Jindal Hits Pause on Prez Bid Plans
Louisiana’s Republican Governor Bobby Jindal is one of America’s most popular politicians. But despite all of the speculation over his political future, one thing is certain: he won’t be looking to make a presidential run in 2012.
The key is timing: Louisiana is one of the few states that will elect their governor in November 2011. So when the Iowa straw poll is underway in August 2011, Jindal will be only three months out from Election Day in Louisiana.
Jindal doesn’t lack for finesse, but running a stealth national campaign while trying to convince Louisiana voters that he’s focused on his state would be stretching even his abilities. In fact, one high-ranking Louisiana Republican expressed suspicion that people forwarding the notion of a 2012 run are actually detractors hoping to raise doubts about Jindal’s commitment to the Bayou State.
This is not even to mention that Jindal has publicly ruled out a presidential run several times – telling the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in April: “I am not running for president of the United States of America.” Indeed, in 2009, the Jindal for President Draft Council was shut down after pressure from Jindal’s office.
It would be a shame. Governor Jindal has proven to be one of the country’s most capable governors. He had a laser eye for details: during Hurricane Gustaf, Jindal would routinely open press conferences by listing off where state resources were stationed, parish by parish. Contrasted with the state’s response during and after Hurricane Katrina, the governor and his staff have proved starkly effective. In the wake of the BP oil spill, Governor Jindal’s aggressive response led to his approval among Louisianans soaring to 74%.
But one campaign is underway that will have ramifications for Jindal’s future plans. The Louisiana Lieutenant Governor’s run-off, which takes place on November 2nd, will decide who is next in line for Governor.
Jockeying for the position are Republican Secretary of State Jay Dardenne and Democratic New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard. The first round of elections, on October 2nd, led to the elimination of Doug Kershaw, a popular Cajun fiddle player.
The Lieutenant Governor is typically a ho-hum position, with oversight of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. However, the Lieutenant Governor position becomes very important if Jindal doesn’t finish the term he’s expected to win in 2011. If Jindal is picked as a vice-presidential running mate in 2012, or decides to run against Senator Mary Landrieu in 2014, the winner of the Lieutenant Governor’s race is elevated to the Governor’s office.
With all the buzz Governor Jindal is generating, you could be forgiven for thinking he might not finish out the entirety of his expected second term.
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