It's that time again; Bobby Jindal kicks off the speech season -- in Iowa

Hard to believe this much time has passed already since the 2008 presidential election. But here we are only 37 months away from the Iowa caucuses.

And only 32 months till the Ames Straw Poll.

And here goes Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal speaking at a fundraiser for the Iowa Family Policy Center (you remember them) at that familiar Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines.

The 37-year-old Jindal made light of the occasion, of course, joking to some 800 curious listeners that it was way too soon to be making political speeches. "You might want to consider getting involved in some kind of recovery program," he suggested to a receptive audience on his first trip to the Hawkeye State, as noted by MSNBC's First Read.

But, of course, that's exactly what he was doing anyway in the form of speaking about family. "As a parent," said Jindal, knowing his conservative audience had precisely the same feelings, "I'm acutely aware of the overall coarsening of our culture in many ways."

Jindal took the tack that many non-Washington Republicans instinctively know is the right one nowadays, giving the president-elect some time and room to succeed or fail on his own without the constant carping that hurt Republicans more on Nov. 4.

"'Whether you voted for him or not," Jindal said of the new president, "whether you supported the new leaders of Congress or not, they're our president. They're our Congress. They need our prayers. They need our support."

Then he proceeded to talk some about his chief executive work back home in Louisiana, a kind of political introduction and plenty of mingling with the audience, who may remember he was there, come 2011. Jindal will be back. Same for Mike Huckabee. Probably Mitt Romney. Sarah Palin will pack them in sometime down the road.

Not so much because any of them have decided what they're going to do come the next leap year. But because they and their strategists want to be ready just in case.

You can bet the bayou that Jindal went home with a pocketful of names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses. His staff will fire off thank you messages to those folks today or tomorrow. And they'll stay in touch.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credit: Associated Press

Comments

[Malby]

Bobby, you have a day job. Can't you spend at least TWO years doing it? Like most of my local pols in LA (Villaraigosa, that means you). I'm tired of politicians financing their campaigns with government paychecks. GO back to work and run on your ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

[Lee4]

Governor Jindal should be back in Louisiana governing and helping the residents of Louisiana who have been poisoned by the FEMA trailers.

Adults and children alike, are suffering from many illnesses having to do with those trailers. It's been well publicized.
Perhaps it's too unglamorous a job.

Perhaps, ambition comes before honor for this man.

[CranialRectalLoopback]

I wonder if the right-wing nut jobs will push the meme that he looks like a terrorist. At least Obama looked like a good old American black man.

[Rory]

The GOP should try something different than talking about Family Values. Newsflash for Republicans, Reagan is dead, deal with it.

[harlon]

Piyush Jindal in 2012? What is wrong with America? We don't need another muslim who claims to be a Christian in the white house. The first thing Louisiana should do is stop hiding his birth certificate and release it!

[Manish Patel]

This guy is so full of it...he is a fake convert, a fake chiristian, a fake overall. Please dont judge all Indians based on this idiot.

[Michael Sullivan]

Jindal doesn't stand a chance. Anyone who doesn't already know how much the Republican Party hates minorities (unless they're window dressing) is even more clueless than Sarah Palin at a geography bee.

[Sims]

Jindal should be making those speeches in his own home state of Louisiana---the state of his State will come back to haunt him for sure. Jindal has a lot of work to do in Louisiana before he make a claim that he can run the Nation. Jindal also has some out of the main streem religious thought that might not appeal to his base " the religious right". Morals with his unmoral republican party will not win the day---he is very much on the wrong path.

[Sims]

8 years is a long time to wait.

[Ron1951]

Too bad that Bobby Jindal doesn't know the damages made by hurricanes when he promotes offshore drilling as safe. Remember, he told us that there were no damages from Katrina and Rita--in direct opposition to official reports from the Departments of Interior and Homeland Security. Even this year there were damages from Gustaw and Ike.

Offshore drilling is not safe, and Californians should not start fouling our waters with oil from the platforms and pipelines which can be damaged by fierce winter storms.

Unless, of course, we want to become a socialist state like Alaska and amend our constitution to take a percentage of all the oil that passes through our state. But is this a good trade-off for spoiling the enviromment?

[Ron1951]

Too bad that Bobby Jindal doesn't know the damages made by hurricanes when he promotes offshore drilling as safe. Remember, he told us that there were no damages from Katrina and Rita--in direct opposition to official reports from the Departments of Interior and Homeland Security. Even this year there were damages from Gustaw and Ike.

Offshore drilling is not safe, and Californians should not start fouling our waters with oil from the platforms and pipelines which can be damaged by fierce winter storms.

Unless, of course, we want to become a socialist state like Alaska and amend our constitution to take a percentage of all the oil that passes through our state. But is this a good trade-off for spoiling the enviromment?

[anna]

Bobby Jindal needs to go back to Louisiana and take care of all the bad stuff there. For instance Racism, hate crimes, KKK, etc. Until he can come to terms with that he is not qualified to be President. WHY are the Rep so focused on 2012 when we are in a bad financial crisis? You would think that if they cared about this country and this economy they would be focused on solutions for today and not their egos. Thats why they will not win a term in 2012

[joshquasimoto]

Jindal has been on a fast track in Conservative circles ever since he was policy guy with Health and Human services in LA. From the surface Gov Jindal seems to be a caring family man with a good background in hard-work and dedication. One vould say that he is ambitious. My hope is that readers will have a look at the state which Gov Jindal resides in, the problems that state carries and how Gov Jindal plans on solving those issues. Louisiana is a state which has great natural wealth in terms of resources both Oil, fishing and transport industries. However the economic inequality between the have's and the have not's is great. This is not all the fault of either the people of Louisiana or the government but is the product of both. If we as outsiders were to pick a state that examplifies all the the US can do both governmentally and privatell I am afraid Louisiana would not be the first state to look at. So my hope is that Gov Jindal will be able to respond to the overwhelming issues affecting the community and state of Louisiana.

[Anne]

I think it's great that Gov. Jindal is on the campaign trail so early. He has proven in the past that he is an excellent exorcist. In college and later, he has cast many demons away from unfortunate souls. We need a commander in chief who speaks in tongues! Jindal/Palin 2012!

[donvey lindsey]

shouldnt he be in louisiana

[P Kayne]

I have have to say I am tired of all this talk about these Republicans who want to run for 2012. The president-elect hasn't even been sworn in.

The GOP should work on revolutionizing their broken party. Casting out all the evangelical Right-wing Christian extremists and town idiots who have hijacked it. Until they prove that they are really concerned with working for their constituents instead of taking advantage of them. They don't have a chance.

[O.]

You mean [PiYush Jindal]

Bobby is his nick name, not his Legal Name...

PiYush has some Explaining to do, regarding his name and he was in fact a Follower of [Hinduism] until his High School Graduation, out of Necessity and Political Convenience Jindal became a [Roman Catholic]...

Yet Jindal still practices Hindu Beliefs [ He and his Familiy are also Vegetarian as all other Hindu's]

He chose the name Bobby, as the Jindal Myth goes, based on Jindal's love for the Bobby charecter in the TV Classic [The Brady Bunch]

Bobby...

I mean [PiYush Jindal] you have some Explaining to do...

Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Tim Pawlenty & sarah Palin will have a Field Day on You, during the Republican Debates, on these very Facts.

Good day All

The O-Man has Spoken

[KCinBK]

Jindal's record in LA thus far is deplorable plain and simple. However he poses a much stronger threat than Palin. He understands his constituents and continues to tailor and groom himself in an image that is to "the base" of Republican constituency. Such as his religious conversion and moral based governance that he preaches. Unlike Palin he is really educated and really knows what, where, and when, he is talking about at a given time. Furthermore his race removes much of the stigma that minorities placed on the gop. His presence may revitalize the gop's long lost black voters providing a viable alternative that does not appear to be another out of reach white gop-er.

[mm]

wow - this guy has not even started campaigning, and the left is already demonizing him. Typical.

[zees]

Wow some pretty ignorant folks here...Piyush Jindal was born a HINDU NOT A MUSLIM. and really what does a terrorist look like? brown or arab? It saddens me that still people are so ignorant and operate on fear rather than decency and a willingness to get to know others. pathetic...

[frug]

"I'm acutely aware of the overall coarsening of our culture in many ways."

Two decades of right-wing radio has taken its toll.

[scurvybro]

What is it with Republicans and their fondness for believers in creationism? In addition to Jindal, two other individuals who are seen as potential GOP presidential candidates in 2012 are Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee. If the Republicans want to nominate someone who regards "The Flintstones" as a documentary, that's OK with me. I'll have lots of fun with that.

[karen]

Good luck in convincing the republican base that a brown man isn't a muslim and was born in America. They seemed to have a lot of problems with that this year.

[Yvonne E]

To MM, three posts above me, how do you know the people criticizing Booby Jindal are democrats? It could very well be residents of Louisiana; yet you jump to the unfounded conclusion because Jindal is Republican, he must have been criticized by Dems.

I consider myself a liberal, yet I am THOROUGLY impressed by Gov. Jindal academic record -- Brown and Oxford. I don't know much about his track record as governor though

About his conversion, it is a sad testament to the fact that unless you are christain, regardless of you American citizenship, you will not make head way to the highest office (the white house). He has to temper his South-Asian Indian heritage with main stream American culture so as not to become an OTHER; like the right wing tried to depict President-Elect Obama

Only Gov. Jindal knows the reasons for his conversion; let's NOT accuse him of hypocrisy!

[xgb]

I'm struck that "The O-Man" apparently believes that vegetarians are evil people who have no business aspiring to the presidency of the U.S. Would it be so bad if the U.S. had a vegetarian president?

[MaryO]

He is governor of a state whose largest city is the murder capital of America and he's campaigning in Iowa!!!?? In November 2008!!!??? If he could fix Lousiana and New Orleans he would build much more credibility than he will talking about his family values womewhere else. Go home, Bobby, drive around the Ninth Ward and St Bernard's Parish and come up with some solutions! If you can't or won't govern your own state, how could you possibly run the country?

[Phil]

Um yeah, why not?

I'm thinking Jindal/Palin '12

Save that ugly scene with the turkeys being slaughtered.

We'll need that.

[SouthernYankee]

Hey Bobby, You must be dreaming if you think you have a chance to win the republican party nomination. It ain't going to happen. They are the party of lilly white, narrow minded party.

[Louisiana Gal]

Gov. Piyush (Bobby) Jindal is an educated , well spoken man. He unfortunately is so far a terrible govenor. Louisiana's problems are hardly being addressed as he promotes himself for his next job. Louisiana's major city, New Orleans has just been NAMED Crime Capital of the US. The poverty level is horrible. Corruption throughout the government is rampant and the schools are terrible. He, even, chose to go away to school. I don't care what religion he is, what color he is, I just want a REAl governor and not someone who will use my state as a stepping stone without a backwards glance.

[BobN]

Can we all agree to stop putting lipstick on the pig? He's not talking about "morality". He's just plain anti-gay.

God, I'm sick of it.

[Catherine]

harlon,
Jindal is not a Muslim, he is a former Hindu, who converted to Catholicism when he was 14 years old.

Racists republicans like you are the reason the party is out of power and doomed.

[beebop]

Gee ... what an amazing amount of rancor from some of you bloggers. Too bad you didn't hold the Pretend President to the same high standards you are chastising Governor Jindal with. What experience does the Pretend President have again? ACORN?

[beebop]

MaryO

Funny thing, are you holding 0mama responsible for that crushing murder record in Chi town? And how many years has he repped South Chicago? Please.

[Mark]

Please, GOP. Elect this man. You need another creationist ultra-right wing Christian at your helm. Have Hagee endorse him right away. Get Pat Robertson to pray the witches out of this man NOW. Get the man to step up into every pulpit the mega-evangelical churches can muster. Once the next 4 years is over, your man Jindal will prove to the entire world the abject poverty-of-smart he really is. You will prove to the entire world the runaway ignorance of the man. You will think Palin was a genius next to this man, who really, truly believes dinosaurs were on the Ark, that the Earth was created in 6 days (Not 7. God rested on the 7th day), and that gays are the most horrible evil known to mankind - worse than Middle Eastern terrorists.

You need this man. That way you can sink your party into total oblivion. Better yet, why don't you just get Jesus to run for president. That's really what you want.

[karela]

Geesh! Don't we ever learn? The comments here are full of the same old junk about the color of Governor Jindal's skin, his religion and the spelling of his legal name. I fully supported Obama and intend to next time, but we should have learned something during the election just past. America is sick and tired of prejudiced and racial below the belt dirty fighting. I don't know much about Governor Jindal, but I've heard a few things he said and did that make me willing to listen before I decide what I think about him. Here's a novel idea: Let's give it try to listen to a person and make decisions based on their ability and issues instead of on their skin and religion. A lot of people who commented here know better than to behave like a bunch narrow minded boobies.

[azureblue]

bobby, clean up and rebuild Louisiana first, then we'll take a look at you when it comes time to run for president. But I can tell you this: if you fail to restore Louisiana, then you prove you aren't qualified to be president. these days, speechifying won't work- people can take a look at what you did and with whom, and see if you are fit. And right now, you aren't even fit to be gov.

[bobipiyush]

What about the 1B deficit in Louisian bugdet? What plan does he have to solve that one.

Piyush may be smart and all, but its difficult to personally like him
America votes for Presidents they like.
It impossible to relate to him

[bootup_hu]

Voted for Barack. I like Jindal and Huckabee. Won't vote for them, but at least they are compotent.

[Jay]

Jindal must come out of dreaming and does the right thing which he could do to L.He should not compare with Obama.There is no comparison to Obama.Obama is a World's first and Last wonder in his capacity, energy, attraction, fertile heart mind and soul, where anything can grow as long as he/she undersatnds him.Further if Jindal wants to become even a senator next time he must first change his party to Democrat .Not as a Republucan, he has no chance People may want Obama another eight years from 2016 Like the Newyork Mayor.Then Jandal will have to Go to India and run for Prime Minister.

[Stephen]

Jindal could definitely win the presidency, however I just don't see the Republicans having any chance at unseating Obama in 2012, I would wait until 2016.

[Tasia]

Our culture? Ain't this guy's heritage and culture Indian/Hindu? Our culture? His parents raised him as a Cajun or Isleno from St. Bernard Parish?

This guy is a fake christian who practice voodoo in college. I wish these fake republican conservatives stop telling us who we are suppose to be and act like.

[Joe Hill]

PLEEEEEASE run, Bobby....

It'll be so much fun to watch the bigots, xenophobes and faux-christian pharisees that make up the GOP's base tear their own party to shreds in an orgy of fratricide over an ex-Hindu Indian-American Republican candidate.

Oh, I can hardly wait......

[DEBORAH]

THAT IS THE CUTEST LITTLE BOY! WHAT AN ATTRACTIVE FAMILY.

[Teresa]

Bobby Jindal is a great man. He is trying (and succeeding) at turning around a broken state that's been overrun from corruption for years. So it's not perfect yet - you can't fix these things in such a short amount of time.

He's my #1 hopeful pick for 2012. I find him to be inspiring, intelligent, charismatic, and honest.

[John Carpenter]

Jindal has done more heavy lifting in two years for Louisiana than Obama did for Illinois as a Senator.

The man is a Rhodes scholar and would spank Obama in a debate. I 've seen both and while Obama is a formidable campaigner, he is no match for Jindal intellectually or as a politician who actually will roll up his sleeves to for the people who put him
in office.

[SimonNZ]

Jindal's a real peach. I read an interview he did with Rush Limbaugh right after the Virginia Tech massacre in which he said the incident really brought home to him the need to protect gun owner's rights. That's compassionate conservatism for you. Nice guy, huh?

[Jennifer Morris]

***COMMENT FROM A LOUISIANA RESIDENT***

Please, all ignorant individuals who have cast my Governor as a Muslim, as a terrorist, as a man with a "deplorable" record who has done nothing, I honestly hope your mothers get raped so that you can understand justice is needed in this country.

Driling for oil is a necessity. Trees need to go now- we need the room to build our economical infastructures.

Democrats want guilty criminals to live and innocent babies to die and they love terrorism and hate America. Democrats created racism and sexism and drugs. Democrats kill. Democrats are bad for the world. Democrats were behind September 11, 2001. Democrats made Hurricane Katrina. Democrats want all Americans dead.

[Daniel Z]

Jindal's record is far from what the Louisiana media has made it out to be. People claim that Jindal saved the Louisiana department of health by turning a deficit into a surplus. However, what those people will not tell you is how he did it. He did it, in part, by closing down rural health clinics in order to run up that surplus. Why would you keep closing clinics when you eliminated the deficit? The health ranking of Louisiana dropped from 48th to 50th during Jindals tenure. But you won't hear that in the Louisiana media.

Jindal ran for governor on a platform of ethics. Jindal supporters will tell you that Louisiana now has some of the strictest ethics laws on the books. What they wont tell you is that Louisiana, under Jindal, now requires a higher burden of proof to convict people of ethics violations. So while the laws may require more when it comes to ethics, Jindal made it harder for people to get convicted of ethics violations. So basically, unethical people will have an easier time getting away with their unethical behavior.

Jindal's administration also balked when a Republican legislator propsed more transparency on the Governor's office. In fact, in the last bill passed during a legislative session, language was sneaked into a bill that eliminated the Governor's office from the public records law. So now, Louisiana's Governor's office is the least transparent in the country.

So don't believe the stories about how Bobby Jindal is performing miracles down here in Louisiana.

[Lib4]

Yeah Jindal may wanna rethink a run at the Presidency in lieu of his god awful performance delivering the GOP response to Obama 1st address to Congress - Feb 24, 2009. Like Palin and Thompson before him he lot only lacks substance but style as well. Nice try GOP