Poll: Should Hillary Clinton choose Cory Booker for vice president?

WASHINGTON -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is about to become the first woman nominated for president by a major U.S. political party.

Whether she goes to win the White House may depend on whether she can energize the same coalition that propelled another Democratic trailblazer, Barack Obama, who in 2008 became the first black elected president.

Clinton's pick for vice president could be crucial to turning out African-Americans, who voted in record numbers for Obama, as well as attracting the young voters and progressives responsible for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' unexpectedly strong performance in the Democratic primaries.

That's where U.S. Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey could help. The first black elected to the Senate from New Jersey, he has huge presence on social media, is two decades younger than Clinton, and is a regular guest at progressive gatherings.

Arguing against him are the same financial ties to Wall Street as Clinton, which Sanders pummeled during the campaign.

Booker, who ran in two elections, a 2013 special and a 2014 general, raised $2 million from employees in the securities and investment industry, more than any other congressional candidate during that two-year period, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group.

Five of his top 10 sources of donations were employees of investment firms.

Still, Booker joined President Barack Obama and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a darling of the Democrats' liberal wing, in pushing for rules preventing financial managers from recommending investments unsuitable for retirees.

And he and Warren were among the speakers at a conference held by the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

And while Booker endorsed Obama when he ran in 2008, he backed Clinton early this time and has campaigned around the country for her.

What do you think? Should Clinton pick Booker as her running mate? Vote in our informal, unscientific poll.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook

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