Cory Booker and Food Stamps

Cory Booker is the mayor of Newark and has challenged one of those right wing types that think people on public assistance are living a life of luxury to exist for one week on food stamps and he’ll do the same.

I suspect the challenged will disappear into the ether but Cory will have made his point.

Booker may well be the reason why Chris Christie will forgo running for re-election as governor of New Jersey to focus on the Republican nomination for president in 2016. Why you ask? Because Christie may have a better chance of getting the Republican nomination than he has of beating Booker.

Unless there are some really nasty skeletons in Booker’s closet that we don’t know about, the 43 year-old will be governor in 2013 or 2017 and a major player in the Democratic Party for president probably in 2024. He might make an interesting vice presidential candidate in 2016.

Of course I’m assuming Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic Party presidential nominee in 2016. I have no idea what the Republicans are going to do in 2016.

I figure the short list at the moment consists of Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindel, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum.

Rubio would be attractive because of his Hispanic background and because he’s from Florida. The problem is his experience is questionable. Then again, so was Barack Obama’s. If Rubio was smart he’d consider bolting the Republican Party and become a Democrat.

Perry is governor of a large safely Red state and has solid conservative credentials. He just can’t seem to avoid sticking both feet in his mouth at every opportunity.

Christie is Christie and can appeal to a broad base. I’d never count him out but he can be abrasive and that could grow old in a long campaign.

I think Jindel runs into trouble fast because (1) the economy in Louisiana sucks and (2) his school voucher program is going to come under all sorts of fire that will turn off independents.

As for Santorum, the Republican elite is simply not that stupid.

Of course four years is a long time so who knows what may happen on both sides of the aisle.