A new issue has been raised about Newark Mayor Cory Booker, the emerging Democratic Party star running to be senator of New Jersey: his sexuality. And who will benefit from the resulting reaction? Booker.
The catalyst was a profile in The Washington Post, in which it was noted how he keeps his life private. Booker made this statement:
“Because how unfair is it to a young lady to put them in the spotlight if they haven’t signed up for that yet?” he says. “And people who think I’m gay, some part of me thinks it’s wonderful. Because I want to challenge people on their homophobia. I love seeing on Twitter when someone says I’m gay, and I say, ‘So what does it matter if I am? So be it. I hope you are not voting for me because you are making the presumption that I’m straight.” [The Washington Post]
Could it have been a clever trick to flesh out his opponent? Most likely not. But controversial businessman and former Bogata, N.J., Mayor Steve Lonegan made himself the story when he appeared to declare that he, Lonegan, was the sole alpha male in the race. From an interview with Newsmax:
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.