Bobby Jindel; Louisiana Governor - "A rise and a fall

As the media keeps talking about this guy could be Mcsame's VP, interesting article about him including where a recall was actually started in LA. Naturally this is in a european publication, haven't heard anything about this here.

Bobby Jindal’s broken promises may cost him dear

AFP NOT so long ago, Bobby Jindal was riding high. After sweeping into office in January, Louisiana’s 37-year-old governor—America’s first of Indian-American descent—had notched up his first big win, pushing an ambitious ethics package through the state legislature. He showed political acumen in the next session, too, managing to take credit for a tax cut passed by the legislature that his administration hadn’t sought or even wanted.

Mr Jindal’s youth, colour, brains and conservative bona fides stood out in a Republican Party that is increasingly seen as a bastion of old white people. So when John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, received the young governor in May at his Arizona ranch, people began to murmur that Mr Jindal might become his running-mate.

That may still be a possibility; but Mr Jindal’s star has dimmed of late. An article in the New York Times portrayed him as weak and noted that his “reformist image…has taken a beating”, and the local press agrees.

The criticism arose when lawmakers voted themselves a 123% pay rise. In fairness, their pay had not risen since 1980; but Louisianans were outraged. Mr Jindal tried to stay out of the fray, admitting that the rise was out of line but saying he wouldn’t veto it because he had promised to let lawmakers “handle their own affairs”. That cut no ice with voters, who reminded the governor that in one of his campaign mail-outs he had promised to veto legislative pay rises.

Talk-radio hosts and newspaper editorialists, many of who had been big Jindal boosters, fanned the flames. The governor’s ratings plunged. And though its chances of success were nil, a recall movement was launched. At the last moment Mr Jindal realised his straddle was not working, struck down the measure, and apologised.

He has now regained his footing, but he is damaged. Bernie Pinsonat, a pollster, noted that even if Mr Jindal came around in the end, the episode caused many voters to use “some very unkind words related to his spine”. And now the legislature is angry with him, too.

Louisianans have not forgotten the case of Buddy Roemer, the state’s last strongly reform-minded governor. Mr Roemer could not get along with the legislature, which ran circles around him, and he finished third in his 1991 re-election bid. Something similar may happen this time. Mr Jindal apparently promised not to touch the pay rise if lawmakers supported a bill, dear to his heart, that created a school-voucher programme for impoverished New Orleanians. The legislature upheld its end of the bargain. Next time, it might not.

Link: http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11707282

Proverbially speaking, of course...

I think it will be Huckabee or Romney.

There's an outside chance it's Fiorina or Crist.

But if McCain picks Jindal, he must want to lose.

as well. Not really sure who he will go with. Huckabee is a good guess.