Crunchy Con

Jindal will be McCain's VP

Monday July 21, 2008

Novak quotes McCain camp sources saying his VP pick will be announced this week to steal thunder from Obama's overseas trip. ABC reported earlier that McCain will be in Louisiana on Wednesday for a reason he won't disclose. It's Jindal....
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Comments
Derek Copold
July 21, 2008 7:12 PM

For Jindal's sake, I certainly hope not. It won't help him to be the #2 man on a losing ticket, and it'll be even worse for him if McCain pulls out a win.

Seth
July 21, 2008 7:18 PM

Jindal would be making a huge mistake.

Connie
July 21, 2008 7:20 PM

Novak: liar or deluded, you decide.

Daniel
July 21, 2008 7:27 PM

It's like he doesn't want to win. Jindal would be a disaster. Wasn't there recently a suggestion of a recall in Louisiana after Jindal flip flopped on legislative pay raises?

Irenaeus
July 21, 2008 7:28 PM

I was hoping he would be kept in the bullpen until 2012...but Novak could certainly be wrong.

Charles Cosimano
July 21, 2008 7:41 PM

Can you say "President Obama?"

Of course it is possible that Jindal could do an exorcism and cast enough demons out of the electorate to win, but it is not the way to bet.

Rawlins
July 21, 2008 7:43 PM

Like El Rod, our favorite Louisiana Bayou boy, I am a huge fan of Jindal but this is not going to thrill anyone but you, me and no few gators back home in St. Francisville in the scheme of things. You talk about a new kid on the block, Governor Jindal personifies it to the point that Senator Obama looks like a veteran sage. But at least you will be able to vote for McCain with some enthusiasm. And Jindal is indeed a modern politician who can even show the senator how to do email, something he admits to having never done.

I know this is 'pop the cork Julie, we're dancing tonight' great news so congrats. But don't be dismayed when the electorate seem underwhelmed.

Zach
July 21, 2008 7:45 PM

I dunno, seems too early to name his VP. I figured he'd wait until closer to the convention. Anyways, I can't see Jindal helping him much; Louisiana is solid Republican, and he's half McCain's age. Maybe McCain is trying to grab the Indian-American vote, as small as it is.

Grumpy Old Man
July 21, 2008 7:57 PM

What I know of Jindal, I like.

But why, then, did I flash on McCain as ventriloquist and young Bobby sitting on his knee making smart-ass remarks? Too much Ed Sullivan as a kid, I guess.

Mark in Houston
July 21, 2008 8:30 PM

It'll be Romney, I'll bet. McCain needs someone on the ticket who can fundraise, and the money wing of the GOP wants someone on the ticket they can trust and work with. Plus, if McCain loses (which is not an unlikely outcome), Romney as the former running mate and a major post-Bush/McCain party leader will be in the best spot to keep things running well for the money-cons in the GOP.

And like I said before: Jindal is the Jack Kemp of the 21st Century, except he probably won't even get the running mate nod from the Bob Dole of the 21st Century.

Dharmashaiva
July 21, 2008 8:43 PM

However much it would 'spice' up the 'race' (triple pun intended), and however much I would love a McCain/Jindal ticket (for historical and scientific and comedic reasons, mainly), it's not gonna happen.

Reader John
July 21, 2008 9:26 PM

I'll forego predictions, but I hope McCain doesn't do it (better yet, that Jindal has the sense to rebuff overtures).

Jindal needs to add some political battle-hardening to his fabulous wonkitude - his ability to run the ball beautifully in an open field. Jindal may indeed have the right stuff, but let's not (us hyphenated-Cons) catch our own version of Obama fever.

cb
July 21, 2008 10:43 PM

Based on nothing but my own incredibly bad powers of prediction, I say it won't be Jindal, it'll be Mitt Romney or Sarah Palin. Jindal's is fine, but at this point in his career he won't fire up anyone outside of the conservative base (and the media would love to create another Dan Quayle caricature). For the media, youth equals "freshness" and "vitality" in Democrats; it equals "inexperience" and "immaturity" for Republicans.

The Man From K Street
July 21, 2008 10:55 PM

It will be Carly Fiorina.

ds0490
July 21, 2008 11:43 PM

Dear God,

Please let Rod get his wish on this one! I beg of you, please grant Rod this wish, for the sake of our country.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hkjSFTbm2A

www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/12/bobby-jindal-faith-healer_n_106716.html

tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/bobby_jindals_dance_with_the_d.php

www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/06/jindals_exorcism.html

www.dailykingfish.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=224


Amen

jh
July 21, 2008 11:48 PM

Maybe Jindal wants to do it beore "true conservatives" tar and feather him like Huckabee :)

That being said I doubt this will happen though because

(1) Jindal has a town hall meeting up in North Louisiana(my town) and I doubt he would be doing this if within 24 hours he would be the vp niminee

(2) and at this point he does not bring much as others

THOUGHT McCain undisclosed trip to the Louisiana is interesting. Usually we are not much on peoples radar down here

godisaheretic
July 22, 2008 12:53 AM

McCain should pick Palin...
after all, women make up the biggest voting block...
but...
McCain seems to rarely do what he really should do...
and...
if it's McCain/Palin...
will that compel Obama to choose Hillary?

hmmmm...

change faith hope love joy peace to all...
Forgive God...

godisaheretic
July 22, 2008 1:09 AM

otherwise...
if McCain picks Romney...
I suspect they will lose...
making Romney the Republican frontrunner for 2012...
when...
the then 64 year old Romney could choose Jindal...

or...

IF McCain picks Jindal now...
they will likely lose...
so...
Jindal could continue with his stated desire to stay as Gov of LA...
then in 2012 he would be the likely Republican frontrunner...

there's some win-win in there for Jindal...
even if he's part of the losing ticket in 2008...

patience, Jindal fanatics...
he may get into the White House down the road a bit...

patience faith hope love joy peace to all...
Forgive God...

Ethan C.
July 22, 2008 1:14 AM

As much as I'd like to see Jindal on the national stage sooner or later, doesn't anyone care about what he's doing in Louisiana? Why would you yank the man who's cleaning up Baton Rouge, for the first time in its history, for a measly V.P slot?

I don't care if it would make sense for McCain; I don't really care if it would make sense for Jindal. It definitely doesn't make sense for Louisiana. Let's let the wunderkind work some more wunders before kicking him upstairs.

And as a Crunchy Con, wouldn't the principle of subsidiarity mean that it's at least as important to have good state governments as a good federal government?

Ann L
July 22, 2008 1:27 AM

Someday we will have our chance to vote for Bobby Jindal for president. 2012 or 2016. He is already far more qualified to be chief executive than Obama, Clinton or McCain, but he needs to show the country what he can do in Louisiana and Louisiana needs him badly. It is amazing to see what he has already accomplished,with a legislature dominated by the opposing party, but does the rest of the country know him? Not at all. But they will. Soon.

Richard Bottoms
July 22, 2008 3:47 AM
As others noted during his 2003 and 2007 gubernatorial campaigns (see update), in an essay Jindal wrote in 1994 for the New Oxford Review, a serious right-wing Catholic journal, Jindal narrated a bizarre story of a personal encounter with a demon, in which he participated in an exorcism with a group of college friends. And not only did they cast out the supernatural spirit that had possessed his friend, Jindal wrote that he believes that their ritual may well have cured her cancer.

The Exorcist

And here I thought Republicans had no sense of humor.

Daniel
July 22, 2008 8:21 AM

The fervor for Palin is also fascinating. Her leadership experience involves running a town of about 20,000 people and less than a year running the smallest (in population) state in the country. She comes off as fairly dim and not terribly substantive. There are many more qualified women in the GOP, although none with much gravitas

She seems to prove how thin the ranks are in the GOP when you look beyond white men.

steve
July 22, 2008 8:50 AM

Personal stories seem to matter more than issues of competence.

Steve

Alicia
July 22, 2008 9:43 AM

I think McCain should pick Mitt Romney.

BobS
July 22, 2008 10:34 AM

You mean the same Bobby Jindal that didn't know that Katrina and Rita spilled 10's of thousands of gallons of oil off the coast of his own state?

Daniel
July 22, 2008 11:10 AM

Bobby Jindal may be a good pick...in 4 or 8 years. But at this point, it just looks like racial and age-based balancing to counteract Obama.

Why not Huckabee? He appeals to younger voters as well as moderates. Also, he is fantastic at getting free press from late night talk shows, Morning Joe, etc. This will help minimize Obama's massive fundraising advantage.

Most importantly, Huckabee is a man of faith. No other candidate--not even Jindal--will galvanize the evangelical Christian vote. McCain can't win without our support.

Mark Adams
July 22, 2008 11:38 AM

Connie: Novak: liar or deluded, you decide.

Irenaeus : but Novak could certainly be wrong.

Read the post people. All Novak said was that McCain will announce his VP pick this week. Novak then goes on to say (in the link Rod provided) that "The name . . . has not been disclosed, but Mitt Romney has led the speculation recently." He didn't say anything about Jindal. Further, the piece by the lying and deluded Novak seems to have been confirmed this morning. Here is what the Hotline's Wake-Up Call! had to say:

•Sources in McCain's camp "confirm" that there have been "recent discussions high in the campaign" about possibly naming a VP this week ("Political Ticker"). Asked "outright" last night if he would announce his VP pick in NH today, McCain "responded with a mischievous grin and silently backed away" ("Washington Wire").

•Meanwhile, McCain is expected to be in New Orleans tomorrow night "amid reports that he'll sit down with" LA Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) (New Orleans Times-Picayune).

Lord Karth
July 22, 2008 11:56 AM

Has it ever occurred to anyone that only a very, very few voters actually base their selection of a President on who his running mate will be ?

That having been said, I was under the impression that Gov. Jindal took himself out of the running a few weeks back. I could well be wrong, but that is my understanding. (Anyone with info to the contrary, by all means let me know.) Carly Fiorina ? No political experience, and lots of embarrassing baggage from her running Hewlett-Packard. Sarah Palin ? Inexperienced and almost completely unknown. Does anyone really want to risk having another "Dangerous Dan" Quayle on the ticket ?

I suspect McCain will pick Romney. The big issues that are resonating with the voters this year are: a) High energy prices; b) health insurance, and c) high food prices. The McCain people MUST pick someone who can be presented as having some plausible-sounding ideas to address these issues, and Romney's the best of the significant lot on that. The ability to fundraise won't hurt much, either.

Not that it's going to matter all that much. Whoever wins will be stuck with the rather unenviable task of having to deal with an oncoming entitlement-spending and Federal-bailout-led crash, and a bad one.

McCaintowns or Obamavilles ? Which is it going to be, folks ?

Your servant,

Lord Karth

Fred X
July 22, 2008 4:24 PM

Huckabee Suckabees

hattio
July 22, 2008 7:15 PM

Daniel,
Alaska is only the second least populous state, and Palin has been running it for almost two years. And according to Wikipedia, there are less than 10,000 people there now, and just over 5,000 in the 2000 census.
But, you miss the major reason she's so popular...she HOT!

Lord Karth
July 22, 2008 10:16 PM

Hattio @ 7:15 writes:

"But, you miss the major reason she's so popular...she HOT!"

Dan "Mr. Potatoe Head" Quayle was considered good-looking, too. He didn't do Bush the Elder an awful lot of favors. As a matter of fact, he was a drag on the ticket, as well as in office, net-net.

Your servant,

Lord Karth

Mark in Houston
July 22, 2008 10:41 PM

Palin's moment in the political sun may turn out to be a very short-lived one. A scandal may have just broke regarding some recent actions of hers: http://www.adn.com/front/story/471366.html

Richard
July 26, 2008 12:57 AM

Jindal is the ticket. Trust me, it'll be Jindal. Mccain is a bold, unique un-conventional candidate and his choice for VP will also be a bold, unique and unconventional choice. And from what I've read and heard from Jindal, he'll help Mccain.....I'm certain that he will not hurt Mccain. Mccain can count on at the very least a 2-3% bounce and at the most 5-6% bounce. Either cases, a Mccain Jindal ticket is the winning ticket in November, trust me.

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About Crunchy Con

Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and author of "Crunchy Cons" (Crown Forum), a nonfiction book about conservatives, most of them religious, whose faith and political convictions sometimes put them at odds with mainstream conservatives. The views expressed in this blog are his own.

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