Barack Obama hasn’t even been sworn into office and rumors are already churning as to who will challenge him in 2012. As I mentioned earlier, Sarah Palin is already topping opinion polls while Mike Huckabee has begun making return trips to Iowa with Palin hot on his heels. But could the field already be getting full without “W” even issuing his final pardon?
Like the president-elect, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is young (37), accomplished (a Rhodes scholar) and, as the son of Indian immigrants, someone familiar with breaking racial and cultural barriers. He came to Iowa to deliver a pair of speeches, and his mere presence ignited talk that the 2012 presidential campaign has begun here, if coyly. Already, a fierce fight is looming between him and other Republicans — former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who arrived in Iowa a couple of days before him, and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is said to be coming at some point — for the hearts of social conservatives.
Jindal, who was elected Louisiana’s Governor in 2007 says he only has one race in mind, alluding to his re-election 2011. But even if (most likely when) he wins re-election, speculation will be rampant about a presidential bid. And videos like the one below will only increase between now then. The WaPo refers to Jindal as the GOP version of Obama. The difference is that with Jindal, experience won’t be an issue.
(H/T – RedState)
I don’t see where the race can begin in any significant way– until the GOP figures out where it’s going in the next few years.
While I agree with you, that’s never stopped an American political party before.
Hillary was considered the inevitable Democratic candidate in 2008, just a year ago. As they teach at the War College, “no battle plan survives contact with the enemy”.
There’s an old joke about two little kids at the beach, alone, and they decide to take off their duds and go wading. The girl looks at the boy and said, “Gee, I didn’t realize there was THAT much difference between Republicans and Democrats”.
And while that’s a joke, there is a VERY real difference in how they run for office. Will Rogers got part of it right when he said he didn’t belong to any organized political party, he was a Democrat. And Chris Matthews gets part of it right when he says Republicans fall in line and Democrats fall in love.
If there’s an acceptable Republican that stands out early in the race, other Republicans will drop out rather than challenge him. But what happens if both Palin and Jindal are polling well, come December 2011?
One thing is clear: it’ll be interesting.
Eric, this beginning of the 2012 campaign is partly about where the GOP is going to go. We have had the first round of the fight–the House leadership elections. The second round is coming up in January when the GOP picks its Chairman.
But what does it communicate to the remainder of the Party if the leading contenders for 2012 are clearly Jindal, Palin and Romney? Does that do something to indicate the direction of the party? I think it does. If the “squishes” like Christ and Graham (is that serious?) are kept in the background I think we have another round in the fight to make sure that principled conservatism returns to the center of the GOP.
Good point, Joel. It’s moreso a public playing out of the internal GOP debate– than an early Presidential race.
As another indicator: it’s been funny to have so many of my social conservative friends express a new interest in Ron Paul in the past two months!
That IS interesting. I certainly would like to see the libertarian leaning Republicans poke their heads up a little in the party–even if they did get whacked around in the primaries. We need to know where they are coming from and if they want a voice in the direction of the party, this is the time to let it be known.
Ron Paul was not my kind of guy, but more on style than anything else. But the Ron Paul supporters were remarkable in their ability to raise money and did fairly well at organizing. I liked their enthusiasm.
I think the general direction of the party will probably be set by the first quarter of 2009–at least for the 2010 election cycle. It could change for the 2012, but I really doubt it.
But what does it communicate to the remainder of the Party if the leading contenders for 2012 are clearly Jindal, Palin and Romney?
Maybe it means voters are tired of Nixon, Dole, and Bushes? This year was only the 2nd presidential ticket since 1950 that the GOP didn’t run one of them.
Maybe it means that they want something fresh, exciting, and new, someone with energy and new ideas?
A politician should show a certain amount of flexibility, a willingness to compromise, an ability to adapt – but Romney is willing to express three contradictory ideas to three different audiences within the same morning. That’s not a statesman, that’s a used car dealer. He hasn’t caught on to the fact that the internet exists, and I don’t expect him to survive as a politician unless he develops some personal integrity.
Biden got into trouble for calling Obama “clean”, but nobody will ever call Palin that. She’s got dirty laundry she needs to take care of. And that’s a shame, because she comes across well. It’s not lack of knowledge about national and international affairs that threatens her at this point; that’s easy to acquire. Lots of people are willing to tell you what you need to know. If she develops a greater sense of honesty and personal integrity, she’ll be hard to beat.
Bobby Jindal seems to be awfully smart – and the fact that he’s trying to lay low indicates that he’s got street smarts as well. After decades in which GOP candidates have tried to make a virtue of ignorance, Jindal is a refreshing change.
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