Newark Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Cory Booker (D) has a reputation for being more of a figurehead who likes to talk about problem solving, rather than actually being a problem-solver. A December New York Times profile didn't help that image.

And a new one in the Washington Post won't help either.

There are generally two paths for first-term celebrity senators. One is avoiding the aura of showboating by keeping his or her head down, such as Hillary Clinton, Al Franken and Elizabeth Warren. The alternative route — especially in a paralyzed chamber — is to seek immediate impact through speeches and agitation, if not by passing legislation. ...

Booker, who left D.C. as an infant for a wealthy Jersey suburb, says he is going to call attention to the plight of the District’s dis­advantaged by living in a part of Washington “consistent with the choices of my lifetime” (read Anacostia). This will all focus media attention on Booker and his cause, but it’s not obvious how any of this translates to the Senate.

For those unfamiliar, Anacostia is a poverty-stricken region in Washington, D.C.

@eScarry