What do you think of Bobby Jindal?
Mr. Jindal, who was born in Baton Rouge, La., to a family that had just arrived there from the Punjab area of India, took office as Louisiana’s governor in January after serving three years in the House of Representatives. Mr. Jindal, who was born a Hindu but became a Roman Catholic as a teenager, campaigned for governor as a social conservative, opposing human embryonic stem cell research and abortion in any form and favoring teaching “intelligent design” in schools as an alternative to evolution.Sounds great. The health specialty could work very well in the mix. But Jindal is only 37! That's 5 years younger than our youngest President... but old enough — in constitutional terms — to be President. I see fodder for jokes about how old McCain is. Their average age — 54 — seems ideal for a President. Downside: It would make it impossible to argue that Obama is too young to be President.
But Mr. Jindal also has a reputation as a policy wonk, like the Clintons, with a specialty in health care issues. After graduating in 1991 from Brown University, where he majored in biology and public policy, and attending Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, Mr. Jindal worked for the management consulting firm McKinsey and Company and was executive director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. He later served as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and in the Bush administration as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for planning and evaluation.
ADDED: Jindal turns 37 on June 10th.
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114 comments:
Richard Nixon was 39 when nominated as Eisenhower's running mate.
I don't think any of those 3 make the final cut. Jindal could be a great future candidate. He may be more qualified than Obama, but his age creates the problem for McCain that Althouse mentioned in her last sentence.
Sanford or Pawlenty.
On another thread, several regulars expressed an interest in Giuliani getting the VP spot. I can only assume that was some kind of attempt at humor.
Crist was a good movie reviewer, but that doesn't mean she's qualified to be President.
Jindal is the future of the party. We should give him the opportunity to solve Lousiana's problems first. That state desperately needs him.
McCain should pick pawlenty. Pawlenty won't help McCain win Minnesota, but he will help McCain steal away the Reagan Democrats in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan that Obama cannot afford to lose. Pawlenty is himself from a low-income blue collar family in St. Paul and thus will appeal to these Reagan Democrats.
Rush likes Jindal.
I haven't heard him myself. You can make a very fast judgment from a few sentences, if they're the right ones.
Like everything I'm hearing this morning about oil prices convinces me that all the politicians have to be unelected at once and we start over with actual people in November.
As Louisiana is in desperate need of Jindal's skills, I do hope he doesn't take the bait.
As Louisiana is in desperate need of Jindal's skills, I do hope he doesn't take the bait.
Yeah, just what we need. A theocrat who is going to push the teaching of mythology as science in a State that already has one of the worst education systems in the Country.
I hope McCain picks him. He's smart and all. But he really is an extreme social and religious conservative. He should play well with the "base" of the Republican party--if they don't find out (or care) he basically called all protestents heretics.
Jindal is ruthlessly ambitious. If he is offered the vice presidency, he will take it without thinking twice.
I think Jindal has been summoned just to show that he's well regarded in Republican circles. I believe everyone feels that he is the future of the party, if he is able to turn Louisiana around.
I have a feeling that McCain would like to choose his toady Lindsey Graham, but Graham doesn't do anything for the ticket, since SC is a reliably red state.
McCain needs someone younger than himself, but not younger than Obama. I'd prefer to see him pick Governor Balin from Alaska, since that will be a daring choice and will siphon away the female Hillary supporters from the Dems.
Gov. Palin
I'd like to see Romney or Jindal take over Homeland Security. If you have technocrats at your disposal, you need to give them something to fix. The Vice Presidency is a do-nothing job.
Crist is an awful choice. He's "nationalizing" the property insurance market in Florida. He might as well be a Democrat. And, McCain doesn't need him to take Florida (assuming Obama'a the nominee).
Jindal "sounds great"?!?!
He favors the teaching of "intelligent design" in public schools. Once again, Anne, I thought you were a LAW PROFESSOR.
Good God.
"Jindal is ruthlessly ambitious."
Imagine that! A ruthlessly ambitious politician!
Peter, I agree Sarah Palin would be an interesting choice, but she just gave birth. It is hard to conceive of her agreeing to traipse around the country in search of votes this year.
Imagine that! A ruthlessly ambitious politician!
I was of course comparing him to his peers.
I'd like to see Romney or Jindal take over Homeland Security.
Jindal would be a bad choice of DHS. Maybe health and human services, since that is what his background is in.
I wonder how many speeches Jindal has given supporting ID? Or is this case of the New York Times underlining unimportant issues to make a candidate look like a rube to their readers?
The guy is governor of Louisiana, of course he publicly espouses ID! That's like saying the senator from Iowa is a strong proponent of ethanol. The question is whether he actually means to do anything about it.
He should pick Crist. Let's see how the Religious right reacts to McCain picking a gay man for Vice President.
Lindsay Graham is gay too.
The guy is governor of Louisiana, of course he publicly espouses ID!
So the question is: Is he really a retard, or does he just play one in Louisiana?
If Obama is the new JFK, Jindal is the new RFK. He out-Obama's Obama in that the GOP can say 'take that' to your Democrat 1sts...and beyond mere demographics--the 1st Asian on a major ticket--he actually has legislative, executive and administrative experience.
Downside: he may have to run for President on McCain's accomplishments.
Jindal would be a bad choice of DHS. Maybe health and human services, since that is what his background is in.
You're right. Given that health care should be the big legislative concern of the Democratic congress, a hypothetical McCain administration would do well to have someone in the cabinet with a clue.
The guy is governor of Louisiana, of course he publicly espouses ID!
So you are saying he is just pandering to the rubes?
Jindal would have won the governorship without saying a word, about ID or anything else--he had no serious opposition. Yet he chose to run on extreme social conservatism. In one commercial implying that his test for obscenity would be what would be acceptable to expose his five and three year old children to--that wouldn't play too well on Bourbon Street. The ID issue came up and he said he would support the bill and he has kept his word by supporting it in the legislature.
good lord...why not pick Ramesh Ponnuru from National Review. Future of the republican party? Ha. I'm a nominal conservative (albeit leaning towards Obama).
Supports the teaching of Intelligent Design...hahaha. There are special caves in Hell for such people.
McCain would be barred from using Obama's inexperience against him ("Mr. McCain...if you died in office do you believe a 37 year old is prepared to be POTUS?)
McCain/Jindal vs. Obama/Webb? Can you say republican wilderness?
It would make it impossible to argue that Obama is too young to be President.
Is anyone arguing that? Both Clinton and Kennedy were younger than Obama when elected President. It's just that both Clinton and Kennedy had achieved rather more than Obama has, by the time they were being considered for the presidency. Obama, on the other hand, seems younger, simply because his public persona is more adolescent (mooning over his father, trying to figure out his own racial identity, etc.) and he doesn't have many accomplishments under his belt. He's actually not particularly young, as far as Presidential candidates go.
Isn't Jindal the one that tells some story about a friend of his during college being possessed by the devil (or a demon, or some such) - literally?
Just read up on Jindal. Wow, a bit too conservative for my taste, which is probably why McCain is giving him serious consideration. I think it's the wrong strategy, though and will lose swing votes which is far more damaging than than gaining right votes is beneficial. (Swing voters who vote for McCain won't vote for Obama. Right wingers who don't vote for McCain aren't going to vote for Obama anyway.)
I again push Michael Steele. He isn't just mainstream conservative, but can explain why very well. He has a good temperament. Another important reason is that he doesn't remove another conservative from office.
"I'm a nominal conservative (albeit leaning towards Obama)."
I hear this sometimes and I'm led to wonder: How can (even a nominal) conservative lean towards Obama? Is it because he's a blank slate, and so it's easy to imagine him being whatever you want him to be? I don't get it.
I blogged about the 3 choices as well (I'm sure everyone has today! At last, some progress McCain).
Three Up
As I wrote, I don't think these are his first choices.
Romney is the clearest favourite of the three, for obvious reasons but it's like Obama/Hillary. They can't stand each other.
Our governor, Charlie Crist has perceived negatives:
- He's a bachelor (yes, there are some rumours about that)
- He's not THAT Conservative
- I'm not sure how he would play in the Deep South since that's why he would've chosen
(Think Senator Bill Frist, in terms of elegance, instead of a good ole boy like Bill Clinton)
- He lacks the wider experience to be a heart-beat away from the Presidency
And Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal surely is show he's an up-and-coming member of the Republican Party. I don't think, because of the age, and lack of experience, he's truly being considered.
BTW, did you guys see Jindal on Leno?
He was GREAT!
I've always loved the "Cajun accent".
Cheers,
Victoria
Joe, Michael Steele is right up there for me, with Romney, Giuliani.
I'd love it if it were Steele!
My post should have read Dinesh D'Sousa not Ponurru, my bad. D'Sousa is the creationist darling of some on the right.
I read Little Green Footballs on many occasion; I am pretty certain that McCain will lose a lot of pro-war Libertarians if he nominates anyone who cottons to creationism.
I've always loved the "Cajun accent".
And this comment has exactly what to do with Bobby Jindal? His "accent" doesn't come anywhere near being Cajun. Baton Rouge and Metarie are not Cajun Country.
Hence the scare quotes, Freder. If that is the best you can do, I'm sorry for you.
"Sounds Great".
Intelligent Design, against abortion of any form, been governor for 5 months.
Wow, so Miss Thang likes a christianists.
Like everything I'm hearing this morning about oil prices convinces me that all the politicians have to be unelected at once and we start over with actual people in November.
AaaaaaaaaMEN!!!!!!!!!!!
Saw a brief clip of Durbin castigating oil industry CEO's for the high gas prices and high corporate profits refusing to accept that the industry is a capital intensive enterprise, and that global demand is outstripping production. And all the while refusing to admit Congresses own energy stupidity proposing an anemic to non-existent policy consisting of windfall taxing and opening strategic reserves.
NYT
I understand that windfall profit tax in the '80's reduced production of oil and increased imports. And also that there are 21deep drilling rigs in the world and Petrobras (Brazil) has tied 80% of offshore deep water drills.
Palladian: I'm not a policy wonk. I don't like all taxes, but feel that taxes serve a purpose, so the idea of "raising taxes" for one doesn't scare me. I despise politically-religious types and anti-intellectualism.
On the other hand, I like guns, property rights, and dislike nanny-statism.
Obama seems to have a rational mind. To think things through. I may end up disagreeing with him, but I don't think the disagreement would stem from bad faith arguments that he would make.
He loves his wife, didn't divorce and remarry for money (Kerry and McCain). Doesn't need a ghost writer to pen his own books (Bill and Hillary).
He's not some "tabula rasa" that I can pin my hopes on. I don't have hopes. I just want a composed, elite, and thoughtful man as President.
He's not going to be king, he's not going to draft bills, he's going to run foreign policy, run the justice dept. and sign legislation.
thats it. People make too big a deal out of the whole thing. Your cities mayor has more impact on your daily life that POTUS ever will.
I read Little Green Footballs on many occasion; I am pretty certain that McCain will lose a lot of pro-war Libertarians if he nominates anyone who cottons to creationism.
I read LGF too. Enough to know my beloved Lizards are not your average Republicans, anymore than Kos Kidz are your average Liberals.
Moreover, this election is not about wants. That was 1964/1980/1996/2004.
A lot want Hillary; they're not going to get her. Some wanted Huckabee; they're not going to get him either.
It's an election about bareknuckle politics. Most crafty duo, wins.
Cheers,
Victoria
I read Little Green Footballs on many occasion; I am pretty certain that McCain will lose a lot of pro-war Libertarians if he nominates anyone who cottons to creationism.
I just don't understand why people get so worked up about the prospect of creationism. It's not like evolution/natural selection plays a role in daily life for more than 0.01% of the population. All things being equal, I'd prefer they didn't teach that kind of thing in school, but all things being equal, I also wish state schools didn't waste our money endowing chairs and departments on fake subjects like womens' studies or queer studies or Asian-American studies or whatever. It's not morally abhorrent, and it doesn't affect me personally, so I'm not going to make a big fuss about it.
UWS don't even justify why you have any feelings of "like" for Obama.
You will be taken to task here for your views.
I can't believe Miss Thang thinks someone that believes in intelligent design sounds great.
Amazing.
Jindal is butt ugly too which doesn't help.
Please, take Jindal!
He looks good on paper, but he's an empty suit.
And this will fit right in with his whole employment history. He takes on a job, and immediately starts angling for something a bit better. He entered the governor's race just weeks after winning re-election to the House. He obviously was planning to run for governor, so it would have been thoughtful of him, not to mention fiscally responsible, to step out of the House race in time for his party to run someone else.
His big ethics reform after taking the governor's office? His office is excluded from all the reporting and so-called sunshine laws. No one gets to know what lobbyists are meeting with the governor.
And yes, he's pushing for Creationism in the curriculum of public schools.
The local conservatives aren't thrilled either, as he's done nothing to cut spending and backpedaled on a promised tax cut.
He's all show, and very little substance. That's been the hallmark of his tenures in the hospital and university administrations.
I'm rooting for Bobby as the future of the GOP. Take him, he's all yours.
Crist is gay (allegedly) so perhaps we will get that gay president sooner than we know.
Hence the scare quotes, Freder. If that is the best you can do, I'm sorry for you.
Did you see Paul McCartney on Leno?
I just love the "Manchester accent".
I don't even know what that means. Was it meant to be funny?
The future of the republican party is intelligent design?
That sounds like a winning future.
I don't even know what that means. Was it meant to be funny?
I'm sorry Freder. I really don't do divisive argumentation. Goodbye.
I did a pilot last night.
If Obama is the new JFK, Jindal is the new RFK.
Heh, that's very apposite, Ruth Anne.
I'm beginning to dislike him already.
I think Jindal has a great future, but I hope he stays in Louisiana a few more years to help the state! God bless! Padre Steve
Balfegor: When in a queer studies course, one ponders how many fairies dance on the head of a pin--it is a literary discussion.
When in a quantum physics class and one ponders how many angels dance on the head of a pin--you retard civilizations hard won gains over nature.
The first could be a book in the Library of Alexandria, the other a step towards burning it.
I just don't understand why people get so worked up about the prospect of creationism.
I don't know if I get worked up about it, but let me point out that America's preeminence in the world is due in large part to her scientists. A strong science curriculum in schools is what has helped keep American scientific advancement going.
Why undercut all of that by teaching ID or creationism or the Bible or whatever nom du jour it's going by these days?
Just saying that the concept creationism should be also be mentioned in schools along with the theory of evolution doesn't necessarily mean that Jindal "believes" in creationism. Maybe he does...I don't know. I don't care.
Advocating that the idea of gay lifestyle (Heather has two mommies) be introduced in schools, doesn't make you a lesbian either.
"On the other hand, I like guns, property rights, and dislike nanny-statism."
And you think Obama and a Democratic House and Senate bowing and scraping towards him will give a flying fuck about those things? Obama wants to heal your soul! He wants to loosen your bitter, clinging grip on those guns. As his wife said:
"Barack Obama is the only person in this race who understands...that...we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken....I am married to the only person in this race who can heal this nation....[Barack] is going to demand that you shed your cynicism.... Barack will never let you go back to your lives as usual!"
"Obama seems to have a rational mind."
Seems to?
"To think things through. I may end up disagreeing with him, but I don't think the disagreement would stem from bad faith arguments that he would make."
So you'd vote for a politician with whom you disagree just because their bad policies were made in "good faith"?
"He loves his wife, didn't divorce and remarry for money (Kerry and McCain). Doesn't need a ghost writer to pen his own books (Bill and Hillary)."
All irrelevant.
"He's not some "tabula rasa" that I can pin my hopes on. I don't have hopes."
You don't have hopes and you're supporting Obama?! Mon Dieu!
"I just want a composed, elite, and thoughtful man as President."
You want an elite as President? Dear Lord, maybe you did choose the correct candidate.
"He's not going to be king"
Of course not. Why settle for the temporal when you've got your sights set on Messiah!
"he's not going to draft bills, he's going to run foreign policy, run the justice dept. and sign legislation."
Yes, he's going to sign any and all legislation that the Democratic majority in both Houses send to his desk. The entire government (save the Supreme court, for the moment) will be a well-oiled Democratic machine, turning every whim and fancy into law, as happened during the Bush presidency until 2006. You think that was an expensive and dangerous time for the country? You ain't seen nothin' yet.
"Your cities mayor has more impact on your daily life that POTUS ever will."
Oh great, that sure cheers me up.
"Why undercut all of that by teaching ID or creationism or the Bible or whatever nom du jour it's going by these days?"
You mean, like teaching global warming (and scaring the crap out of 3rd graders) as if it is a solid fact????
"Barack Obama is the only person in this race who understands...that...we have to fix our souls. Our souls are broken....I am married to the only person in this race who can heal this nation....[Barack] is going to demand that you shed your cynicism.... Barack will never let you go back to your lives as usual!"
He laid hands on Hillary to heal her sociopath tendencies. Will he succeed?
Is he the Christ of Cone's black lib theology?
Mock at your peril.
When in a quantum physics class and one ponders how many angels dance on the head of a pin--you retard civilizations hard won gains over nature.
We are, for the most part, not talking about quantum physics courses. Or anything on that level. We're talking about high school biology classes at public schools. You know, colouring pictures and labeling pictures of bones or cell organelles or whatever. Making collages.
I don't know if I get worked up about it, but let me point out that America's preeminence in the world is due in large part to her scientists. A strong science curriculum in schools is what has helped keep American scientific advancement going.
If a strong science curriculum in public high schools was a keystone of American greatness, then we have a lot more to worry about than creationism. In fact, I do agree that scientific advance is a key component of America's success, I just don't think American public high schools have much to do with it, because our public high schools are, on average, crap. Rather, our private higher educational institutions are the envy of the world, and the best and brightest of the world end up coming here as a result, pursuing their advanced degrees and enriching us by their discoveries.
I went to a decently ranked public high school in an upper-middle-class neighbourhood in California. Yes, "decently ranked" in a backwards educational cesspit like California doesn't mean much, but honestly, it was a pretty good school, at least by California's banana republic standards. It sent graduates out to the Ivy league, Stanford, Berkeley, etc. regularly. I took AP Biology there. And we learned nothing in that class. Anything we learned, we learned from cramming on our own for the exams.
This is the paradigm I'm looking at here. School districts can say they want to "teach" creationism, but there's so little learning going on in public schools that what they put in the curriculum is an irrelevancy. This is the same problem we run into with debates on abstinence vs. condom use -- it doesn't matter what you say because the students aren't listening to you in the first place. It's a heated debate conducted on matters of minor importance in an atmosphere of total fantasy.
Now, if creationism gets put into the doctoral program at MIT, then yes -- we might have a problem. Or even if creationism gets into the elite magnet schools, like Thomas Jefferson, then yes, I could see there being a problem. But the curricula we are talking about are being shaped by locals. And the issue is whether local districts get to exercise this kind of control in their curricula, for better or worse. This is, how you say, an extremely minor issue. We're talking about a handful of districts across the US, against the backdrop of an irreparably broken public educational system that can't teach basic maths and reading comprehension let alone evolution.
We have much bigger public education problems, problems we need to solve before a handful of school districts teaching that evolution is "only a theory" and that their lord god and master created the world in 6 days should even be registering as a concern.
Peter Hoh wrote:
Sanford or Pawlenty.
I forsee pawlenty of puns in the horizon if he's chosen.
/i'll get me hat
Cheers,
Victoria
Rather, our private higher educational institutions are the envy of the world, and the best and brightest of the world end up coming here as a result, pursuing their advanced degrees and enriching us by their discoveries.
And what about our public universities? Even you in the next paragraph mention Berkeley.
Our public education system, including the science education in it, was the envy of the world. It is being destroyed, not by the teachers unions, but by people like you who constantly deride it, refuse to fund it and claim it is irrepairably broken.
I went to an excellent high school and I learned a lot in my chemistry, physics and biology classes
Richard Nixon was 39 when nominated as Eisenhower's running mate.
Jindal is the future of the party.
Jindal is the new Nixon. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that.
I don't like all taxes, but feel that taxes serve a purpose, so the idea of "raising taxes" for one doesn't scare me.
Of course they serve a purpose. It’s the purpose part that bothers me. Many dislike money spent on Iraq. I dislike money spent on yet more failed social programs or bridges to nowhere or funding art projects.
On the other hand, I like guns, property rights, and dislike nanny-statism
How the hell can you even begin to rationalize supporting those issues yet vote for Obama? That’s like saying I like welfare programs and support gay rights and going to vote for Ronald Reagan.
Obama seems to have a rational mind. To think things through.
You’re kidding. You mean like the one where he’s going to tax oil company profits so they can in turn 1) pass those costs to the consumer or 2) reduce production to avoid the windfall threshold (whatever that is) altogether? Yeah, brilliant plan. That’s about as thought through as Custer’s plan at Little Big Horn.
You admit to not being a policy wonk but you appear to be completely uninformed.
Berkeley (and a few others state schools, like UMich Ann Arbor) is a respected institution. Doesn't have the cachet that Harvard or Yale have, though, nor is it a magnet for foreign attention and respect the way Harvard/Yale and Stanford are (although it does have huge numbers of foreign students).
Our public education system, including the science education in it, was the envy of the world. It is being destroyed, not by the teachers unions, but by people like you who constantly deride it, refuse to fund it and claim it is irrepairably broken.
Re: high schools, well, I rent so I don't think I pay the property taxes that fund the local schools. But a lack of funding is not the problem most public schools have. The experience of DC's execrable public schools (2007-08 per pupil spending of $24,000, probably mostly sucked into useless administrative jobs), and the awesome failure of the Kansas City experiment ($2 billion spent over 12 years, fantastic gleaming campuses, no effect on student performance) suggest that what we lack is not money but competence. Besides which, my own public high school was -- as I made sure to note -- in a fairly well-to-do neighbournood, full of the children of doctors and lawyers and professors from the local colleges. We didn't have a funding problem. The school was just ineffective.
Our public education system, including the science education in it, was the envy of the world. It is being destroyed, not by the teachers unions, but by people like you who constantly deride it, refuse to fund it and claim it is irrepairably broken
Oh Freder come off it. Refuse to fund it? Like we have a fucking choice. 95% of my property taxes go right to funding schools. Open your eyes and look at the curriculum that is being taught. Maybe less money devoted to football and more to chemistry class eh?
Re: high schools, well, I rent so I don't think I pay the property taxes that fund the local schools
I'm all but certain your landlord makes sure you do. Whoever owns your apartment complex or home is paying the tax and is simply passing it down to you.
Jindal would have to be crazy to take a VP slot on this ticket. He's in a good position where he is now and has a long career ahead of him still. He can wait for the anti-Republican backlash to die down and then run in eight or twelve years.
He can wait for the anti-Republican backlash to die down and then run in eight or twelve years.
Don't worry, Rev. Apart from anomalies like Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, Republicans don't do "too young".
Our problem, if you want to call it that, is quite the opposite...
Jindal interests me, even makes me excited for the future, but not in the way of it does Democrats of Obama. I'm not looking for a hope, a vision, a dream or anything I can't poke and watch it spring back.
Cheers,
Victoria
AA logic, of a certain kind:
"It would make it impossible to argue that Obama is too young to be President."
You wish. But there's nothing for Lefties to worry about here. It won't be Jindal or Romney. They are just in there to make it appear as though McCain actually considered others before choosing his buddy Crist.
his buddy Crist.
It's not going to be Crist, P. Rich. I'll stake all my brassieres on this, trust me.
The ideals are wrong, the timing is wrong, the lack of experience is wrong, even the name is wrong.
What would Charlie Crist Do?
"George Bush merely talked to God. John McCain has him as a running mate!"
Etc. Etc.
Heh, that's actually funny. I hope Leno pays me royalties.
Jindal would be terrific as VP under McCain. Just go listen to him (any YouTube will do) and see if you're not impressed. I don't agree with all of his agenda items, but he's for real.
I voted for him in the previous LA governor election, the one that Kathleen Blanco won because the rednecks would (slightly) rather vote for a woman than vote for someone with dark skin. But if he had won that election, which he lost by a narrow margin, then the entire Hurricane Katrina response would have been 180 degrees different. Jindal would have had effective people in state government, which is where most of the blame lies. I also voted for him as my Congressman, where he served well. He's an Immigrant-American of the best kind, and loves his country unquestionably.
He's honest and intelligent, a great family man, and a true believer in limited government, lower taxes, and strong foreign policy. He could probably solve the universal health problem if that were his portfolio.
He certainly has a few kooky ideas and policies IMO, but that would make him a perfect fit with McCain in running the country.
But he's too young for this year's election. Too bad.
Oh, and as far as the whole lot of Veep candidates, here's my take:
DEFINITELY NOT! -- I really hope McCain has the brains and guts to just pass these folks by. If he picks one, it will be crass pandering** and/or total abandonment of principle IMO, plus a few of them are idiots not worth their reputation.
Joe Lieberman
Mike Huckabee
Ron Paul
Haley Barbour
Carly Fiorina
Tom Coburn
Charlie Crist
Liddy Dole
Rudy Guliani
Tom Ridge
Christie Todd Whitman
Tom Tancredo
** and the pandering probably would not have the desired effect -- it just wouldn't work anyway!
WOW BUT WON'T HAPPEN -- interesting folks but probably can't happen this year, for a variety of reasons.
Bobby Jindal
Condi Rice
Jeb Bush
J.C. Watts
Marsha Blackburn
Paul Ryan
Fred Thompson
Colin Powell
Any qualified Hispanic
SERIOUS CHOICES -- my version of the possible short list.
Mitt Romney
Rob Portman
Tim Pawlenty
Newt Gingrich (?)
Mark Sanford
Sarah Palin
Chris Cox
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Jon Huntsman
... and quite a few others, I'm sure. But why aren't there more female candidates?
OK, Victoria. We've got a bra bet. What size? Heh heh heh...
Cereally, McCain owes Crist big time, and they have connections that go back a ways. I hope you are right, but I don't credit McCain with necessarily being inclined to make the best objective political decision here. That would be, I think, Romney. Nor do I believe he will necessarily listen to wiser, cooler heads on this subject, if he ever does. In short, I'm not hopeful of an optimal outcome for Republicans.
"read Little Green Footballs on many occasion; I am pretty certain that McCain will lose a lot of pro-war Libertarians if he nominates anyone who cottons to creationism."
Oh yes, the crucial "Pro-war libertarians" half of whom are high on drugs, & the other half are so busy playing computer games or surfing the net they don't vote.
I think McCain can afford the lose that .000001 percent of the voting population.
Oh yes, the crucial "Pro-war libertarians" half of whom are high on drugs, & the other half are so busy playing computer games or surfing the net they don't vote.
I don't know about "libertarians" as such, but there are plenty of people who normally vote Republican who are both scientifically literate and socially moderate/liberal -- around a third of the party in all.
Bad enough that we're being asked to vote for a big-government type like McCain. Throw in a big-government religious mongoloid like Huckabee and the deal's off -- I'll take my chances with an Obama presidency.
"I don't know about "libertarians" as such, but there are plenty of people who normally vote Republican who are both scientifically literate and socially moderate/liberal -- around a third of the party in all."
Sadly, most of them live in Blue states. They are irrelevant to electing a president. Most of them live in New England, Pacific NW, Calf, etc.
In any case, if you vote based on opposition to ID - then go vote for Obama. Anyone who bases their vote on something so unimportant is an embarrassment to thinking Republicans.
P. Rich wrote:
OK, Victoria. We've got a bra bet. What size? Heh heh heh...
;)
Cereally,
Silly wabbit.
McCain owes Crist big time, and they have connections that go back a ways.
Hmm, that I didn't know. Care to reveal?
I hope you are right, but I don't credit McCain with necessarily being inclined to make the best objective political decision here. That would be, I think, Romney. Nor do I believe he will necessarily listen to wiser, cooler heads on this subject, if he ever does.
These are two narratives about McCain, which you are falling prey to:
1- He's a grudge-holder
2- He's got a nasty temper
Whilst both may or may not be true (like you, I think they are), I think the McCain we saw in '00 is clearly not the McCain of '08.
He's closer to the Presidency now, than he ever was. He will make wiser, or least, more politically expedient choices.
This actually works against him with some Independents, who were in favour of him in 2000, precisely because he was more maverick-y then.
In short, I'm not hopeful of an optimal outcome for Republicans.
It's a Democratic year, there's no doubt about it.
But the Democratic Party isn't helping their own cause at all.
Cheers,
Victoria
UWS Guy wrote:
Obama/Webb? Can you say republican wilderness?
Can you say it's not gonna happen?
Check this out(Via Instapundit/Prof Bainbridge):
Virginia Sen. Jim Webb (D), who has not made a 2008 endorsement, blamed antipathy towards affirmative action—and not racism—on Wednesday for Barack Obama’s lack of support among the Scots-Irish in places like Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
“We shouldn’t be surprised at the way they are voting right now,” said Webb in an interview with MSNBC. “This is the result of how affirmative action, which was basically a justifiable concept when it applied to African-Americans, expanded to every single ethnic group in America that was not white. And these were the people who had not received benefits and were not getting anything out of it.”
Wow. Scratch him off the shortlist. :P
Cheers,
Victoria
Jindal is the affirmative action candidate, as every conservative and every Republican can attest with certainty.
Jindal would never be considered for this position if he was white, as every conservative and every Republican and Geraldine Ferraro can attest.
So much for merit.
Sadly, most of them live in Blue states. They are irrelevant to electing a president.
Most of the social conservatives live in red states, and thus are also irrelevant to selecting a President.
The five biggest swing states for 2008 are, in decreasing order of size, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. All five states have significant populations of Republican voters who are both economically conservative and socially liberal. Of the smaller remaining swing states, around half -- Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and New Hampshire -- have a strong libertarian streak.
Keep in mind that the libertarian-leaning Republicans I'm talking about are also the ones most alienated by the Bush administration, which has focused on the war and on social issues while ignoring economic ones.
Wow. Scratch him off the shortlist.
I don't know, Victoria... that sounds like exactly the kind of attitude Obama would need to balance out the ticket. It might alienate some Hispanics, but the gains among poorer white voters would more than make up for it. I doubt the impact on Asian voters would be significant, since they get hurt by affirmative action as often as they get helped by it.
doubt the impact on Asian voters would be significant, since they get hurt by affirmative action as often as they get helped by it.
I am more sceptical of his chances now than you, Rev. But either way, don't worry about the Asian voters feeling maligned by his comments.
I've noticed they are (generally-speaking) not as concerned with Affirmative Action as are other minorities.
And...
Jim Webb is married to a Vietnamese-American, Hong Le Webb. ;)
He is now married to Vietnamese-American securities and corporate lawyer Hong Le Webb. Hong Le was born in South Vietnam and escaped to the United States after the fall of Saigon. She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hong Le and Webb have one child together, Georgia LeAnh, born 2006. Hong Le also has a daughter, Emily Nguyen, from a previous marriage. Webb speaks Vietnamese.
I've also noticed that those who are married to minorities, and espouse shall we say, unPC views feel very comfortable about speaking about these views, almost as if that gives them a security shield. After all, what are people going to say? That they're bigots? Toughie.
Cheers,
Victoria
Freder said...
"if they don't find out (or care) he basically called all protestents heretics."
All protestants are heretics.
We don't make a big deal about it anymore but you will be in Purgatory or at least Limbo for quite a while unless you take the cookie and follow the latest newsletters from the pope.
I thought Limbo was closed for redecorations.
What does "Asian" voter mean?
Do you mean "Indian"? I can assure that the Korean/Filipino/Chinese/Japanese Americans feel no connection AT ALL with a Roman Catholic with roots in the subcontinent.
Newsflash. Just because someone isn't white or comes from the same continent doesn't mean they feel a connection with other non-whites.
Some of the nastiest anti-black comments I've ever heard have come from Chinese/Japanese friends and co-workers. They would of course call it being honest.
Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers reports that the levees in the New Orleans area suffered from a lack of evolution, causing them to break and flood during Hurricane Katrina.
Right-wing Christians were quick to counter that the levees were also short on intelligent design.
Rocean, if you meant me, I use terms in their North American sense whenever possible. So Asian here = East Asian.
And yes, I agree about the elasticity of minorities' opinions about each other.
Cubans tell me some of the worst racism they've encountered in Miami, are from blacks. And vice-versa, of course.
Victoria
Apparently out of the blue John McCain endorsed Crist, rather than a past McCain supporter also running, when Crist announced for the Florida governor's race. It's not at all obvious why he did that.
Then Crist strongly endorsed McCain and they ran all over Florida campaigning together, which no doubt caused - or certainly helped - McCain to carry the state and gain a lot of momentum (amplified no doubt by the fact that Florida is viewed as a "key" state by both parties).
Maybe the odd quid pro quo has been resolved; but if that's so, why would McCain imply that he is considering Crist for a running mate, which I believe he has done.
For what it's worth, here is a quote from Elephant Biz, a Republican political blog:
Talk of a Crist as a potential Vice President for McCain is warranted. The two previously campaigned together in Crist's first race for Governor in 2006 and a have long standing campaign relationship.
But hoo nose. Mystery all around, and I am not referring to Crist's sexual predilections. Really.
Victoria,
Not directed at you specifically. But someone made the comment that Jindal would appeal to "Asians" - completely false, unless you mean Indians.
He will appeal to newsstand Indians, not casino Indians. Get it right.
Cubans tell me some of the worst racism they've encountered in Miami, are from blacks. And vice-versa, of course.
Nice touch, that vice-versa. Makes you the even handed arbiter and observer, On high, as it were. Above the fray. Kind of a white man's burden angle. The kindly, tolerant, dispenser of understanding, if of nothing much else. But doesn't that make you a bit of a racist, Vicky dear? Looking down benevolently on the lower order hatreds of the lower orders?
Cheers,
ricpic
How about a poem ricpic?
Just to change it up a little.
I always enjoyed your poems.
Especially the haiku's.
You! A law professor. Practically endorsing someone who may believe that God created the heavens and the earth.
The whole thing gives me the willies. Ought to be disallowed. I'm a nominal conservative and I usually don't go in for censorship. But some things are beyond the pale of reasonable discourse.
Oh yes, the crucial "Pro-war libertarians" half of whom are high on drugs, & the other half are so busy playing computer games or surfing the net they don't vote.
Hey, I usually remember to vote.
But hoo nose.
Heh. I may hat tip you one day.
Mystery all around, and I am not referring to Crist's sexual predilections. Really.
Hmm, thanks for the info. I knew he had endorsed him, but not that they were so chummy.
OTOH, I do remember reading that Charlie Crist was being schmoozed the other day, at a Washington function, by none other than Karl Rove. I don't think there's any love lost between Camp Bush and Camp McCain, to put it mildly, though.
Cheers,
Victoria
Good evening fellow republicans. How is everyone tonight?
We are going to be having a spectacular weekend here and I can't wait.
I am going to Fire Island-woo hoo.
Is "Bobby" Bobby Gindal's real first name or did he change it?
Just curious.
I actually enjoy listening to him speak. He is wicket smart. He's a fast talker. I am sure he is uncut. I could do without the social conservative stuff though. But he is a politican in the deep south and I suppose it is a requirement to get elected down there.
Crist has a nice tan. Very Florida.
The pilot I did last night was an Indian (India Indian) who was from London and had a British acccent.
That combo is very hot. If you ever happen to have a chance to do and Indian with a British accent definitely do it.
Although you will be dealing with the foreskin-be warned.
"Piyush", Titus.
Sounds more Yiddish than Barack. He missed his opportunity to go into vaudeville with that name: Piyush Finkel.
Titus: His birth name is "Piyush" and he has never legally changed it. The family lore goes that about the age of 4 or 5, he declared that his name is "Bobby" and required people to call him that. He selected "Bobby" because it's his favorite TV character: Bobby Brady.
He graduated high school at age 16 and converted to Catholicism from Hinduism at age 14.
Bobby Brady
Here's a story
Of a rare clumber
Who was bringing up two uncut hogs of his own.
I like the name Piyesh. Very cool. Wish he would use it-sounds exotic.
I mean Piyush-sorry.
Here's a story
Of a rare clumber
Who was bringing up two uncut hogs of his own.
I love that poem. Very creative.
I would like him to go with Pawlunty. I kind of like him.
Here's a photo of Pawlenty.
He's balanced the state budget twice (2005/7) without raising taxes. He went to U of Minn Law. He did a kind of reverse Jindal, in that he was raised RC, but converted to Lutheranism.
In other news, according to Kaus, Obama picked Walter Mondale's campaign manager lo lead his own VP selection process.
You know, because he and Gerri Ferraro are practically kin...
"Please tell me that Obama has not picked Jim Johnson, Walter Mondale's campaign manager and an an architect of the multi-billion dollar Fannie Mae debacle, to lead his vice-presidential selection process. . . . Obama's rhetoric about avoiding the old Washington players always seemed to me the phoniest part of his message. Now we know just how phony."
Dear God.
Cheers,
Victoria
Victoria, if you like SITC Sarah Jessica Parker is going to be on Letterman tonight.
Ahh, I was too busy with the Kindle to have caught this in time, Titus.
Abt. SJP, to paraphrase her about blow-jobs:
She's not my favourite dish on the menu, but I'll order her from time-to-time.
Bonus pts if you can name the episode. ;)
Thanks tho'. 8 more days.
OK, Victoria-one of the main characters die in the movie.
I have done my research and have heard it is going to be Charlotte.
If, and that is a big if, it happens, that will be kind of devastating.
Ahh, what the hell d00d. You totally ruined it for (us) me now!
And I don't believe it for a moment. So there, hah.
Cheers,
Victoria
P.S.: In Psycho, Tony Perkins is cross-dressing as his dead mother.
Mwahaha!
I've finally figured it out. Victoria-closet racist, holder of blacks and hispanics and all other "lesser breeds" as her White Christian parents taught her, to a lower standard, is lightning quick to accuse all those, like me, who hold blacks and other non-whites to the same standard as whites of, guess what? racism.
That's all, folks.
Cheers,
ricpic
So is ricpic off his meds or what?
vbspurs said...
Joe, Michael Steele is right up there for me, with Romney, Giuliani.
I'd love it if it were Steele!
Steele would not get through vetting, I think. Besides only being elected once to a non-exec position as MD lieutenant Gov, he has no exec private or public experience, and has an unfortunate personal history of financial mismanagement.
Nothing says "4 More Years of Bush Policy!!" like the mention of Condi Rice as VP.
Jindal and Palin are barely settled in office. Both could use more experience. It is such a pity that Jindal lost to Blanco - if he had been tested in Katrina, and triumphed despite the incompetence of Nagin, and the dysfunctionalism of the NOLA scum - he'd be a surefire choice.
I like Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Pawlenty. Kay if Team Obama somehow leaves the impression with much of the female voters that Hillary was given short shrift.
I think Romney is by far the most able to be VP, but I'd far prefer Romney to be in the Cabinet of McCain or Obama, tasked with dealing with one of the three great crises America faces:
1. Health care insurance is denied 55 million working Americans, and is killing us in global competition in industries that now have to add health care costs onto all products they had hoped to make and export.
Teddy Kennedy and Mitt Romney collaborated in creating a State health care system that serves all, allows choice, and retains private sector innovation. It has kinks, and was not the system either wanted, but a compromise.
Now Teddy wants a last hurrah, and taking Mass Care nationwide, reforming Medicare - with Romney spearheading the Team is something that can be bipartisan. And, doable, if Teddy says Romney is the man he would back.
2. The immediate energy crisis. If McCain is elected, he can appoint Romney as Energy Czar to craft a national energy plan that would have a goal of going from 72% dependence on foreign oil, much from our enemies to 35%. And in the energy plan, rescinding laws that block that goal, and any laws that would block us from a systemic program for reducing CO2 emissions over 20 years, and a plan that will transition the US off most current oil uses in 30 years..
3. If Obama OR McCain are elected, Romney makes sense at Treasury if either wish to have some guy they can occasionally spout off on - as Mitt goes about fixing parts of the Dubya Bush fiscal disaster.
If you look at things and believe that America has urgent fixes needed and only a brilliant technocrat can do them and McCain or Obama are unsuited as leaders to do themselves - then Romney would be wasted as a VP.
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