[SAJAforum resources, sources, links for covering the 2008 Presidential race]
That's Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal and his wife, Supriya, at the airport (Phoenix or New Orleans, anyone know?) after their weekend at John McCain's home in Sedona, Arizona. He was one of three possible vice presidential running mates invited to hang out with John and Cindy McCain and various guests, including politicos, business leaders, etc. Also attending were two other possible VP candidates, Charlie Crist, governor of Florida and Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor.
The media, especially the 24-hour cable news networks (see MSNBC screengrab below), have been buzzing about the weekend, but this is just the start of the VP season, and there are plenty of other possible candidates on the shortlist, including Tim Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota (and host of the 2008 Republican Convention in St. Paul) and Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas.
From WWL-TV's text and video report by Mike Hoss:
Following a weekend with presidential hopeful Senator John McCain, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said he discussed a number of topics with the senator, except the possibility of being McCain’s vice presidential running mate.
“There was never any explicit talk whatsoever about a short list, about vice president, any of that,” said Jindal.
However, the governor did say he had several one on one moments with Senator McCain during his weekend trip to Arizona.
“It was a wonderful weekend,” Jindal said. “John and Cindy were very gracious. Not only did we have a chance to talk to him one on one, as well as in a group, we had a chance to visit with the other senators there, the other business leaders.”
From an analysis by Aziz Haniffa of Rediff/India Abroad, "McCain's invitation to Jindal "strategic":
Senator John McCain's invitation to Louisiana Governor Piyush 'Bobby' Jindal to his Arizona ranch for the weekend -- along with Florida [Images] Governor Charlie Christ and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney -- that re-kindled speculation that Jindal could be a potential vice-presidential candidate, is both personal and strategic, sources close to McCain told rediff.com. <snip>
The sources said personal, because McCain, who spent considerable time with Jindal in New Orleans recently, found the latter "personally engaging and intellectually impressive," and was "so taken with him" that he probably wanted to engage with him even more. <snip>
Strategic, according to the sources, because by inviting Jindal to his ranch and fueling speculation that the young Louisiana governor -- who turns 37 on June 10 -- could indeed be a candidate for the vice-presidential slot, he is reaching out to the far right of the Republican party that has been enamoured with Jindal in recent months and have been suggesting his name as a possible running mate on the Republican presidential ticket.
"This is a way of showing them (the conservatives) -- even if he has no intention of offering Jindal the vice-presidential position -- that he's not being dismissive of them but taking their suggestions seriously because they are a constituency he simply can't afford to write off," one source told this reporter.
From "Sedona Soundings," a blog post by Washington Prowler in American Spectator, a conservative website:
THREE'S COMPANY
Despite the hype around the Memorial Weekend gathering in Sedona at Sen. John McCain's ranch, only Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is being given serious consideration for the vice presidential nomination, say McCain insiders with knowledge of the ongoing vetting process. And even that serious consideration can only go so far."Jindal is the only one, but there seems to be general agreement that we need him to be the best governor he can be and a leader of the Republican Party more," says one McCain campaign adviser. "McCain has gotten a good look at [Mitt] Romney as a competitor and as someone who is running in support of his candidacy, and frankly he can't tell the difference. It's been a very educational process. Let's just leave it at that."
From an unsigned editorial in Friday's New Orleans Times-Picayune, "Have a lovely weekend":
Nobody here could blame John McCain for seeing potential in Gov. Jindal. But the governor's work has just begun here, and this state has tremendous needs that cry out for positive leadership. "I'm happy where I am. . . . I've got the job I wanted," Gov. Jindal said in March, when the subject of a vice presidential run first surfaced. He reiterated that sentiment this week.
We're happy he is where he is, too.
From Jindal: so far right, he's wrong for McCain? by Stephanie Grace, Times-Picayune staff writer:
It's billed as a social gathering, just a weekend among friends, although nobody seems to believe it.
For one thing, presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain and Gov. Bobby Jindal don't know one another that well, although McCain was reportedly mighty impressed with Jindal when the Arizona senator campaigned in Louisiana last month.
So for argument's sake, let's call the retreat at McCain's Arizona ranch a get-to-know-you session for the two men, along with two other possible short-listers for the vice presidential nod, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and a handful of other GOP bigwigs.
Not a group job interview, which would be, frankly, a little weird. Maybe more of a personal chemistry test. Comfort and compatibility with a potential running mate are important factors for McCain to consider.
Yet even if Jindal passes with flying colors, there's more for the presumptive nominee to keep in mind.
From John Gizzi's column in HumanEvents.com, a conservative website:
“It is very, very flattering,” Jindal says of the Veep talk, “But I’ve got the job that I want.
This is an historic opportunity to change our state. We won’t get a chance like this in our lifetimes again. I do not want to turn down something that I have not been offered. I have had several conversations with the senator and we have not talked about the vice-presidency,. I am very, very happy with the job that I have. I’ve got the job that I want. You can tell Bob that I am planning to run for re-election.”
By that election day in 2011, Jindal will be 39 -- and still have plenty of time for national politics.
From a Peoples Pundit entry on DailyKos.com, a liberal blog:
I'm not sure if John McCain is looking for any advice, but I say pick Jindal. Pick Jindal!
Is there any other one candidate who so effectively neutralizes practically every argument John McCain could have against Barack Obama? Experience? Gone. Jindal was just elected as governor of Louisiana just eight months ago and has barely had time to learn his way around the mansion, much less build up a track record or any achievement.
How about age? Can't say Obama is too young any more, Jindal is 10 years his junior. TEN full years. There are grad students all around the country who are older then Bobby Jindal.
These are mostly short mentions of Jindal. On May 22, one of the more in-depth articles on Jindal in the last two months was published by Seth Colter Walls of the Huffington Post. The article, "Who is Bobby Jindal? The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly", takes its title from this sentence: "LSU Political Science Professor Jeffrey D. Sadow says the new governor's first five months can be split into the good, the bad, and the ugly." See what Sadow, a registered Republican, has to say, and read the rest of the piece here.
Post your comments - and links others should know about - below.
What do you think? Any chance Jindal will be the VP candidate? Let us know in the comments section below. We aren't asking if you think he SHOULD be the candidate - WILL he be the candidate?
Our previous Jindal-as-possible-VP items:
- McCain to meet with Jindal, Crist, Romney
- April 2008 appearance on the Jay Leno show
- William Kristol says McCain staffers are floating McCain-Jindal ticket
- Rush Limbaugh's push for the ticket
- other conservatives' similar push
Coverage in the Indian press: Rediff | Times of India
