Mr. Booker.

What he said — what he seemed to intend — was to awaken the public. To draw attention, not simply to the man himself, but to the peril of what Donald Trump is doing to the country. In his speech, Senator Cory Booker acknowledged what many have long suspected: that the Democratic Party is, at this moment, unprepared. That it is, in fact, uncertain about how to counter Trump. This, of course, is open to debate. But it is what he said, and more importantly, it is what he believes.

He also stated his disagreement with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer, he said, had argued that nothing could or should be done, for fear that it would play into Trump’s hands. In Booker’s view, this was wrong. It was more than a tactical error; it was a moral one. Yet the prevailing mood among many Democrats — too many — is that collapse is inevitable. That the train is heading toward the cliff, and they will simply be there to pick up the wreckage. That this, somehow, is strategy.

But strategy is not resignation. Strategy requires action. It requires vision. And it requires courage.

That courage, Booker seemed to suggest, has been in short supply. The base — the people — have grown restless. They are tired of waiting. They want to see their elected officials act, not wait. They want to see something done. And so, Booker acted. He calculated, perhaps correctly, that he could draw attention. He has done this before. As mayor of Newark, as senator, he has often moved to the front when others would not. Some say it is performance. Others say it is principle. The truth may lie somewhere between.

But this effort was different, at least in its ambition. Booker’s goal, as he described it, was not merely to raise his profile. It was to sound an alarm. To say plainly that the country is drifting into danger, and that the people must take notice. It was a good effort.

But will it make a difference?

GOP pollster, Frank Luntz, seems to think so.

I want to emphasize what Cory Booker did over the last 24 hours may have changed the course of political history. I watched a lot of it. I listened to words. I listened to phrases. On balance, [Booker]

struck a tone with Americans in the midst of the Trump administration’s controversial policies. He struck the kind of tone that grassroots Democrats are looking for. He gave them a reason to fight. He gave them a reason to stand up and say, this is my country too.

At present, the Democratic Party does not appear to possess a coherent national strategy. There are efforts — some sincere, some performative — by individual members. But there is no single banner, no unifying message, no plan under which the party might marshal its forces. Without that, nothing lasting can be accomplished.

People’s attention spans are short. That is the reality of the political moment. Without sustained action, without follow-through, Booker’s marathon speech will be forgotten within days. Unless, that is, it is followed by something larger — by others stepping forward, by a collective will to act. Otherwise, it will be just another moment. And moments, unlike movements, do not endure.

So, to answer the question some may wonder this day: No. I do not think what Booker did will be sufficient. Not on its own. Not in this climate. Not against this man.

For Donald Trump, whatever else he may be, is a master of chaos. He has three and a half more years to bend the machinery of the state to his will. Stopping him will require more than words. It will require the full weight of the Democratic Party acting in concert — deliberately, strategically, relentlessly.

Booker argued that only the American people can stop Trump. Perhaps that is true. But the people have not yet been moved. Not in the numbers, not with the urgency, that such a task requires. Things, it seems, are not yet bad enough.

And therein lies the danger. Because when things finally do become bad enough, it may already be too late.

You can see the signs. In Florida, the margins were slimmer, but the victories were still Republican. The tide has not turned. The red states remain red. The voters who delivered Trump to power have not yet abandoned him. The institutions that might have constrained him have not acted with the strength or speed the moment demands.

So, no. I am not persuaded that this country has reached a turning point. Not yet. Booker’s stand was admirable. But unless it becomes part of something larger — unless it is a beginning and not an end — it will change nothing.

Not by itself.