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1 1 of 9 1/2/ :55 AM ( /re/advance%2crutgers_9_leaderboard%2cc%3drutgers62_nj_ros_lead_03%2cp%3dnj%2ca%3d / /0/tc%2Cac%2Cc%3Aleaderboard/ /SEGetGroupList?groupCode=RF&linkID=rutgers&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode) IN YOUR COMMUNITY: JOBS AUTOS REAL ESTATE RENTALS CLASSIFIEDS OBITUARIES FIND N SAVE PLACE AN AD LOCAL BUSINESSES Search 5-day Satellite N.J. NEWS LOCAL NEWS N.J. POLITICS SPORTS H.S. SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT Sign in Join e ( By Times of Trenton guest opinion column ( on December 27, 2012 at 8:37 AM, updated December 27, 2012 at 8:44 AM Print ( /opinion_for_newark_mayor_cory.html) By Carl Golden There was more suspense in waiting for LeBron James to announce he intended to flee Cleveland and take his jump shot to Miami than was found in the decision of Newark Mayor Cory Booker to forego a run for governor next year and seek a U.S. Senate seat the following year. While reluctant to acknowledge it publicly, the wiser and more cynical heads in the political cognoscenti knew Booker would not risk a challenge to Gov. Chris Christie, fearing a loss would damage his brand and stunt his future. Enlarge /cory_booker_informs_democratic_4.html) Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger ( Newark Mayor Cory Booker places calls from his campaign headquarters to Democratic party members to inform them he is going to run for U.S. Senate in 2014 and not challenge Gov. Chris Christie in next year's gubernatorial race. (Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger). Cory Booker informs Democratic party members his plans to run for U.S. Senate in 2014 ( /cory_booker_informs_democratic_party_members_his_plans_to_run_for_us_senate_in_2014 /index.html) gallery (6 photos) /cory_booker_informs_democratic_5.html) Sponsored By: /ads/click_lx.ads/ww /L24/ /S /MassageEnvy06_N / f303630

2 2 of 9 1/2/ :55 AM Booker played the media like a fine violin and contributed to the hype at every opportunity. That s what ambitious politicians who ve become the center of media attention do. The will he or won t he speculation is political catnip for folks like Booker and, aside from irritating party contemporaries, it s essentially harmless. /cory_booker_informs_democratic_3.html) /cory_booker_informs_democratic_2.html) /cory_booker_informs_democratic_1.html) /cory_booker_informs_democratic.html) The risk was simply too great for Booker. While he would have been the most formidable candidate in a party primary, he would still have had to raise significant cash not only to win but to demonstrate he had the ability to do so. Then, within a few months, significantly more cash would have been necessary to mount an effective campaign against Christie. And, if Booker really lusted after a Senate seat, a loss to Christie would have meant that, less than a year later, he would have had to raise even more millions to compete for the Senate. It was not an appealing scenario, so he took a pass. In doing so, he offered the opinion that Senate President Steve Sweeney of Gloucester County would be the strongest candidate. Sweeney, who has expressed interest in running, graciously acknowledged the mayor s quasi-endorsement but allowed as how he would decide his future for himself. It s not all about money, of course; the political dynamic was not in Booker s favor. Party powers such as South Jersey leader George Norcross, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and Newark sachem Steve Adubato Sr. all are close to Christie and were not pleased at the prospect of damaging their power-sharing accommodation by going all-out for a Booker candidacy. Indeed, within minutes of the mayor s statement, DiVincenzo announced his support for a Booker challenge to Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Presumably, Adubato and Norcross share his enthusiasm, particularly Norcross who, earlier this year, tore into Lautenberg after the senator expressed his opposition to a proposed merger of Rutgers and Rowan universities, a Norcross pet project. Lautenberg has hinted that he intends to seek re-election in 2014, despite reaching 90 by then, but a well-financed and well-organized Booker challenge could be more than he could handle. N.J. News Es Se St ( /index.html Fi Je ( /index.ssf?p SearchKeyw SearchRegi SearchCate SearchDate

3 3 of 9 1/2/ :55 AM There s speculation that the party hierarchy is considering presenting a stark choice to the senator: Retire gracefully and go out a winner or face the indignity of being kicked to the curb by his own party. For Booker, the decision wasn t difficult. He didn t wrestle with his conscience. He didn t wake up at 3 a.m. in a cold sweat of indecision. He knew he d be the odds-on favorite in a run for the Senate, but for governor, not so much. A primary contest for the Senate nomination remains a possibility, but the party would almost certainly coalesce around Booker. As for Rep. Frank Pallone of Monmouth County, who s waited patiently for Lautenberg to retire and clear the way for him, he s destined to be a bridesmaid yet again. Republicans, who haven t won a Senate election since 1972, face a grim Its bench is sparse and no Republican in the state s congressional delegation, for example, has expressed any interest in trying to reverse 40 years of futility. Booker s decision leaves the Democratic Party in something of a muddle as it goes about settling on a candidate to oppose Christie. Even though the governor s job approval rating soared into the uncharted territory in excess of 70 percent, it will decline as issues of governance such as the state s onerous property-tax burden become prominent next year. He is, though, in as commanding a position going into his re-election year as Tom Kean was in 1985, when his landslide established a record 750,000 vote plurality and 70 percent of the ballots cast. Middlesex County state Sen. Barbara Buono is the only announced Democratic candidate, but the prospect of her upending Christie is bleak. Next to Sweeney, the most mentioned potential candidate is Essex County senator and former acting Gov. Richard Codey although he s highly unpopular with the Norcross- DiVincenzo-Adubato troika. Se bu ( /NJ-New-B Most Comme 'Outing' gu 194 ( /njv_editorial_ /outing_gu /outing_gun_o Will Hillary 82 her front-ru ( ( /njv_editorial_ /will_hillary /will_hillary_c N.J. should 79 cuts in 201 ( ( /politics /nj_should_ /index.ssf One N.J. re /nj_should_pr 77 favor of fis ( /news/index.ss /one_nj_re /2013/01 /one_nj_repre Secaucus r 77 Stack chok ( ( /hudson /union_city /index.ssf /2013/01 See more /union_city_m The second tier includes Camden County Assemblyman and Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, Pallone and Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage. As for Booker, if he truly wants to be governor, he can win a Senate seat, wait until the 2017 gubernatorial election, keep his post in Washington, and run for the open seat in Trenton. That is, after all, what the last Democratic governor did. Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

4 4 of 9 1/2/ :55 AM The Times of Trenton Like 6,994 Tweet 6 Like 26 0 Foursquare /essex/index.ssf /newark_central_ward_recall_sha.html) Newark party chairman threatens recall of Councilman Darrin Sharif /essex/index.ssf /newark_central_ward_recall_sha.html) /politics/index.ssf /sen_lautenberg_misses_votes_be.html) Sen. Lautenberg misses votes because of illness /politics/index.ssf /sen_lautenberg_misses_votes_be.html) Add Your Comment Sign in with your nj.com or Facebook account ( Type your comment here... POST

5 5 of 9 1/2/ :55 AM Sort By: Most Recent Pause Live Updates» CSchoonmaker ( /index.html) Cory Booker's dictatorial tendencies would be very unhealthy for NJ if he were governor, but his assertive, combative personality could be very useful in a Senate dominated by castrati. 2 Days Ago ( /opinion_for_newark_mayor_cory.html/post/ / html) ipayupay ( I believed in Cory to run against tthe liar CC. He just lost all my faith like the rest going for a sure thing as long as he gets his scew anyone else. 5 Days Ago ( / html) v232us ( Why Booker believes he is heir apparent to any elected office is beyond me. He is a failure as Mayor, a total ego maniac, without substance. Anyone that would offer up Steve Sweeney (an incompetent flunky of Nocross) as a viable alternative to Christie is delusional. 5 Days Ago ( / html)

6 6 of 9 1/2/ :55 AM Gary ( The meds loves to be played by he Dems. Suck ups they are. 5 Days Ago ( / html) corybookerforsenate ( /user/corybookerforsenate/index.html) Lets send this guy to Washington.He will be the best voice New Jersey could ever ask for. 5 Days Ago ( / html) CSchoonmaker ( /user/cschoonmaker/index.html) How DARE you put in a phony URL that redirects to a Ron Paul for President website? I have flagged your contemptible post. 2 Days Ago ( /opinion_for_newark_mayor_cory.html/post/ / html) fredp0444 ( (http ://co nnect.nj.co m /user /fred p044 Cory Booker is a figment of the liberal media's imagination. Seems like we've already gone down that road with a black man with very few accomplishments in elected office, but very presentable in the media. Will we ever learn? ( and ( like this.

7 7 of 9 1/2/ :55 AM 4 /inde 6 Days Ago ( / html) mickeg ( /index.html) Cory Booker is a legend in his own mind with modern technology such as twitter and YouTube to foster his carreer. Nothing he has done as mayor of Newark could propel him further politically. What amazes me is how he is able to don a cape and appear as if by magic when duty calls. 5 Days Ago ( / html) CSchoonmaker ( /user/cschoonmaker/index.html) Oh? What black man with very few accomplishments are you referring to? Sharpe James? Or is that another odious attack upon the President. Listen: you LOST. Go away and be quiet. We don't want to hear any more of the anti-obama CRAP we suffered thru for four years and REPUDIATED. 2 Days Ago ( /opinion_for_newark_mayor_cory.html/post/ / html) /news/index.ssf /2013/01 /politics/index.ssf /2013/01

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