Pat Dollard | Young Americans

Conservatives Give Jindal Thumbs up as McCain’s VP

By Josiah Ryan - (CNSNews)

Conservative leaders are rallying around Bobby Jindal, the 36-year-old Republican governor of Louisiana, as a possible vice presidential running mate for presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Jindal met with McCain in Sedona, Arizona, last week but says he wants to keep his job as governor for now.

“Bobby Jindal is a great American,” Grover Norquist, president of the conservative group Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), told Cybercast News Service. “He is great on guns, great on taxes, a Roman Catholic, a Southerner and an Indian-American. Bobby Jindal would be great for the GOP and perfect for McCain.”

“Bobby Jindal is one of the more outstanding shining lights of the Republican Party,” said Bill Donohue, president of the conservative Catholic League. “Everything we have learned about him so far is very positive.”

“Bobby Jindal is a rising star in the Republican Party — he is an outstanding governor,” stated Ralph Reed, a political strategist and former president of the conservative Christian Coalition. “He has moved swiftly to recover from [Hurricane] Katrina and also usher in a new era of ethics and standards in Louisiana.”

Jindal is the youngest serving governor of any state and would be the second-youngest vice president in the history of the United States if chosen by McCain and if Republicans win the November presidential race. (Jindal turns 37 in June; the youngest vice president in U.S. history was John Cabell Breckinridge who, at 36, served under President James Buchanan from 1857 to 1861.)

Speculation that Jindal could be chosen as a GOP running mate started in February after popular talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh mentioned on his show that Jindal would be a good choice. Jindal is “the next Ronald Reagan,” said Limbaugh.

Morton Blackwell, president of the conservative Leadership Institute, said that the reforms Jindal has already made in his home state show that he could be an excellent choice for vice president.

“Jindal has already been a remarkable benefit to the conservative movement. I wish we could produce hundreds of people of his philosophy, talent and character,” said Blackwell. “I would be happy enough to select him as a vice presidential candidate.”

But in response to Limbaugh’s “Reagan” comment, Blackwell noted that while Jindal is charismatic, he is no Ronald Reagan.

“Ronald Reagan was a movie star,” Blackwell stated. “Bobbie Jindal is not a movie star, but he has a winning personality. When people get to know him, they empathize with him strongly. He inspires people towards confidence with his remarkable personality.”

Donohue also expressed concern that Jindal’s age could weaken McCain’s argument that Obama is too young to be president. “That argument would be at risk of imploding,” said Donohue.

But Blackwell said age could actually work to Jindal’s advantage. “Jindal does not have long years of political battles that would make it easy for the left and the media to ‘villianize’ him,” said Blackwell. “He is squeaky clean.”

Blackwell added that it matters to conservatives who McCain chooses as his running mate. “I think McCain’s choice of a veep running mate is the single most important thing in demonstrating what kind of an administration he would have,” he said.

“I think if McCain wants to unite the conservative base behind him, it is very important that he have a strong conservative running mate who will inspire confidence in the coalition that is necessary to elect him,” Blackwell stated.

Jindal, meanwhile, said that while he is flattered by the praise, he doesn’t want the job of vice president.

“First of all, like anybody whose name has been put on such a list, it’s certainly flattering,” Jindal said at the National Press Club in Washington on May 3rd. “I’ve said it before … I’ll say it again. I’ve got the job I want.”