Louisiana Gov. likely to run, says Senator.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal is an “obvious” choice to be a candidate for the presidential campaign in 2016.
Or so thinks Senator David Vitter (R-LA). In an interview on C-SPAN this past Sunday, Vitter said that it was “very obvious” that Jindal was planning to campaign for the Presidency in the 2016 election.
The statement, a surprisingly definitive one, comes after months of playing coy on Jindal’s part. Whenever asked if he was thinking of making a White House bid during the next Presidential election, Jindal has always replied that he isn’t thinking about it, that’s it too far off to make that call, and that he has other pressing issues to worry about.
But now it seems that, in fact, Jindal is quietly gearing up behind closed doors to run for the Republican ticket in 2016. Calling him a “significant candidate,” Vitter – who is said to be mulling over a bid for Jindal’s gubernatorial seat when he abdicates it in 2015 – said “I like Bobby, I respect his leadership, [and] I agree with all of his political values.”
If Jindal really is going to run, he’ll have stiff competition within his own party. The GOP will be fielding several candidates in the primaries, and a few have already stood out as likely to win party support and take on the eventual Democratic nominee (which, at this point in time, looks like it will be Hillary Clinton).
Texan Senator Ted Cruz, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and Wisconsin Representative (and 2012 running mate of Mitt Romney) Paul Ryan are all names that have been bandied about in relation to the 2016 election. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and some others, even including John McCain’s 2008 running mate Sarah Palin, have also been mentioned, meaning the field is incredibly crowded on the GOP side.
Jindal was perhaps right whenever he said that it’s simply too early to be looking at 2016, but next year will be critical for the Republicans. With Democrats reeling from the failures of the Obamacare launch, the GOP is looking to seize momentum and shift the political spectrum in their favor.
Jindal has been critical of his party over the past several years, which has won him admirers and made him some enemies, but he will likely ride the tide of good favor as he makes a firm decision about his Presidential candidacy.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com