Cory Booker's campaign is hoping Iowa will turn him into a serious contender
Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is still behind in the Democratic presidential primary polls, but he might just be on the upswing — in Iowa, at least.
One Iowa political operative praised Booker's campaign to Vanity Fair, regaling with a tale about a Booker field organizer who convinced an apolitical woman over coffee to vote for the senator. Another Iowa strategist gushed about how Booker sent birthday wishes to the children of "behind-the-scenes political figures" in the state. "Early on I was not a Booker fan, and I will say that my position has totally changed," the operative said. "Booker really understands the issues in a way that a lot of candidates don't."
A Booker insider agrees, telling Vanity Fair "when you're at the state fair in Iowa, people are not coming up to Cory and asking him about Russia. They're asking about jobs."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That's all well and good, but the question remains if any of Booker's charm will lead to more noticeable gains in the polls (he has, in fact, secured some key endorsements from Iowa political activists. As things stand, Vanity Fair reports his team is still holding out hope that he can navigate the same waters former President Barack Obama did in 2008, when he used a strong showing in Iowa to prove that he was a legitimate contender. Read more at Vanity Fair.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
'Republicans want to silence Israel's opponents'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 19, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - priority delivery, USPS on fire, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published