I had talked about this before, where where some people think newly elected Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal would make a tood running mate for McCain. The rumor won't die.
Look, barring gross incometence as the governor, Jindal will be on the national GOP ticket, probably in 2012. I will be lining up to support him then. But I am not sold on Jindal for the ticket now. I do think he needs more seasoning as the point executive (his experiences in prior exective positions notwithstanding) in a state that literally cries out for a rebirth. Furthermore, I am not a big fan of McCain (and only a Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama could make me vote for McCain) and I don't want Jindal tainted with McCain.
I don't think that Jindal himself would want this role now. The differences between Jindal and McCain are so numerous, it boggles the mind. Jindal has been at the forefront of efforts on Medicare reform, a state wide health care system, a state wide university system, undistinguished but solid performance in Congress and now Governor, all before his 40th Birthday. When John McCain was first elected to the Senate, Jindal was in grade school. In short, Jindal, in his short life, has more executive experience in his little finger that John McCain has in his entire career. Why mess with that?
Jindal is a largely classic conservative, a fiscal hawk and socially conservative although not archly so. The child of legal immigrants, he has the insight into the immigration problem that McCain doesn't. Jindal is probably a walking encyclopedia on the matter of entitlement reform. Let's not ruin what will might be the First Gen X president by tainting is reputation with running on a ticket with John McCain, who still hasn't done enough to convince conservatives that he is worthy of his support rather than worthy of an anti-Democrat vote (like me).
Let Jindal fix Louisiana (if he can in four years). Until then, I remain unconvinced that Jindal is the right man for the GOP number 2 slot.
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