Althouse: "Anybody on the Republican side even thinking or talking about running for president in 2016, I’ve said needs to get their head examined..."

February 4, 2013

"Anybody on the Republican side even thinking or talking about running for president in 2016, I’ve said needs to get their head examined..."

Says the ever-helpful Bobby Jindal.

ADDED: In Jindalworld, the GOP is, right now, the stupid party, so anyone who currently believes he should be the candidate is stepping up to lead The Stupid Party and must be stupid. First, make the party smart. Then, we can talk about whether who should be leading it... obviously, someone who stepped up not to lead it in its present stupid form but who stepped up to make it smart. Which would be Jindal. Get it? He's running.

There! Did I examine his head well enough?

37 comments:

Colonel Angus said...: Considering the insurmountable debt and deficit spending Obama has foisted on the nation, the GOP should indeed let the Democrats own it.; 2/4/13, 10:37 AM
Stephen Taylor said...: Governor Jindal became governor in a state with an extremely competitive political environment; he knows whereof he speaks.; 2/4/13, 10:37 AM
Bob Boyd said...: Like I said before, I like Jindal, but the Republican Party's biggest problem isn't stupidity, its fear.; 2/4/13, 10:38 AM
edutcher said...: Possibly a little battlespace prep by the good Gov for his own run?

And Bob is absolutely right.; 2/4/13, 10:40 AM
Brew Master said...: So, the solution is to cede power to your political opposites?

I fail to see how this is helpful to his party, but maybe thats just me.

Frankly, IMO, anybody who wants to pursue political power needs to have their heads examined.

First, the level of scrutiny on an average persons life is so brutal as to remove the vast majority of decent people from running. Who hasn't made mistakes in the past that can be exploited as smears?

Also, those that push through the gauntlet in order to achieve power are the least trustworthy to wield it. Is there really any politician out there that you would trust farther than you can throw a dead cat?

Such a perverse situation, no one worthy of governing in the modern era will even attempt it, and only those that are unfit are allowed to achieve it.

We are screwed.; 2/4/13, 10:42 AM
test said...: Jindal has a couple of big strikes against him, especially that he attended or participated in an exorcism while in college. People need to understand their limits, and he's reached his. He'll never be elected president and his attempts to thrust himself into the spotlight hurts those who have a chance.; 2/4/13, 10:45 AM
Wince said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/4/13, 10:45 AM
Wince said...: Are we going to be forced to listen to Jindal's non-stop projection about how phantom others in his party are doing it harm by doing exactly what he's doing at the very moment he speaks?

Saying "stupid things". Needing "their head examined" for "thinking or talking about running for president in 2016."

Jindal seems to know "his own truth".; 2/4/13, 10:46 AM
WaitingToBuy said...: Brew Master said:
Frankly, IMO, anybody who wants to pursue political power needs to have their heads examined.

First, the level of scrutiny on an average persons life is so brutal as to remove the vast majority of decent people from running. Who hasn't made mistakes in the past that can be exploited as smears?

Obama was elected and his history is awful. In oue future Hollywood movie stars with be elected. This country is dead.; 2/4/13, 10:55 AM
campy said...: So, the solution is to cede power to your political opposites?

There is no solution. But since no republican can ever win the white house again, it's stupid to waste time and money trying.; 2/4/13, 10:57 AM
Synova said...: After the last couple of times I have to agree with him. Anyone would be stupid to run because what works will get repeated and there will be an all out effort to destroy that person and their family *utterly*.

Personal destruction works.; 2/4/13, 11:01 AM
Colonel Angus said...: But since no republican can ever win the white house again, it's stupid to waste time and money trying.

Not necessarily. They could just change platforms and outdo the Mommy Party in offering more free stuff.; 2/4/13, 11:01 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Althouse's definition of smart subtracts my self-interest, and that of my family, from the political arena.

Yes, that seems smart to me.; 2/4/13, 11:02 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Althouse, do you foresee a time in the future when the stupid people, that is, people whose self-interest you dislike, will be entitled to political representation again?; 2/4/13, 11:03 AM
Synova said...: "Like I said before, I like Jindal, but the Republican Party's biggest problem isn't stupidity, its fear."

I think this is true. It's all - OMG Jindal went to an exorcism! OMG - Perry's family painted over a rock! OMG! OMG!

OMG! Obama's political career was launched by a domestic terrorist!

Uh... waitaminute... that should be - YAWN! Obama's political career was launched by a domestic terrorist.

My bad.; 2/4/13, 11:05 AM
test said...: Synova said...
After the last couple of times I have to agree with him. Anyone would be stupid to run because what works will get repeated and there will be an all out effort to destroy that person and their family *utterly*.

Personal destruction works.

This is true but it isn't what Jindal said. He believes Republicans shouldn't be running a campaign now. Instead they should be governing and finding better ideas so when it is time to campaign they're prepared.; 2/4/13, 11:05 AM
edutcher said...: campy said...

So, the solution is to cede power to your political opposites?

There is no solution. But since no republican can ever win the white house again, it's stupid to waste time and money trying.

I'm sure people were voicing similar sentiments in '44 and '48.; 2/4/13, 11:14 AM
Chuck said...: I thought Bobby Jindal became "the representative of stupid" after his embarassing Response-to-the-State-of-the-Union-Address-Response.; 2/4/13, 11:47 AM
machine said...: ...the stupid party...

Ya burnt! By Jindal!; 2/4/13, 12:09 PM
Anonymous said...: Fixed it for you, Bobby: "A majority of American voters think that the government is trying to do too much for everyone but themselves."; 2/4/13, 12:16 PM
campy said...: I'm sure people were voicing similar sentiments in '44 and '48.

How are the Whigs and Federalists doing these days?; 2/4/13, 12:17 PM
southcentralpa said...: Anyone's who able to thread the "free-market populism" needle will do quite well indeed, so long as they can keep their head down until the media figures out TG is not that into them...; 2/4/13, 12:39 PM
Drago said...: campy: "How are the Whigs and Federalists doing these days?"

Not so well considering the former went defunct in the mid 1800's and the latter was history in the early 1800's.

Oh, wait.

You were being all "clever" and "insightful".

Well, at least you think so. That's got to be worth something, right?; 2/4/13, 12:53 PM
Ben Morris said...: He's not saying anyone would be stupid to run in 2016, he's saying that anyone who is preoccupied with 2016 instead of thinking about how to fix the party *right now* is stupid.

Though I agree it's ironic that he's probably making this statement mainly because he's thinking about 2016.; 2/4/13, 12:54 PM
Drago said...: On the other hand, if the dems are successful in handing out citizenship like candy to what will be a flood of about 20 million low educated, low skills immigrants and can get alot of them into Texas, it is debateable whether or not Republicans would be able to win the White House again for at least a generation without becoming even more like the dems.

Demography is destiny.; 2/4/13, 12:57 PM
Revenant said...: Jindal's trying the McCain approach -- attack Republicans to get the media on his side, then cash in the reputation as "the reasonable Republican" to secure the nomination later.

Problem: in the end it didn't work too well for McCain, did it?; 2/4/13, 1:34 PM
Richard Dolan said...: Pay no attention to the chatter. Just watch what they do. What those interested in 2016 will do is to start building a team, trying to identify who among the players might support them, and all the while earning chits they can use later. And they will do it quietly (for now). Including Jindal.; 2/4/13, 1:38 PM
Joe Schmoe said...: Rev, I was also thinking how Jindal might be the new Maverick of the GOP, but didn't McCain support more progressive causes than Jindal has a this point?

I'll withold the maverick appellation unless Jindal goes all gooey on big gov solutions, profligate fiscal policy, or more expansion of gov into social endeavors.; 2/4/13, 2:15 PM
dreams said...: The liberal media (liberal culture) will not allow a Republican to be elected president now that they realize just how powerful they are.; 2/4/13, 2:46 PM
bleh said...: I know this shouldn't matter, but on aesthetics alone Jindal is unfit. He may be smart, he may be hard-working, but he looks like a nerd and a creepy one at that.; 2/4/13, 2:51 PM
Synova said...: Okay... so Jindal, in an interview, said this... in response to what question? The article makes no attempt to present the context.

It may not be at all about attacking other Republicans, it MAY have been an expression of general reluctance to declare himself at this point.; 2/4/13, 2:52 PM
Known Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/4/13, 3:52 PM
Known Unknown said...: The Collected Works of Machine are on sale at Amazon. Four pages of snarky fun!; 2/4/13, 3:56 PM
Cedarford said...: I suppose it takes someone involved in an exorcism to weed out the "evolution-denying, right to life, you can't get pregnant from ACTUAL rape" cretin goobers of the GOP.; 2/4/13, 4:29 PM
Saint Croix said...: The basic problem with Jindal is that he looks the 98-pound-weakling that gets sand kicked on him in the comic books.; 2/4/13, 5:15 PM
Aaron said...: I think a very wise move by the GOP candidates would be to support a simple law that creates a hard cap on bank size of 100 billion, and a cap on leverage. I would also include a requirement of performance bonds for banks - The top execs must come up with an amount of funds based on a percent of the bank's size that will be forfeit if the bank fails.

I think a whole lot of people would be happier with smaller banks, and no more TBTF.

I'd also keep hitting on school vouchers.

These are bread and butter middle class concerns.; 2/4/13, 6:13 PM
Cedarford said...: Saint Croix said...
The basic problem with Jindal is that he looks the 98-pound-weakling that gets sand kicked on him in the comic books.

=============
Same as the Black Messiah??; 2/4/13, 7:04 PM