It worked for Rick Perry, didn’t it?
Jindal to go after Trump in DC speech tomorrow. Campaign insists it will avoid the fates of Perry, Paul, Graham and others who've done so…
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) September 9, 2015
Jindal campaign says we're going to see "Bobby the Brawler" tomorrow in speech attacking Trump as "unserious."
— Caitlin Huey-Burns (@CHueyBurns) September 9, 2015
He’s giving it at the National Press Club in D.C. for extra media attention. If you’re wondering what the theme will be, it sounds like it’s less a Perry-esque “cancer on conservatism” cri de coeur than a simpler complaint that Trump’s just a narcissistic celebrity crank who shouldn’t be taken seriously. Go to Jindal’s campaign website right now and you’ll be met by this … interesting little clip:
Yeah, I don’t know. Trying to convince conservatives, as Perry did, that Trump’s not a conservative makes sense, although little did Perry know at the time that Republicans don’t care about conservative principles anymore. Trying to convince the same people that they shouldn’t take someone seriously whom they already do obviously take very seriously seems like a heavier lift. Trump’s at 37 percent in South Carolina according to a new poll out today, nearly 20 points better than his nearest competition. Which voters there who are backing him are going to watch Jindal’s speech tomorrow and think, “Why, this person whom I’ve already chosen to vote for isn’t worthy of serious consideration at all. How foolish I’ve been.” But I guess Jindal, who’s averaging three percent in socially conservative Iowa and, er, 0.0 percent nationally, needs to do something to get on the radar screen. (How did he miss out on the big social-con photo op with Kim Davis yesterday?) At the very least, attacking Trump for unseriousness suggests a return to seriousness for Jindal, who’s sounded a bit Trumpy himself in these early stages of the campaign.
Doesn’t matter either way, though. Whether it’s Trump or someone else, our nominee will have to face an electorate next year composed of people like Whoopi here who can’t quite figure out why she should care about Hillary’s homebrewed national security disaster. We’re doomed. Might as well back Trump and enjoy the show in the meantime.
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