Yuval Levin pushes back on the "no Jindal for veep" meme. He suggests that my concerns, in particular, focus too much on "what’s good for Jindal," and asks, "what about what’s good for McCain, or for Republicans, or for the country?" This is a fair point, particularly since I do tend to think that McCain-Jindal ticket would have a slightly better chance of taking the Presidency than some of the alternatives. However, I would place the emphasis on "slightly," both because I can see the move smacking of desperation and backfiring, and because few veep picks make a huge difference in November anyway and I doubt that Jindal would be an exception. And I think that "slightly" is outweighed by the importance, for a Republican Party that's currently on the ropes, of resisting the temptation to conflate the party's long-term interests with the results of a single (though admittedly important, as they all are) Presidential election, and to regard every promising state-level talent through the lens of "how can he help us win the White House today?"
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Jindal and the GOP
06 May 2008 10:33 am
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Comments (26)
I just don't think the country is ready for a 37-year-old Vice President. True, Jindal has accomplished more in life than most people 20-30 years older, but still. Let him prove his worth as a successful, 2-term Governor in Louisiana, and then we can have this discussion in 2016.
There really isn't any obvious Grand-Slam-type of choice that is open to McCain on the VP-front. But all in all, I firmly believe that Chris Cox provides the most pluses and the fewest minuses.
And I fully agree with the post by NS. McCain has more-- much more-- riding on his VP-selection than most other presidential nominees.
What's good for Republicans and what's good for the country is for McCain to lose this election, and for the Republicans to return to their roots: get rid of the 100 years imperial hubris, get rid of the crazy tax pandering and irresponsibility, get rid of the contempt for the constitution.
When (and if) the Republicans again become the party of fiscal responsibility, limited government powers, and skepticism about the capabilities of government abroad as well as at home - then they will be worth supporting. Smart governors like Jindal should push the party in this direction.
A lot of the talk about Jindal at this point kind of smacks me of desperation of having an old stodgy white guy running against a charismatic black guy. "Hey, look! We have our own charismatic brown guy too!"
He should pick Clinton. She might be willing to take it -- gives her a good shot in 2012 if he wins.
No, I'm kind of serious here.
@Reality Man--
There is some truth in what you said. No doubt many Republicans-- especially the sort who live on the media-intensive areas of the West and East Coasts-- do feel very self-conscious about being members of the party of "stodgy white guys". And no doubt some of them do feel a but desperate running against a charismatic black guy.
But even so, Bobby Jindal is a rising star in national politics. His time is still a few years off, but it will come, you may be sure of it.
And the desperation you speak of has actually diminished quite a lot in the last 2-3 months. The election is still 6 months away. Neither side has cause to feel smug about their chances. Nor any cause to despair about them.
On the Right says: "The election is still 6 months away. Neither side has cause to feel smug about their chances. Nor any cause to despair about them."
Yeah! Repiglicans think everything is coming up roses and that a 3rd Bush term (which is exactly what McCain is promising) is a GREAT IDEA!
Delusional. Tired. Out of touch.
Look on your works, ye mighty, and despair. McCain is going to get his ass kicked in November. There is no magical VP pick that's going to change that. You'll be lucky if the poor old geezer doesn't soil himself onstage during a debate.
Michelle Obama?!?!
What are you doing here?
And what's with the weird "2-stooges" alias?
"He should pick Clinton. She might be willing to take it -- gives her a good shot in 2012 if he wins. No, I'm kind of serious here." Sanjay
TR: This has become less crazy than I once would've thought. She's really done more to help McCain's campaign than almost anyone. Maybe even more than McCain. And it would bring in those conservative Democrats that prefer her to Obama.
Still I think she'd hurt him with Republicans and Independents too much to be worth it.
McCain/Clinton is not going to be the Republican ticket this year.
But I will admit it's no less likely than Obama/Clinton as the Democratic ticket.
Oh, c'mon, it'd be hilarious but still not a bad idea. Ann Coulter's voting issue: solved. The only people he'd totally alienate won't vote for him anyway: in fact he might pick up votes of smug Republicans happy to have it proven that the Clintons have no political principles. That 25% of Democratic Clinton voters who say they'll go McCain if Obama is the nominee? He can keep 'em. And on foreign policy I suspect he wouldn't mind it so much. And look, OTR, McCain and Clinton probably even like each other whereas Clinton and Obama probably don't.
McCain Jindal is a big fat soft ball begging for comparisons to Bush/Quayle. If there is one thing a young promising Republican DOES NOT want, it is to be compared to Quayle in any way shape or form
McCain should pick Jindal, and Ross shouldn't give up so easily on this election. Yeah, they're all important, but this year the Dems have a real shot at getting a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and with that plus a Dem President they can do damage that will be nearly impossible for the GOP to fix in the future.
"Let him prove his worth as a successful, 2-term Governor in Louisiana, and then we can have this discussion in 2016."
The problem with this idea is that Louisiana is such a benighted state, that his ability to improve it much is limited. For a similar reason, if I were an adviser to the rising young Dem star Corey Booker, I'd recommend he get out of Newark and into another position (on the Governor's staff, Congressman, whatever) as soon as possible.
"McCain Jindal is a big fat soft ball begging for comparisons to Bush/Quayle."
Right, because Quayle, like Jindal, was a Rhodes Scholar.
About Jindal:
Sorry, since we're talking about American politics and all its superficiality and stupidity, I have to say it - no one with that dorky face, weird slanted grin, and pencil-thin neck is ever going to be President of the United States.
Jindal's not going to win any beauty pageants. And yes, physical-appearance is a big part of politics. Still and all, he's gotten this far at a rather young age. If his Administration in Louisiana is successful over the next 7+ years, he will be a major force on the national stage, weird grin, pencil-neck and all.
John McCain would be wise to pick Governor Jindal. But if he did, and I were Jindal, I would refuse the offer. If McCain is elected, his administration will fail (besides not being truly concervative). If I was potentially the next Ronald Reagan, I wouldn't want to be associated with that.
It`s not going to be Jindal. But McCain could do something extremely clever at this junction.
Kay Baily Hutchinson.
There are enough older white women who are beyond pissed off at Obama right now, and putting an older white women on the ticket would be a huge finger in the eye of the Dems.
Obama would then be trapped, his best choice is Jim Webb. But he would have to really look at Seballis or Nepolitano, but even if he took either one of them, it would look like a pander. If he went with Webb, then it looks like the Dems are the old boy`s club.
But McCains not that smart. My money is still on Lieberman
Re: But McCains not that smart. My money is still on Lieberman
Way too liberal on too many other issues for the GOP base to tolerate. The GOP base is going to expect a Southerner, or someone similarly conservative, especially on social issues. Huckabee possibly.
McCain can find someone who is socially conservative without going to the South. A conservative Catholic VP, especially one from the Midwest battleground states, would be able to exploit one of Obama's problems.
Hutchison is qualified to be President but she just does not connect with social conservatives, and doesn't particularly energize anyone else. McCain needs someone who does at least one and preferably both.
It won't be Hutchison or Jindal or Lieberman or Huckabee. I hope it won't be Crist or Romney but admit that it might.
One last thing-- I presume McCain knows to wait until after Obama's VP is announced before choosing his own...
But I'd feel better if someone would remind him of it, anyway.
Jindal has a great future in politics. I love the Quayle comparisons for its absolute idiocy - but wait we're talking about Ross's leftist commenters, so that is to be expected.
Jindahl can do so much more in Louisiana than he can as VP. He won't take it and should be running for Pres in 2016.
I love the idea of KBH as veep. Inspired choice, far better than any other suggestion so far. I love the idea that McCain is toast now. 20 years ago elections twisted dramatically - Bush was assured to lose at this point - and with Feiler Faster the distance to go is exponentially longer.
Hey says: "20 years ago elections twisted dramatically - Bush was assured to lose at this point - and with Feiler Faster the distance to go is exponentially longer."
Did you shut off your brain before you made that comparison? In 1988 we weren't mired in a pointless and hugely unpopular war, and we didn't have over 80% of the country thinking we're headed in the wrong direction. Exactly what do you think will change between now and November to change these facts?
I don't know much about Jindal, but if he's truly the stuff of a rising star, he'd pass it up.
McCain, should he be elected, won't have the political capital to get himself out of the mess we're in, and his legacy will be tainted by the Bush years.
Jindal would be wiser to prove himself in Louisiana--specifically New Orleans--and shore up respect among demographic groups more predisposed to vote Democrat before stepping onto the national stage.
I don't know much about Jindal, but if he's truly the stuff of a rising star, he'd pass it up.
McCain, should he be elected, won't have the political capital to get himself out of the mess we're in, and his legacy will be tainted by the Bush years.
Jindal would be wiser to prove himself in Louisiana--specifically New Orleans--and shore up respect among demographic groups more predisposed to vote Democrat before stepping onto the national stage.
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"Few veep picks make a huge difference in November anyway and I doubt that Jindal would be an exception."
Yeah, but since McCain would be the oldest president ever, his choice of VP will be a lot more significant than usual.
Posted by NS | May 6, 2008 11:46 AM