Frank Luntz Praises Cory Booker’s 25-Hour Speech: ‘May Have Changed the Course of Political History’

LUNTZ: “They’re going crazy right now, and they’re going crazy because they don’t see leadership in their own party. And I want to emphasize, what Cory Booker did over the last 24 hours may have changed the course of political history. I watched a lot of it. I listened to words, I listened to phrases, how he presents himself. Did he criticize Donald Trump? Of course he did. But he struck the kind of tone that grassroots Democrats are looking for. He gave them a reason to fight. He gave them a reason to stand up and say, ‘This is my country, too.’ Of course, every Republican watching will say, ‘This is nonsense.’ But he’s not speaking just to Republicans, he’s speaking to Americans. And what I saw over the last 25 hours absolutely blew me away. And just as you sometimes make projections or predictions, I’m going to do one right here. That speech puts Cory Booker as one of the leaders for the Democratic Party —”
VITTERT: “Wow!”
LUNTZ: “— in 2028 and I’ll go even further. If you ask Democratic senators right now, who’d they rather have lead them over the next three years, they would choose Cory Booker over Chuck Schumer. That’s how significant today was.”
VITTERT: “I say this with respect, and this is your Twitter poll, your ex-poll, Booker topping Schumer for Democratic Senate leader. Wouldn’t my dog beat Chuck Schumer in terms of who Democrats would like to lead them in the Senate?”
LUNTZ: “OK, I’m not going to insult your dog. I don’t know what breed it is.”
VITTERT: “He’s a very cute black Labrador named Dutch. I mean, come on. It’s hard to compete with him.”
LUNTZ: “OK, then, then. But Chuck Schumer is not saying what Democrats want to hear. He’s not communicating. He’s not giving them an alternative. Chuck Schumer was based in the politics of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s. He was damn good 30 years ago, but he’s not connecting to the Democrats of today.”