Page 4 - AT

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 14 January 2020

Booker ends presidential bid after polling, money struggles

By ALEXANDRA JAFFE On the stump, Booker em-
Associated Press phasized his Midwestern
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — connections — often ref-
Democrat Cory Booker erencing the nearly 80
dropped out of the presi- family members he has
dential race Monday, end- still living in Iowa when he
ing a campaign whose campaigned there — and
message of unity and love delivered an exhortation to
failed to resonate in a po- voters to use "radical love"
litical era marked by chaos to overcome what he con-
and anxiety. sidered Trump's hate. But
His departure now leaves he rarely drew a contrast
a field that was once the with his opponents on the
most diverse in history with trail, even when asked di-
just one remaining African rectly, and even some of
American candidate, for- Booker's supporters wor-
mer Massachusetts Gov. ried his message on Trump
Deval Patrick, who is strug- wasn't sharp enough to go
gling to register in the polls up against a Republican
amid a late entry into the president known for drag-
race. ging his opponents into the
Since launching his cam- mud.
paign last February, Book- Booker struggled to land
er, a U.S. senator from New In this Jan. 9, 2020 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaks on a message that would
Jersey, struggled to raise with attendees after a campaign event in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Associated Press resonate with voters. He's
the type of money required long been seen as a pro-
to support a White House ingful than just being one a candidate in the primary. dent Joe Biden has built a gressive Democrat in the
bid. He was at the back of less option to consider. It's a humbling finish for strong base of support with Senate, pushing for crimi-
the pack in most surveys "It means that we don't someone who was once black voters. And Booker's nal justice reform and mari-
and failed to meet the poll- count," said Helen Moore, lauded by Oprah Winfrey message of hope and love juana legalization. And on
ing requirements needed a member of the Detroit- as the "rock star mayor" seemed to fall flat dur- the campaign trail, he pro-
to participate in Tuesday's based Keep the Vote-No who helped lead the re- ing an era characterized posed establishing a $1,000
debate. Booker also missed Takeover grassroots organi- newal of Newark, New perhaps most strongly by savings account for every
last month's debate and zation. "Now, we can't look Jersey. During his seven Democratic fury over the child born in the U.S. to
exits the race polling in forward to any black can- years in City Hall, Booker actions of the Trump ad- help close the racial wealth
low single digits in the early didate being considered was known for his head- ministration. gap.
primary states and nation- from now until it's time to line-grabbing feats of local An early focus on building He was among the first
wide. vote. They are completely do-goodery, including run- out a strong and seasoned candidates to release a
In an email to supporters, out of the picture." ning into a burning build- campaign operation in gun control plan, and at
Booker said that he "got Booker had warned that ing to save a woman, and Iowa and South Carolina the time it was the most
into this race to win" and the looming impeachment his early fluency with social may have hampered his ambitious in the field, as it
that his failure to make the trial of President Donald media, which brought him campaign in the long run, included a gun licensing
debates prevented him Trump would deal a "big, 1.4 million followers on Twit- as the resources he spent program that would have
from raising raise the mon- big blow" to his campaign ter when the platform was early on staff there left him been seen as political sui-
ey required for victory. by pulling him away from little used in politics. His rhe- working with a tight bud- cide just a decade before.
"Our campaign has Iowa in the final weeks be- torical skills and Ivy League get in the later stages of He also released an early
reached the point where fore the Feb. 3 Iowa cau- background often brought the primary, when many of criminal justice reform plan
we need more money to cuses. He hinted at the comparisons to President his opponents were going that focused heavily on ad-
scale up and continue challenges facing his cam- Barack Obama, and he'd on air with television ads. dressing sentencing dispari-
building a campaign that paign last week in an in- been discussed as a poten- That meant that even later ties for drug crimes.
can win -- money we don't terview on The Associated tial presidential contender in the campaign, after he But he also sought to frame
have, and money that is Press' "Ground Game" pod- since his arrival in the Sen- had collected some of the himself as an uplifting, uni-
harder to raise because I cast. ate in 2013. top endorsements in Iowa fying figure who empha-
won't be on the next de- In his email to supporters, Now, Massachusetts Sen. and visited South Carolina sized his bipartisan work
bate stage and because Booker pledged to do "ev- Elizabeth Warren has mas- almost more than any oth- record. That didn't land in
the urgent business of im- erything in my power to tered the art of the selfie on er candidate, a significant a Democratic primary that
peachment will rightly be elect the eventual Demo- social media. Another for- portion of the electorate in has often rewarded candi-
keeping me in Washing- cratic nominee for presi- mer mayor, Pete Buttigieg both states either said they dates who promised voters
ton," he said. dent," though his cam- of South Bend, Indiana, is were unfamiliar with his they were tough-minded
For African Americans, paign says he has no im- seen as the freshest face in campaign or viewed him fighters who could take on
Booker's exit is more mean- mediate plans to endorse the field. Former Vice Presi- unfavorably. Trump.q