Cory Booker preparing to end presidential bid? Looks like it (Analysis)

The clock is ticking on Cory Booker's struggling presidential campaign, and there are indications the New Jersey U.S. senator is preparing to exit the race.

Update: Shortly after this piece was published, Cory Booker announced he was in fact dropping out of the presidential race. 

Booker's withdrawal seems inevitable considering his struggles to raise both his profile and money. Booker has sought to separate himself from the crowded presidential field by sounding a more temperate tone, but that has failed to translate into support in early polling states like Iowa and New Hampshire. The latest Monmouth University poll showed Booker at just 1% in New Hampshire. While he has done a bit better in Iowa, an average of 3%, Booker has now failed to qualify for the two latest debates.

Last week, Booker told the Associated Press “If our pathway to victory ever closes off, I’m not staying in." Booker then indicated his senatorial duties will keep him off the campaign trail in Iowa over the next several weeks. (The U.S. Senate is finalizing procedures for President Trump's impeachment trial.)

While no date for a formal announcement has been set, Booker's public statements show a candidate that is preparing his supporters for a gracious withdrawal from a campaign that failed to gain much traction.

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