Cory Booker Delivers Winning Performance at Last Night’s First Democratic Debate
Cory Addressed Key Issues, Was Most Searched About Candidate of the Night
Newark, NJ – Last night, Cory delivered a strong, winning performance at the first Democratic primary debate. As coverage and reviews of the debate come in, it’s clear: Cory won the debate and inspired Democrats across the country by standing out on answer after answer.
Read excerpts of the coverage below:
Vox: Cory Booker showed he can be a contender
Booker’s advantage was in style and delivery — he’s a good speaker who can command attention, weave in personal anecdotes, and combine outrage-inducing and inspiring rhetoric.
“I live in a low-income black and brown community and see every day this economy is not working for average Americans,” he said in his first answer. “I think I’m the only one, I hope I am, that had seven people shot in their neighborhood just last week,” he said later to a gun control question.
Booker spoke compellingly on a range of issues without getting lost in policy wonk weeds. He spoke about Immigration and Customs Enforcement “ripping” away families from children, and said that too many health care companies are “profiteering off of the pain of people in America.” But he also offered a positive message in his closing statement, saying he would beat President Trump “by calling this country to a sense of common purpose again.”
Google Trends — which tracks, in real time, what people are searching for — showed that he got the biggest and most frequent spikes in interest of the major candidates onstage. Again and again, when Booker started talking, a lot of people Googled him.
FiveThirtyEight: What Went Down On Night One Of The First Democratic Debates
Here are my final thoughts in terms of Booker’s performance: He definitely had a strong night. He spoke the most of anyone on the stage (and seemed to get a lot of google searches) and conveyed, I think, the kind of calm competence that is core to his brand. His closing statement told the same story that his presidential announcement did, about being given the opportunity to live in the neighborhood in which he grew up because of the work of activists fighting housing discrimination against black families. Will be very interested to see what kind of poll bump he might get for this.
Politico: Who won the debate?
Booker spoke for nearly 11 minutes, more than any other candidate. He was a key part of nearly every issue debate. He was one of three candidates to give part of an answer in Spanish.
He also gave impassioned answers on immigration, race and gun violence, referencing a man he knew who was shot and killed in his neighborhood last year.
“It is time we have bold actions and a bold agenda,” Booker said, touting his plan to strengthen gun control laws. “I will get that done as president of the United States because this is not about policy. This is personal.”
Wall Street Journal: Doug Thornell: “Booker needed a breakout moment and he got it.”
“The night’s big winners were Senators Booker and Warren,” said Democratic strategist Doug Thornell. “Booker needed a breakout moment and he got it. He demonstrated deep policy acumen, passion, and made a very effective appeal to black and brown communities. He brought his A-game.”
Politico: 7 big takeaways from the first Democratic debate
Booker shines
Cory Booker’s team has long promised the New Jersey senator would shine on the debate stage as a gifted speaker and storyteller. He did.
At 10 minutes and 50 seconds, Booker notched more speaking time than any other candidate on that crowded stage. And according to a chart published by Google, Booker saw the most search traffic during the debates. Overall, his performance struck a balance of introducing himself to a broader audience and leaning into race issues, while detailing his policies, including on guns.
“If you need a license to drive a car, you should need a license to buy and own a firearm,” Booker said to big applause.
Booker needed a breakout in this debate. Since entering the race on Feb. 1, he’s failed to break from single digits in polling, even after pouring resources into early state organization and rolling out a series of policy proposals. Before Wednesday, Booker’s biggest moment came last week in a tangle with Joe Biden over comments the former vice president made about segregationist senators.
CBS News: New Hampshire voters impressed by Cory Booker and Julián Castro on first debate night
At a watch party in West Ossipee, New Hampshire, voters were impressed by Cory Booker and Julián Castro's performance on the first Democratic debate night. Nicole Sganga reports on the takeaways -- and how voters are reacting to the overwhelming amount of candidates.
MTV News: Cory Booker Fought For Black Trans Women At The Democratic Debates
As Pride Month nears its conclusion, Booker was unequivocal in his support of LGBTQ+ Americans, citing the prevailing fear among LGBTQ+ children to simply attend their schools, and ongoing violence against the trans community: “We do not talk enough about trans Americans, especially African-American trans Americans and the incredibly high rates of murder right now,” he said.
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But Booker, who was the most vocal candidate of the entire evening, was alone in using his platform to highlight this issue in front of a national audience. His support didn’t go unnoticed by members and prominent advocates from the LGBTQ+ community, either.
Booker’s advocacy arrives at a crucial juncture for LGBTQ+ rights in America. In May, the Trump administration proposed a new regulation to exclude “gender identity” from protections against healthcare discrimination, a similar proposal from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that would leave the community more vulnerable to homelessness, and took an avowed stance against the Equality Act, a bill designed to prevent discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.
WHDH Boston: “Senator Cory Booker, another one of the winners tonight. He had a strong night.”
WMUR Manchester: Booker “helped himself a good bit. He really shows his onstage presence and political skills.”
New Hampshire Union Leader: “Cory Booker at his sharpest, most passionate tonight talking about gun violence in his Newark, N.J. neighborhood and author of one of the most ambitious gun control plans in this race.”
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