>> Major funding for Chat Box with David Cruz is provided by NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Promotional support is provided by insider NJ, a political intelligence network dedicated to New Jersey political news.

Insider NJ is committed to giving serious political players an interactive forum for ideas, discussion, and insight online at insidernj.com.

♪ David:, hi, everybody.

Welcome to Chat Box.

We are joined by a live audience in studio, as you can hear.

And we are going to have live music and just a little bit, but let's begin today with our first guests, the first and so only female governor of the state of New Jersey, former EPA Administrator.

It most recently she cofounded the Florida party which former presidential candidate Andrew Yang and others.

Good to see you.

>> Good to see you again, David.

[APPLAUSE] David: so we talk to people in advance of this, and we have got a split verdict on whether this is the worst time or the best time to start a new party.

You I imagine figure it is the best time, yes?

>> Wen Yu 50% of the American people or more who are registered independent they are telling you a pox on both of the houses.

Every poll will tell you they think Congress is in the tank.

It what we want to do is get government back to responding to the people they are supposed to serve, and that is why we are working with the way we are working starting at the ground level.

We are not playing at the presidential at all, and we are not a typical party.

When people hear party they think there is going to be a platform.

Where do you stand on climate change?

Ready to you stand on handguns?

We are a party of principals at the top level, the federal level.

Our principles are pretty simple , respect for the rule of law, uphold the Constitution, be willing to work with one another, and work to change the way we choose our elective dishes -- officials.

Which means rate voting and open primaries.

David: what you said is what anybody would say, specs for another, we have all got to get along.

What makes Forward different from that?

How we you attract people to this party?

>> We already are, at the idea of finally getting candidates who will respond to you care about is an enormously attractive.

That we are in every state in the nation.

We have tens of thousands of people who are active volunteers, hundreds working in each day to get us on the ballot.

We want to be on the ballot, what we do not have to have a candidate in every office.

There are 500,000 plus elected offices across the country, and in any given year 70% of those are uncontested, and what we are doing by starting at the grassroots level and saying to people, your school board is important, library commission is important, Mayor and Council, people can relate to that.

The federal level is too big, way out there.

What we are focused on is the local level, and we will also support a Republican, Democrat, or independent if they agree with us, and the primary thing to say, anyone who will stand up and say I do not support the Constitution, I do not believe in the rule of law.

Even the most extreme might have a problem with that.

When you say we want to open the primary process so that if you have seven candidates for governor, you can evoke for all of them, no matter what party they represent.

You just make your choice, rank your choices create this is number 1, number 2, number 3.

The beauty of that and where we have seen it played out is you do not have the nastiness in the campaigns, because everybody wants to at least be everybody's number 2.

That is the best example to me is Mary Patola, a Democrat running in a very Republican state again Sarah Palin, and that she would be in parades and she would see a Palin sign and say great choice, make me number 2.

If 70 gets 50 point 1%, it is off and you do not have any problem.

Enough of her number two votes and in a people work for Sarah, but she goes to Congress.

The two major parties hate open primaries and rank-choice voting.

In Nevada, last cycle, they had a valiant -- ballot initiative, and both parties came out heavily against it, the Democratic Party spending a lot of money.

It passed by 50%.

This is about breaking the control of the two parties and giving you candidates who actually talk about your issues and talk to you, not just to their base.

You have to start at the local level and get candidates on the ballot, and every state is different, as you know.

It takes different requirements, but here because it is so difficult to get registered as a third party, it is easy to run as an independent, so that is what we are doing is looking at independent candidates.

David: so the presidential election is underway already.

This week we will have several people, including Mike Pence and Chris Christie saying they are going to run for president.

Donald Trump has already declared, and the clear front runner.

Is Chris Christie lab that antidote to Donald Trump?

Do you still identified as Republican?

>> Yes, because we are not a party yet.

I vote for sensible Republicans, ones of a great many changes.

David: Chris Christie, his whole strategy is to launch Donald Trump in the face because Donald Trump needs a punch in the face metaphorically speaking.

Is he the guy to do that?

>> He is good at being combative and standing up, and he could deliver the punch in the face, but I am not sure that is going to be enough, but you do not know.

We have a lot of candidates running and more will probably start announcing, and that is a good thing to have some choices out there against Donald Trump.

I think it would be a disaster for him to be president again.

David: I got 30 seconds.

I know you backed Joe Biden.

Is he too old to run again?

>> I wish you would not run.

I know he is very old, but you have to give this man credit.

There is been more bipartisan legislation passed since he has been president than any other administration and major bills, and he has helped native together, he kept people focused on the importance of Ukraine and what it means were democracy and around the world.

He does not get the credit he deserves, and he really does especially getting this financial crisis bind us for the next few years.

David: the presidential race has begun.

Christine, good to see you again.

We have been following our next guest for almost 20 years now, which is kind of hard to believe.

In that time we have added heads, hugged it out, and headed out and hugged it out again.

>> Is there a sense on your part you may have to leave office soon so you have got to put a bunch of stuff together or get a lot of stuff done before you leave?

>> No, next question.

>> Come over here.

>> You have never invited me to your house.

>> I will tell you to get off my stoop.

>> What do you call 100 rabbits and a line moving backwards.

A receding hairline.

[LAUGHTER] That is for Mr. Cruz.

>> I can bring some news tonight.

I do not know if you heard about Mariah Carey, her significant other about her this patch of land, this undeveloped patch of land, but she turned around very angrily and said I don't want a lot for Christmas.

>> Oh!.

>> Oh my God.

>> Is that part of the calculus of their in that bald pate?

[LAUGHTER] >> I used to have nightmares like this.

One day I would think I had gotten away from Cruz, I am running for president of the United States and he shows up.

>> He is still not good on the clock.

>> This hateful, contemptuous politics is the poison within that makes us vulnerable to our enemies without.

>> See, this is why nobody likes you.

It is a pleasure to welcome back Senator Cory Booker.

Good to see you.

>> I come back here against my will.

David: you and I have been battling for some time now.

27 years, you have been in this game now for 25 years.

Sen. Booker: June 9 is my anniversary for election to counsel.

[APPLAUSE] David: what is different about you or about politics now over this 25 years?

Sen. Booker: I have matured and grown.

Even in my book I admitted to my headstrongness and leaving everything is black and white there is good or bad.

I look back on my behavior and city Council, I am proud for things I stood up for and fought for, but my colleagues, everyone is a mountain range.

We all have peaks and valleys, and we need to be more forgiving, more understanding and work for more consensus.

That is something I learned over the years especially when I became mayor.

There is no Democratic or Republican a way to fix a pothole.

The thing I learned under fire then -- in fact, it was a New Jersey leader I still remember, the County executive pulling me aside and saying every ground is not a battleground.

Find common ground with everyone.

You are the mayor.

Your job is to bring people together.

That is probably some of the best advice I got.

David: this week, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Tim Scott recently declared for president of the United States.

I asked Christine Whitman, is Chris Christie the guy to temper Donald Trump's rhetoric?

Sen. Booker: the last thing I want to do is comment on the -- I do not understand the Republican side.

These are human beings, some of them I know.

I know Chris Christie, I consider him a friend.

Tim Scott, I consider him a friend.

Some of the other Republican players, I send Chris a note saying I am praying for you and your family.

There are very few people in the state who know how incredibly difficult it is to run for president, they had to be taking.

Whatever emerges on that side I hope is a voice that matches Joe Biden's desire to heal the soul of this nation, enough of us trying to destroy each other.

We are integrated, interwoven in a common destiny, and I am hoping this next presidential campaign we have a different kind of debate in America that calls us together and does not tear us apart.

David: is there no benefit to Democrats or Republicans to have a contentious primary?

Sen. Booker:, again, I do not think there is anything a Democrat can say that will affect what happens over there.

I am not looking to game or advantage of blood being spilled on that side of the aisle.

David: what is wrong with you?

Sen. Booker: this is not a glad to get her contest.

We have a phenomenal president who has a better record than any president getting things done in a bipartisan manner as the former governor just said.

I am not worried about their side.

We need to tell our story, and have Americans understand what this president is achieved on our economy going in the ditch to now producing more jobs, more job growth and we have seen for any president in the modern era, bipartisan bills, it investments in safety, science.

We as Democrats need to tell our story and not worry -- as I learned in track, do not look at what the other runners are doing.

Run your race.

David: you heard the other governor talk about how she voted for him last time but it he would not run now, and I know that you know a lot of Democrats are saying that as well.

He just fell the other day.

Every time he falls, I think of Nixon -- Gerald Ford.

He was an athletic guy.

Sen. Booker: I want to caution the studio audience.

to help him.

Let him struggle, let him suffer.

I know he is not 79 years old but his memory is shot.

David: let's not avoid the talk about your president.

Sen. Booker: your president too.

I have hung out with Joe Biden.

I am serious, the privilege of my lifetime rolling with him around this country, Air Force One, Marine One, in the Oval Office.

This guy is full of joy and full of energy.

If you hang out with this person, you see note to munition his faculties.

He has gone through Europe on a rigorous pace, uniting NATO, pulling together our alliances to be back on Russian aggression.

He has passed big bills.

Show me that dimunition of his abilities?

He seems to be stronger and stronger.

They will try to save the age thing, but the reality is different runners, Donald Trump is pretty much the same age as Joe Biden is.

Judging by what he is doing, what he is accomplishing right now, not by the speculation about whether his age are not.

He has produced more results by presidents that are much younger than him in the past, the most reductive presidency we have had in 30 years.

David: I always ask you when you come on what you were listening to and what you are reading.

Tell me the short one verse, what you are reading and tried to impress me with some musical choices?

Sen. Booker: I am reading a great book right now about Native Americans, the indigenous continent.

It is an amazing shift of perspective to what was going on here for many thousands of years ago until now.

It has expanded my understanding of the American continent, and I wish more people would read it.

David: music?

Sen. Booker: I cannot go jazz.

I just saw Bruce in New Jersey.

David: every New Jersey politician says Bruce.

Sen. Booker: my staff has given me Taylor Swift music to listen to.

David: the group is asking me to ask you to tell us a joke.

Sen. Booker: before we go to the joke, I will tell you one thing.

We have talked about it before, Alberta Hunter, this amazing story of a woman coming back in her 80's and at the peak of her career.

For those of you listeners who do not know Alberta Hunter, check her out on Spotify.

As far as a joke.

Listen, there is a Spanish magician who said I will make myself disappear on the count of three.

He disappeared without a tres.

David: Senator Cory Booker, folks.

[APPLAUSE] Uhh.

Good to see you, man.

We are going to head over now to the Agnes Taveras studio for special performance by a group of young people who represent the next generation of jazz grea ts.

♪ [jazz music plays] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [APPLAUSE] David: jazz house kids.

We are joined now by the president and founder of jazz house kids, Melissa Walker, and the artistic director of jazz house kids.

So, Christian McBride and Melissa Walker are married for 100 years now.

Does jazz house kids received you two being together?

>> By that much.

David: who's idea was this?

>> It was mine.

>> I was just a bass player.

>> Jazz house kids came about because of WBGO asking me to do a program for kids, so I decided to build a jazz house.

50,000 people, we would have a jazz house singing and swinging.

David: is it a school or just music lessons?

>> It is a lot of things, it is music, jazz every day of the year.

We are here to uplift this great American art form, so we provide access every day of the week, make sure music education is and are under resourced schools, and young people have what they need to play.

It is world-class training at the jazz house in Montclair and lower Manhattan thanks to a collaboration with Trinity Church Wall Street, but it is also about building pathways and helping young people advancing their career through career development.

And it is bringing that altogether for us and being an agent for supporting our social infrastructure through this music, and that is community building, and the biggest piece of that is the Montclair Jazz Festival.

David: every time I turn around there is something going on with Christian McBride as the artistic director.

What do you do as artistic director for jazz house kids?

>> I viewed jazz house kids until the fantastic physicians as potential future bandmembers.

[LAUGHTER] >> That is really what it is all about, because at the end of the day, I have some artistic directorships with various organizations, but at the end of the day I am a working bass player that has a band employing musicians going all over the world, so I am assessing who is going to be in one of my future bands, you know?

as artistic director, that is the most fun part of this job, and just watching these great musicians come through this program.

David: you two are both musicians, you are a fabulous singer.

How does what you see and do with these young people affect your inspiration for the work that you do?

>> I think they are the future, right?

For me it is my life's work to make sure they have the tools they need, and a jazz is the fertile ground for the tools of the 21st century, so I am just inspired to have all of these fantastic faculty we have working with us every day of the week and the incredible musicians that Christian has brought to bear it that will, do what we do best, which is bring our mentoring and inspiration to these young people, because it really is of folk music passed down from one generation to the next.

Everyday I get up and feel like we are planting seeds for the future and enabling these young people to have a rich livelihood in this music.

David: so 20 years together, the technology has changed so much about the culture has changed so much.

How is it impacted what you do with the school?

>> The advent of social media has drastically changed everyone's lives, particularly young people with the edges of 15 and 35 -- ages of 15 and 35.

One thing has not changed.

Being a young jazz musician, you still have to develop your skills.

You can build all of the fans you want to one social media, you still have to practice.

>> That is exactly right.

You are seeing a lot of hybrid music, and people taking the music that they are listening to today, and that is what our forebearers did, they take the music that they listening to and forging a path ahead.

Fundamental skills, they have got to work hard, they have got to listen to each other, and that is something we are not doing a lot right now, and when you were listening you will have a better conversation.

>> That is right.

>> We think one thing that is so wonderful about jazz is it is very much in the present and in the moment.

David: Melissa Walker, Christian McBride, jazz house kids, it will play us out.

That is our show this week.

Thanks so much for watching.

Jazz house kids will play us out, folks.

♪ >> Major funding for Chat Box with David Cruz is provided by NJM Insurance Group, serving the insurance needs of New Jersey residents and businesses for more than 100 years.

Promotional support is provided by insider NJ, a political intelligence network dedicated to New Jersey political news.

Insider NJ is committed to giving serious political players led to interactive forum for ideas, discussion and insight.

Online at insidernj.com.

♪ [jazz playing] ♪ [APPLAUSE]