up in canada, we recently had a prime minister named stephen harper that the media often claimed was usually the smartest person in the room - a claim that seems laughable, until you realize that mr. harper is a pretty partisan guy.

i get the impression that cory booker is usually the smartest guy in the room, and he stood out, to me, for that reason.

but i just didn't like his politics that much. his health care position was particularly weak.

but, if his path was identity, i think it's clear enough that this didn't actually add up, in the end. obama was an insider, but he could sound like a normal black man. booker had a disconnect...