Gov.Bobby Jindal is GOP Indian-American Whiz Kid
Louisiana Governor Dodges Rumors He Is Running for President
Nov 22, 2008
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal enjoyed attention at the Republican Governors Conference and went to Iowa in November to address a Christian conservative group, but he says, repeatedly, that he has the job he wants and he is not running for president. It’s his way of being cool about the Republican nomination rumors that have been swirling around him and in national media for months.
Jindal is one of several Republican governors and former governors being considered to help redefine and re-image the party. The rumors accelerated when John McCain invited him and two others to his Arizona home when the GOP nominee was considering vice presidential candidates.
But in an interview with WWL-TV in November, Jindal said that anybody who wants to campaign for president in 2012 "is crazy to go out there and start running" this early.
Although he will be only 41 years old by 2012, Jindal will have served six years as a high level administrator in Baton Rouge and Washington, four years as a Congressman and at least four years as a governor.
Youngest Governor
He is currently the nation's youngest governor and the first Indian-American ever elected governor of an American state. He has maintained high approval ratings in his first year as governor, pushing through a strong ethics package in his first legislative session.
He was heavily criticized in mid year for initially refusing to veto a highly unpopular doubling of legislative salaries. After he finally vetoed it, some legislators accused him of going back on his word to support a raise.
Jindal received some national criticism for backing a law that some educators say will allow the teaching of creationism in public schools. He was raised as a Hindu but converted to Catholicism in high school and has referred to his religion frequently in his campaigns. He has a strong following among Christian conservative political groups.
He faces some tough times as governor. With his backing, the legislature cut taxes in 2008, increased spending and now faces a huge deficit brought on by the drop in the prices of oil, a major source of state revenue.
Genuine Genius
His career has been on a fast track for a dozen years:
- 1996 (At 25 years old)--Governor Mike Foster, who referred to Jindal as a genuine genius, named him secretary of Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals. He was credited with turning that agency around, but was also accused of shutting medical clinics to build a surplus.
- 1999—Appointed the youngest-ever president of the University of Louisiana System
- 2001—Named Assistant Secretary of Health & Human Services in the Bush Administration
- 2003—Ran for governor, leading in the first primary but losing to Democrat Kathleen Blanco in the general election. Part of his campaign message was that he was a problem solver, not a politician.
- 2003—Moved from Baton Rouge to Kenner to run for Congress in Louisiana’s most conservative district. Won easily.
- 2007—Won the governor’s race with 52% in the primary, defeating 11 opponents.
Oxford Rhodes Scholar
Jindal graduated from Baton Rouge Magnet High School at 17 and from Brown University with honors in biology and public policy. He was accepted by the Harvard Medical School and Yale Law School, but went instead to New College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and received a masters degree in political science.
He was born in Baton Rouge to Raj and Amar Jindal shortly after they arrived from India to attend Louisiana State University graduate school. His parents named him Piyush but he adopted the name Bobby while still a youngster.
References:
- Bobbyjindal.com
- Associated Press, Nov. 21, 2008
- WWL-TV, New Orleans, Nov. 19, 2008
- Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, by David Moormann, Suite101.com, Jan. 16, 2008
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
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