Cory Booker makes a forceful debut with Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail in Iowa Washington Post

The 46-year-old lawmaker -- a rising star in his party, and a possible vice presidential pick for Hillary Clinton -- made his campaign trail debut with the former secretary of state in Iowa on Sunday.

As he spoke, it became clear that his remarks were less an introduction and more a homily, with more than a little biography thrown in. He was at times quiet and reflective, and at other times bellowing at the top of his lungs, leaving the crowd cheering, applauding and shouting in agreement.

"I don’t know about you, but I think we just heard a great sermon," Clinton said when some 15 minutes had passed and she was handed the microphone.

The four policy reasons why I support Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primary Medium

We have to start with the simple fact that Clinton’s policy agenda is both progressive and aggressive. Some may want her to be even more progressive — a point I will get to in a moment — but don’t for one second allow yourself to believe that there isn’t a giant chasm between what Clinton wants to do and what even the most “moderate” Republican candidate for president wants to do. Clinton wants to raise the federal minimum wage to its highest level in fifty years. Most Republicans want to keep the minimum wage stuck at $7.25, or even scrap it entirely. Clinton wants to close tax loopholes that benefit the very rich and ask the wealthy to pay more into Social Security, whereas it is an article of faith among the GOP that taxes on the rich must always always always go down. Clinton wants to get rid of the Hyde Amendment, while the GOP wants to get rid of Planned Parenthood. If you hear someone say that there’s not enough difference between Clinton and the Republicans, turn and run as fast as you can lest you get some of their stupid on you.

But being way way better than the Republicans is A) not a high bar, and B) not enough to earn my support, especially since every Democratic candidate more than meets this basic standard. Instead, I think Clinton’s policy agenda is superior to Sanders’s for four main reasons:

Clinton’s agenda pushes the boundaries of the possible, making measurable change more likely.
Clinton’s proposals do a far better job of confronting trade-offs and setting priorities.
Clinton’s policies are rooted in evidence and data, even when the more popular position might have been otherwise.
Clinton’s ideas are based on building and improving, ensuring that risks to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged are minimized.