Veep veep!
Oyster quoted the Reduct Box who quoted the Washington Times that said:
Governor Bobby Jindal is escorting Senator John McCain around New Orleans today and by all accounts it’s not just for exercise. Between the Leno gigs and DC Press club speech, Jindal’s playing his VP ambitions about as cool as a Freshman at the Senior prom.
Now, I respect Oyster’s opinion on many things, but we happen to disagree on Jindal’s ambition for higher public office. Oyster does not believe that Jindal wants the VP position, even though he feels Jindal will use such talk to propel him onto the national stage.
The problem with this is twofold. First of all, nobody should take Jindal’s thirst for power for granted. Jindal, and the people around him, drool at the opportunity to climb that political ladder. If politics was an art-form, the way that Jindal has been able to manipulate not only the voters, but the media as well, would be on the level of a Picasso.
Second of all, I don’t think Jindal would risk losing this buzz by not pushing for his spot as VP this time around. Jindal currently is the owner of “the buzz”. If he allows someone else to become the VP candidate and is unable to slay more dragons in the next four years, he risks losing the national notoriety that he currently holds. He could become yesterdays news and I really don’t think Jindal wants that or will allow that. The other reason Jindal needs to hold onto the buzz now is because Bobby Jindal has never held a job for more than 2-3 years. This gives him time to get out before anyone realizes that he has made things worse and not better. If he stays as Governor too long, the voters may realize how badly he misled them.
What will likely happen is that up until the time he is selected, Jindal will continue to play “Mr. Modest” and say how he has work to do here. However, he will never stand up and say “no, I don’t want to be VP this time”. So when McCain asks him to be his choice, he will gladly take it and use this opportunity to sell himself nationwide.
The Reduct Box also points out that Jindal refuses to say “no” when asked about whether he will be VP.
Saying that McCain is not going to ask him to be VP does nothing to clarify what Jindal would say if he did.
April 27th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Jindal is right that McCain is not going to ask him. He’s not. (I have very good inside sources on this one, btw.) I don’t underestimate Jindal’s ambition, but it’s not blind ambition. He has a plan. Jindal wants to use the current Veep buzz to get the keynote speech at the GOP convention. That will set the stage for future Presidential “buzz”, if and when McCain and Pawlenty (or Crist) lose to Obama and Webb (or whomever). As for the risks of Jindal losing his “national notoriety”, I think that’s stretching it a bit. Jindal doesn’t really have national notoriety right now. Besides Louisianans and politicos, no one really knows who he is. He and his crew want to run a national Presidential campaign of their own in 4 or 8 years, not carry water for Dole Part Deux, during this incredibly inhospitable year for the GOP.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
So, one big day as keynote speaker would give him better coverage than multiple vice presidential debates, campainging across the nation, showing himself to multiple audiences all over the map? Even if McCain does lose, he would get much more press as the “up and coming Republican superstar”. And Jindal has, as of yet, been able to be a “media darling” where even a loss will be somehow spun as a positive for him.
Of course Jindal doesn’t have blind ambition. I just don’t think that Jindal can risk 8 years. I don’t see him being able in 2012. If McCain wins, Jindal wont go against the Republican incumbent. If the Demcorat wins, it would really depend on how popular the Democrat would be. Jindal would not be wise at all to run against a popular Democrat incumbent. So Jindal would be banking on a Democrat who is unpopular after 4 years. I don’t think that is something they can afford to risk.
Jindal has enougn national notoriety to be on Jay Leno tomorrow night. After Leno, he will have more notoriety. I firmly believe that Jindal going on Leno will be used by McCain to see how Jindal plays on a national level. If he gets a positive response by the Republican base, how can McCain not consider him?
As for Jindal being right about McCain not picking him, I would have to hear it from the source. However, this discussion isn’t about whether Jindal will get picked. It is if Jindal would say yes (and if he wants it).
April 28th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I have no idea if McCain would ask him, but I have no doubt that he would accept it. His reason would be that he could do so much more for Louisiana in a larger forum. You’re right - this bunch is power hungry.
April 29th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
“So, one big day as keynote speaker would give him better coverage than multiple vice presidential debates, campainging across the nation, showing himself to multiple audiences all over the map?”
Since he has a damn good chance to be keynote speaker, and a damn small chance to get the Veep nod, then yes, a big day as keynote speaker fits quite well into his plans. Jindal understands that he’s not in the top tier of McCain’s potential Veep candidates, but that doesn’t mean he won’t fully savor the “buzz”. (He probably prefers it this way– the hard core conservatives who like Jindal have very little love for Mac.)
“I just don’t think that Jindal can risk 8 years.”
The dude is in his mid-30’s. I promise you that he and his crew think they can “risk” it. Actually, most conservatives actually think that Obama will be a one term president a la Carter. They view this as a 1976 moment, when they “take one for the team”, nominate an unloved “moderate” candidate during a tough year for Republicans, and then get a chance to have a “Reagan-type” candidate in 1980.
But even if Obama serves two terms, in Jindal’s mind, he’ll be the perfect age (44) to run in 2016. And he’ll be able to start planning a national campaign almost immediately after being re-elected in 2011. Or he could be a serious Veep contender in 2012, and much of your current analysis would apply very well to that scenario.
(Btw, the Veeps will likely only debate once.)
April 29th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Oh, I have no doubt that being a keynote speaker would help Jindal regardless of what his plans (or the plans of those supporting him) are.
And I absolutely know that he is fully savoring the buzz, regardless of what he does with it.
But as I said in my more recent post, I don’t see any other potential candidate getting showcased on national late night tv spots.
Most conservatives may view Obama as a 1 term candidate, that doesn’t make them correct. I believe that Obama will do an outstanding job if elected and will more than likely cruise to victory with token opposition. Any serious Republican candidate would likely wait 4 more years.
The reason I don’t think he can risk 8 years has nothing to do with his age and has everything to do with the buzz he currently holds. Who is to say that some other “wunderkind” won’t come up the pipe over the next 8 years? Besides, Jindal hasn’t held a job for over 3 years (let alone 8). By the time 8 years passes, you will actually be able to see the results of his tenure as Governor. It is much easier to tell people all about the dragons that your new strict ethics reform will slay than it will be to explain (8 years later) why your ethics reform failed to slay any dragons.
And even though the VEEPs may only debate once, he would still have the opportunity to speak in front of many large groups of conservatives.
McCain may go for someone else. However, if asked, I cannot see Jindal saying no.