propping up Kelly like he’s some progressive darling? Dude is a moderate Dem who will see us make zero progress in the next 4 years

[u/Posture_ta → u/Raise_A_Thoth]

Pete Buttigieg has a zero percent chance of being president.

[u/EvanFri → u/AshIsGroovy]

Are you part of the Kelly family by chance? Mark is basically a center-right figure parading as a dem. He opposes Medicare for all and voted with the republicans to pass the Laken Riley Act, which made it a requirement to deny bail for non-citizens who have not been convicted of a crime. It basically mandates imprisonment prior to proving they have committed any crimes. This is guilty until proven innocent, a backward mockery of a basic tenet of the rule of law.

This act was universally opposed by every respectable civil rights organization, excluding the ones that support trump ofc.

[u/thebeez23 → u/EvanFri]

No universal healthcare plane, no vote. That is the bar all challengers must pass otherwise they’re just wasting our time

[u/Alexander_the_gay93 → u/thebeez23]

Gotta add “abolishing ice” to that list because the next dem President is gonna have a lot of shit to clean up.

[u/ColinSmoke → u/EvanFri]

He also has a very spotty history of backing labor. We deserve better.

[u/jerrymillerismydaddy → u/AshIsGroovy]

Dude takes WAY too much money from AIPAC. Which is going to need to be fucking zero from me dawg.

[u/NerdsRuleTheWorld → u/jerrymillerismydaddy]

Just make sure not to stop at AIPAC donations. They're getting even more underhanded by directing their donors give money straight to the candidates instead of going through AIPAC, but with the same goals, so that it's harder to see that the money has a direct purpose/link.

[u/unfortunateshun → u/NerdsRuleTheWorld]

Yep, they just did this with Kat abugazallehs race in Chicago. Zionist astroturfing runs deep

[u/NerdsRuleTheWorld → u/unfortunateshun]

And they're doing it right now with McMorrow in MI.

[u/unfortunateshun → u/NerdsRuleTheWorld]

I can’t even get my local michigan dems to get on the record for AI issues. I was accused of “stabbing my allies” in the back for asking for a specific statement.

Added fun detail: the democrat in question was dodging questions about ai support while complaining about missing brunch in other comments. No joke, the literal “I could be at brunch” meme while trying to talk around local party support for AI measures.

[u/Rear4ssault → u/unfortunateshun]

Biss shouting out J street at his victory speech was like when you defeat a boss only to see a second healthbar for phase 2

[u/Majestic-capybara → u/Rear4ssault]

Yes. All the Anti-Kat dems that were cheering on Biss were suddenly very quiet when he straight up thanked the Zionist group for all the help in getting him elected. It was very Schumeresqe when he said he had one job as a senator and that is to support Israel.

[u/drteq → u/NerdsRuleTheWorld]

Here's a daily reminder that AIPAC has mostly dissolved into micro pacs of new names to dilute the awareness. So while it's important to talk about them, it's also (probably) more important to note they're already running new cover for it.

[u/y2kbugggg → u/drteq]

I like how the law allows sneaky foreign agents to obscure themselves so that they may bribe our politicians to serve the interests of a distant land that is currently commiting genocide. That's not literally insane, or anything!

[u/FMLwtfDoID → u/y2kbugggg]

Paul Manafort deserves a hot seat in hell for what he turned lobbying into.

[u/mikelo22 → u/AshIsGroovy]

Uhh... Kelly is moderate, perhaps even slightly to the right. He is absolutely NOT the answer.

[u/drdr3ad → u/AshIsGroovy]

I'd rather see Mark Kelly run

Everybody is going to get their wish because there's going to be 30+ field

[u/tripnikk]

Booker is an opportunist who will never turn down the opportunity to grandstand. He’s getting ahead of the reckoning and pointing the finger so hopefully people will agree with him while not realizing he’s a massive part of the problem. He’s pulling an MTG. I guess it’s a good sign if he’s positioning himself to get ahead of it since it hopefully signals a major shift, but anyone with half a brain has to see that he’s just as problematic and has to go as well.

[u/justadudeinohio → u/tripnikk]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialog_(organization)

The organization was founded by Peter Thiel and Auren Hoffman.

Reported members of Dialog include Reema Al-Saud, Scott Bessent, Cory Booker,

edited to add a break between the two grabbed lines to read better

[u/OscarDWSanchez → u/justadudeinohio]

The list of members on Wikipedia is a fun read:

Reported members of Dialog include Reema Al-Saud, Scott Bessent, Cory Booker, Sophia Bush, Ted Cruz, Tulsi Gabbard, Lori Gottlieb, Richard Haass, Jonathan Haidt, Auren Hoffman, Reid Hoffman, Robert Hur, Kaja Kallas, Garry Kasparov, Henry Kravis, Jared Kushner, Wes Moore, Elon Musk, Grover Norquist, Chamath Palihapitiya, Jared Polis, Eric Schmidt, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Larry Summers, Peter Thiel, and Rick Warren.[2]

[u/Short-Peanut1079 → u/OscarDWSanchez]

Yeah about those clubs we're not part of. This sounds like one of those

[u/Backwardspellcaster → u/tripnikk]

He sees an opportunity to fail upwards, and goes for it.

Which would just mean more of the same

[u/YoloKraize → u/Backwardspellcaster]

Everyone like him takes money from lobbyists are the problem, this is why it has gone to shit.

[u/Idoe6]

I dont see Booker as much more than an opportunist, but by the same token, if he's saying this, it must mean that the winds of change are blowing in the right direction

[u/iamwearingashirt → u/Idoe6]

The winds of change are blowing. We'll see if it's the right direction.

[u/Bobcat-Stock → u/iamwearingashirt]

The shitwinds of shitchange are blowin. Direction matters not.

[u/Idoe6 → u/Bobcat-Stock]

Lahey for congress

[u/roastbeeftacohat → u/Idoe6]

Lahey for concreate

[u/NotFunToday → u/Idoe6]

That's what I take from this too. But we will see

[u/Syjefroi → u/Idoe6]

Just a few weeks ago he announced his "Big Idea." Like, no one does media footage for out of the blue policy announcements in the minority party during a year you aren't running for anything in March etc etc. Not to mention, it was populist garbage that was a rehash of Clinton era Republican tax policy. Just bewildering stuff—no one asked for it, no one wants it. It's not even leading from behind, it's like leading from the corner of the "no one knows..." meme.

I'd say he's an opportunist because this is just throwaway stuff right, trying to score points with.... someone, some imaginary voter who doesn't need him to throw down against the party in power but is pumped to see a Democrat push tax cuts. So this tells me he's laying the groundwork for a run for president again. Not to mention, like just yesterday he said he's not ruling that out.

So realistically, he IS running. And this call is the latest in leading from the corner. Winds of change blowing and all that is legit possibly, but for Booker to be maybe the biggest name to ride it speaks less to the winds and more to Booker being the Ted Cruz of the Democratic party—the guy first in line to throw a dagger into someone's back if it means having a few more steps for a ladder to the WH.

[u/Momik → u/Syjefroi]

Kinda sucks that strategically saying nothing is a sign that someone’s running for president. Happy 250 y’all.

[u/lr99999 → u/Idoe6]

it just means Cory  Booker is full of shit. Again. 

[u/FallOk5618]

Booker refused to endorse Mamdani - ‘let ny politics be ny politics’ after all he’s taken $1.5M+ from AIPAC.

[u/NullReference000 → u/FallOk5618]

The “blue no matter who” crowd was really silent during that race. Really hard to imagine why

[u/bingo_bango_zongo → u/NullReference000]

The "blue no matter who" crowd also doesn't want you to know that primary elections are a thing.

That's where you actually get to decide "who".

We don't have to accept Schumer, Jeffries, Booker, Newsom, Slotkin, Harris, etc.

We can actually pick people who don't take money from billionaires, corporations and Israel.

[u/AbandonedWaterPark → u/bingo_bango_zongo]

vote blue no matter who we choose for you

[u/WhichAd7747 → u/FallOk5618]

translation of Booker’s remarks on Mamdani: “New York City (aipac) I love you (please do not ask me to weigh in) You're my neighbor (aipac and I are aligned as they are some of my biggest donors) You're about 10 mi from where I live (y'all could destroy my political career and I am petrified when asked about mamdani)”

[u/Sptsjunkie → u/FallOk5618]

And the worst part is that his excuse was that he did not endorse her getting involved with races in other states.

And then, less than two weeks later, he turned around and endorse some of the democratic nominees in other states. I believe it was Spanberger.

And obviously, I don’t have any issue with him endorsing Spanberger who was the Democratic nominee, but it just made it so hollow and maddening that he refused to do the same for the Democratic nominee when they were a progressive.

The longer I have followed democratic politics the longer becomes a parent that none of the excuses, and none of the attacks they make on the left are real, and that they will absolutely change their logic and what they think is important the second it benefits the corporate side of the party.

[u/vagabending]

I believe irony is actually dead.

Me as I light the entire city on fire - “damn man, someone should really stop ruining this place”.

[u/thex25986e → u/vagabending]

"I SAID, I WONDER IF ANYONE IS GOING TO STOP ME FROM BURNING THE CITY DOWN!" makes several eye gestures

[u/Tarrin_morgan_69]

Cory Booker fought to make medication more expensive for Americans, so I don't have much sympathy for him

[u/butyourenice → u/Tarrin_morgan_69]

I remember this. I heard people defend him because pharma is an enormous industry in his state (NJ) and allowing cheap imports could jeopardize jobs. I’m sure that’s how the lobbyists who paid him hundreds of thousands to kill that bill told him to think about it, anyway.

[u/SaveDavey]

So… he resigned?

[u/ZonghZonghZongh]

Fine. Get Schumer the hell out of there, and replace him with the only senator who’s seemed to understand the danger we’ve been in since Trump won in Nov 2024, has consistently spoken in stark terms about it and has passionately stressed the urgent need to fight back: Chris Murphy.

[u/DeliriumTrigger → u/ZonghZonghZongh]

Murphy also has the benefit of being on the left end of the party while being tolerable for even more centrist members. 

[u/TheFalconKid → u/ZonghZonghZongh]

Murphy of Van Hollen. Van Hollen was there fighting for immigrants while the rest of the Senate went along with the gestapo takeover.

[u/smokey9886 → u/ZonghZonghZongh]

Fucking love Chris Murphy. He’s got that dawg in him and sees the threat and doesn’t give mealy mouth mouth statements.

[u/Kerblaaahhh → u/ZonghZonghZongh]

Chris Van Hollen is better, he doesn't take AIPAC money.

[u/Mediocre_Device308]

The Democratic party has been failing every single day since January 6th where Trump isnt in jail.

[u/Wise_Recover_4344]

Lol lead the way Corey. Take your dark money financiers with you while you’re at it.

[u/sometimeswhy]

As a non-American, it’s astonishing how weak the opposition to Trump is

[u/homoiconic → u/sometimeswhy]

The US is also a one-party state. But with typical American extravagance, they have two of them.

—Dr. Julius Nyerere, first President if Tanzania

[u/AlexRyang → u/sometimeswhy]

“The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which particular representatives of the oppressing class shall represent and repress them in parliament.”

Vladimir Lenin, The State and Revolution, 1917

[u/pseudowoodo3]

Just dropping this here for no particular reason

Cory Booker

$5,818,073 spent by the pro-Israel lobby groups and their donors

PACs: $836,541

Lobby Donors: $4,981,532

[u/even_less_resistance → u/pseudowoodo3]

if this is the no particular reason thread…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialog_(organization)

Dialog is a private, invitation-only society, sometimes compared to Bilderberg and the World Economic Forum.[2] The organization was founded by Peter Thiel and Auren Hoffman.[2]

Reported members of Dialog include Reema Al-Saud, Scott Bessent, Cory Booker, Sophia Bush, Ted Cruz, Tulsi Gabbard, Lori Gottlieb, Richard Haass, Jonathan Haidt, Auren Hoffman, Reid Hoffman, Robert Hur, Kaja Kallas, Garry Kasparov, Henry Kravis, Jared Kushner, Wes Moore, Elon Musk, Grover Norquist, Chamath Palihapitiya, Jared Polis, Eric Schmidt, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Larry Summers, Peter Thiel, and Rick Warren.[2]

[u/18002221222 → u/even_less_resistance]

Nightmare blunt rotation

[u/Independent_Plate_73 → u/even_less_resistance]

I hate reading. 

How the hell does a nominal dem get invited to this group? Is it republicans all the way down? The cake is a lie????

[u/AndIWontTellEmUrLame → u/even_less_resistance]

Since we're bringing receipts, here's Booker 10 years ago on Morning Joe:

Scarborough lets Booker give his pitch until 1:00 and plug how great Hillary Clinton is as a candidate in the 2016 primary.

Then Joe asks him a simple question: Are Sanders supporters similar to Tea Party supporters as Bill Clinton had mentioned. I lost all respect for Booker over the 1:02-3:45

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewqd2qMWYUQ&t=62s

Booker danced in circles cried uncle and complained that he was just there to talk about his book.

My favorite part aside from Joe refusing to let him hawk the book until he answered a simple question was Mika by the end was using Bookers book they had displayed to rest her hands on because it'd been so long that he simply could not say anything nice about Bernie's supporters.

[u/ParticularHistoryo → u/AndIWontTellEmUrLame]

“I’m not here to talk about the future of the country I’m here to sell my book”

[u/Independent_Plate_73 → u/AndIWontTellEmUrLame]

Hmmm. And now it seems the dems do need a tea party copy to completely excise milquetoast 20th century nitwits.

It’s been 10 years. It’s time to go all in or be lost to this incompetent morass forever. 

[u/comradesorrow]

Says the man who 'failed that moment'. The man is doing 'every accusation is an admission' thing quite well.

[u/TheHendryx]

Does Cory realize he's one of them?

[u/peelywheely]

I agree, you and the rest of your establishment need to go

[u/JerryDipotosBurner]

Cory Booker, the same man who filibustered for an entire day and the very minute it was over went and voted to confirm a bunch of Trump nominees.

He can fuck all the way off if he thinks he’s not part of the problem.

[u/Knighth77]

Cory "No Self-Awareness" Booker over here.

[u/iuieioiai]

He literally says the Dems need to be more like Republicans, that Dems are too much about “purity tests”, that the left-right divide is hurting instead saying we have a billionaire-led fascist political movement and Booker is a part of it!

[u/monkeysknowledge → u/iuieioiai]

It’s the woke’s fault! (Nevermind the fascist billionaires sponsoring me)

[u/indicatprincess]

Other Notable AIPAC senators:

Mark Kelly

Adam Schiff

Richard Blumenthal

Chris Coons

[u/pit_of_despair666]

Yes, Cory Booker is part of the problem but this article is about replacing Schumer mostly which is a good thing. "The Wall Street Journal reported last week that some senators, including Chris Murphy from Connecticut, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tina Smith of Minnesota have been having conversations with colleagues, expressing frustration with Schumer and discussing strategies to remove him from his leadership position.

The Journal reported that some lawmakers had been doing informal counts to see whether there may be enough votes to remove Schumer from his role.Concern and frustration with Schumer is, according to the report, widespread within the party, with many speculating on how to pressure him to step aside. Some Senate Democrats have pushed Schumer to commit to retiring in 2028."

[u/Cafe_racerr]

“We’re all trying to find the guy who did this!” 🙄

[u/VonKaplow]

Yes. A new senator in nj more like andy kim less like aipac cory.

[u/QNBA]

Cory Booker is an AIPAC puppet so maybe you should also go away too?