Jindal to deliver Republican SOTU response
posted at 2:35 pm on February 11, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Have the GOP leaders begun grooming Bobby Jindal as their main counterweight to Barack Obama? John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have selected the young governor of Louisiana to deliver the Republican response to the quasi-State of the Union address at the end of the month. From the press release:
House Republican Leader John Boehner (OH) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) announced today that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will give the Republican address following the President’s first address to Congress on February 24, 2009. The Governor will speak to the nation from Baton Rouge, LA.
In making the announcement, Leader Boehner noted the Governor’s leadership and innovation in public service:
“Gov. Jindal embodies what I have long said: the Republican Party must not be simply the party of ‘opposition,’ but the party of better solutions. His stewardship of the state of Louisiana, dedication to reforming government, and commitment to bringing forth new and innovative ideas make him a leader not just within the Republican Party, but in our nation as a whole.”
Sen. McConnell said the Governor personified reform and recovery, saying he was a strong choice to offer the Republican address:
“Gov. Jindal’s leadership during a time of recovery in Louisiana, his commitment to real government reform, and his protection of hardworking American families make him an excellent choice to offer Republican solutions for the challenges which lay ahead.”
The selection of a responder is no small matter. The speech will get national attention, and it affords the person selected an opportunity to allow Americans to become familiar and comfortable with them. Democrats gave Tim Kaine this opportunity shortly after winning his election for governor in Virginia, and now he runs the DNC for Barack Obama. It’s an expression of confidence by the party in a rising star.
Jindal certainly fills that bill. He has already won good reviews for his reforms in Louisiana, a state that could easily bury a weaker executive. Jindal enjoyed national attention during the presidential race, not so much because of any possibility of joining the ticket in 2008 as for his potential to lead a Republican ticket in 2012 or 2016. He hasn’t had the opportunity to lead the party in this manner before, and he will have to do well in order to gain standing for a national run.
I find it interesting that Boehner and McConnell didn’t decide to offer the response themselves. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi did that while minority leaders in Congress (and did a terrible job with it), and it helped make them the faces of the Democratic Party to the electorate. It’s an interesting strategy so far away from the next presidential sweepstakes, but I wonder if they wouldn’t have been better off selecting a Senator and/or Representative who needs the boost for 2010.
Jindal will deliver some badly-needed gravitas, though, and an outside-the-Beltway perspective to the spending frenzy in DC. Coming on the eve of CPAC, it will also be interesting to see whether he energizes the conservative activist base.
Update (AP): It should have been Steele. Unless Jindal’s running in 2012, which he probably isn’t, he doesn’t need face time right now. Steele does, since he’ll be the GOP’s chief messenger for the next two years. Why waste an opportunity to introduce him to a national audience and put the public on notice that the new leader of the party’s a minority? Makes no sense to me.
Exit question: Why Jindal instead of Palin? Her profile’s much higher than his. Lingering jitters within the leadership that her appeal among centrists isn’t what it needs to be?
Update (Ed): Why not Steele? I believe that both parties traditionally give this honor to some sort of political officeholder and not a party official (unless they’re both at the same time, as Kaine is at the moment). It’s a stature thing. Besides, Steele will get plenty of face time on the Sunday talk shows.
Why not Palin? I’m assuming she doesn’t need any further elevation on a national level, and that the Republicans aren’t putting all of their eggs into one basket. I think that’s wise.
Blowback
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just did, definitely makes him sound like a conservative and not a Libertarian on Social issues and of course his economic record. FP is still in the air I’d say.
as resident of NC, I wish he was our Gov., too many northern transplants and idiot liberals in Education here.
jp on February 11, 2009 at 4:01 PM
He’s for vouchers and merit pay. I live just south of Charlotte and many live here for the school system and lower taxes while working in Charlotte.
genso on February 11, 2009 at 4:03 PM
This.
HuskerNate on February 11, 2009 at 4:04 PM
As for Foreign Policy, he leans against supporting UN programs and for global trade. He was part of the group that got BMW to build a plant in Greenville. Again, the security issues as concerns FP are unknown to me.
genso on February 11, 2009 at 4:07 PM
Yeah, no kidding. The centrists need to STFU for a while, given the performance of their star players like McCain, Graham, Specter, et al.
Jim62sch on February 11, 2009 at 4:10 PM
if I worked in South charlotte, I’d do that as well. work on north side..
I like Columbia and Charleston alot too, living in Tega Cay would be nice if I ever get rich. Which isn’t going to happen if I keep commenting on Hotair, ha
jp on February 11, 2009 at 4:12 PM
SC should be the envy of Conservatives right now.
Sanford and Demint, pretty dang awesome, makes up for Graham
jp on February 11, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Good luck. You’ll get there soon enough.
genso on February 11, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Yeah because Jindal is so much more of a centrist than Palin.
V15J on February 11, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Jindal is a solid choice.
He speaks very quickly and confidently, unlike Barry’s pathetic, stammering preacher schtick.
He did a good job handling recent disasters, as opposed to Barry’s heck of a job in Kentucky and on Porkulus.
He knows far more about health care than Barry.
No Dem can attack him without looking like Joe Dunkin’ Donuts Biden.
Christien on February 11, 2009 at 4:19 PM
SOTU response: Who friggin cares? Did any response given by either Party since the beginning of time make on iota of difference? Like previous poster said, the roster of past responders reads like a laundrylist of political has-beens.
Besides, Jindal won’t run in 2012, Sanford is a boring as cardboard, and Palin has better things to do.
Norwegian on February 11, 2009 at 4:30 PM
At this point, we need a messenger that Dem spin-meisters cannot shoot. Jindal has the ivy credentials, executive experience, and diverse DNA that the so called MSM would have a hard time discrediting. He is a terrific communicator and a great governor. I love Palin, but let me say:
Jindal 2012
Laura in Maryland on February 11, 2009 at 4:37 PM
Why not Mitt Romney ? …Romney can explain to the American people why President Obama’s porkukus package will bring pain rather than relief to millions of citizens.
.
philly_nj on February 11, 2009 at 4:41 PM
I didn’t get a chance to read all of the responses, but having Palin give the response would be a horrible idea… she wouldn’t be able to get the message out because the MSM would be ripping her to shreds about her clothes, her family, she can see Russia from her house, etc. The goal of the MSM is to attack her relentlessly because they are scared of her. I have full confidence in her, but if we want the MSM to even halfway pay attention to the message being delivered, it has to be someone else.
behiker on February 11, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Palin’s very attractive and a great person but her performance made one cringe-she was way out of her depth. She was bludgeoned mercilessly like a baby seal by the liberals which was to their huge discredit, but that doesn’t mean she was a worthy candidate.
Jindal by contrast is an eloquent, focused and knowledgeable speaker who handles himself really well, but I got the impression that he doesn’t want to be the POTUS. I simply want the Republicans to find that magic candidate who will bring them back into power and I really don’t care who it is as long as he/she is for protecting the West and defeating Islam.
thinkagain on February 11, 2009 at 4:52 PM
Because Romney holds no elected office at this time. He would be campaigning.
portlandon on February 11, 2009 at 5:15 PM
I think this has been mentioned also, but Jindal’s “wonky.” The left/media keep talking up Obama’s brilliance, his Ivy League education, constitutional scholar, etc. If he tries to pull the “I’m smarter than you” kind of details and lofty speech, Jindal can come off looking much better with the right command of details. He should be able to pick apart the Present’s (sic) lines and show the holes in his logic.
IMO.
cs89 on February 11, 2009 at 5:54 PM
Why not Sarah Palin? How about because she’s a greedy little piggy when it comes to the stimulus?
She doesn’t represent us on the most important issue.
daryl_herbert on February 11, 2009 at 6:23 PM
So that’s why Begich (D-AK) is so upset with her. She’s asking for too much money from DC.
/sarc
cs89 on February 11, 2009 at 6:53 PM
Why not Rush Limbaugh? Da Bama elevated him to the position of Conservative Leader so republicans should give the thuggish Bum his guff right back to him.
And I’m sure that when the day that hundred dollar bills are raining down from heaven you will remain firmly seated in your igloo while I’m outside with my buckets, right?
Sarah is the Governor, and as Governor it is her responsibility/duty to make certain Alaska gets its fair share. Fighting for the people in her state is admirable.
DannoJyd on February 11, 2009 at 7:02 PM
Apologies for the caps…
LOUISIANA!!!!
We’ve got Vitter, America’s BEST Senator, and Jindal, America’s Best(ish) governor. What’ve YOU got?
Kevin M on February 11, 2009 at 7:22 PM
I’ve got two extremely liberal senators, a stupid lib governor, and we just elected the First openly Gay Mayor who just happens to sleep with 17 year old male interns and lie about it. He refuses to leave office. Oh joy.
It’s not insanity…it’s OREGON.
portlandon on February 11, 2009 at 7:57 PM
Jindal is a great choice. We need someone who is able to get conservative ideas across on both an intellectual level, and on an easily relatable common sense level (think Reagan). Sanford can also do this.
therightwinger on February 11, 2009 at 10:04 PM
I have a feeling he’s testing the waters. He’ll need to be careful though. NOLA Democrats are already complaining about him spending too much time outside the state. Look at the comments on NOLA.com on any Times Picayune article that mentions Jindal and they all come out of the woodwork.
They forget about how he was in New Orleans during evacuation efforts before Gustav came around instead of speaking at the RNC. They forget that he’s been trying to get businesses to come here, even in New Orleans.
State employees dislike him greatly. A lot of him are mad because of the hiring freeze yet Louisiana has more state employees on hand than any other state in the union. There are roughly 2.6 employees to every 100 citizens in Louisiana, double that of California. The State of Louisiana is the largest employer in Baton Rouge.
Democrats have expanded state bureaucracy for decades. They kept our taxes high and we’re the only southern state to lose population before Katrina came along. Jindal is changing that and Dems here are afraid. If Jindal runs for President, expect the local Dems to get plenty of help from the DNC.
Lay-Z on February 11, 2009 at 10:45 PM
I agree with this, Ed.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Palin. But we need to do what’s best for America. And if that means holding off on her, that’s ok. There are other qualified candidates. Let’s just see where the next few years takes us. A lot can change.
latinchic on February 12, 2009 at 1:18 PM
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