Newark mayor Booker lauds local Democrats at fundraiser

By WILLIAM MARCH | The Tampa Tribune
Published: September 23, 2012 Updated: September 23, 2012 - 12:00 AM

TAMPA --

Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker, one of the top young rising stars in the national Democratic Party, stirred up the crowd at a Hillsborough County Democrats' fundraising dinner Saturday, telling those attending that Tampa is "perhaps one of the most critical cities in America, in perhaps the most important election in generations."

Known for packing humor into eloquent political speeches, Booker joked about Florida's reputation as a swing state, New Jersey's strong Democratic leaning and even Virginia's state motto.

" 'Virginia is for lovers.' Pshaw," he said. "In New Jersey we invented the drive-in theater. There was a whole lotta of loving going on. My mom told me, you were conceived in the heat of the night ? with Sidney Poitier."

His speech focused on the need for national unity and the problems political divisiveness is causing.

He told a story about rushing frantically to make a airline flight, getting a first-class seat by luck, and then finding out he was on the wrong plane, and said Republicans are "trying to talk about our country being first-class, but they want to steer us in the wrong direction.

"They want to talk about the people at the front of the plane, but they forget that where-ver this plane is going, we're all going there together."

Hillsborough County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Smith said the dinner drew about 400 people and raised about $50,000.

That's a better than usual for the local Democratic Party, which hasn't kept up with the local GOP for years in membership and influence.

"I've been saying for two years we're turning this party around, and this proves it," Smith said.

Booker's visit is an indication of the importance of Hillsborough County in the presidential race. He's a friend of President Barack Obama and one of the campaign's top "surrogates," or stand-in representatives for the candidate.

He won his office in 2006 and is widely considered to have made progress against Newark's problems with crime and poverty.

He boosted his national reputation with speeches to delegations and interest groups including the Florida delegation at the Democratic National Convention.

He's considered likely to run for governor against an equally prominent Republican rising star, Gov. Chris Christie, in 2016.

Arriving in Tampa from a campaign trip to San Antonio, Booker spent the afternoon visiting with Obama campaign workers before speaking to the fundraising dinner.

Florida "is the pivot point for the entire United States of America," he told about a dozen voter registration volunteers gathered at the East Tampa home of social worker Yvette Rivera.

"Everywhere I go now, people understand that if we win Florida, we secure election for our president."

In an interview with The Tampa Tribune, Booker said traveling the country to get Obama re-elected will be his main job from now until the election.

Until Election Day, he said, "I think I'm going to be out of the state of New Jersey more than I'm in it."

Booker didn't want to talk about a possible race against Christie, but didn't discourage speculation.

Asked about the possibility, he said, "It's something we're going to focus on after this election."

But asked about enthusiasm among Obama supporters, he couldn't help reflecting on 2016.

He called Obama's Florida grass-roots organization, "one of the most impressive political organizations I've seen on the ground here ? the energy and intensity among volunteers, among campaign workers."

Then he added, "What I'd like to do is, should I run for another office, and I'm not saying that, is take the entire Florida organization and move that to New Jersey to help out."

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