Although he strenuously denies an interest in
the presidential race, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is acting like a
potential candidate for the White House. Over the last year, Jindal has taken
approximately 40 fundraising trips out of state, hired a number of expensive
out-of-state political consultants and developed contacts with powerful...
Republicans throughout the
country. Currently, the Governor has just over $7 million in his campaign
account and has raised approximately 40% of his money from out-of-state donors.
Not surprisingly, his fundraising forays have focused on the voter rich states like
Texas and Florida. Many of these donors undoubtedly
view Jindal as a player in national politics and someone who is a rising star
in the GOP. No other Louisiana Governor in recent history has developed such a
national donor base of supporters or cultivated such a high profile in the
media. Governor Jindal is a frequent guest on Fox News and is quite often
featured at Republican political and fundraising events. In April, the Southern
Republican Leadership Conference will hold its conference in New Orleans and Jindal will speak to
attendees from around the South. Joining the Governor on the program will be
potential presidential candidates like former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour among others.
All of this national focus has
not hurt Governor Jindal politically in Louisiana.
He remains very popular in Louisiana and
stands at 70% approval, but much of his focus is on events outside of the Pelican State. In July, the Governor will take
the next step when he releases his book, a traditional move for politicians
looking to run for national office. Not surprisingly, former Massachusetts
Governor Mitt Romney will be releasing a book this year, while Palin recently
finished a nationwide tour promoting her best selling book. Jindal’s book will
not focus on Louisiana
issues, but on problems facing this country. The title of the book is
“Returning to America’s
Core Values” and we should expect the Governor to commence on a hectic national
tour to promote his book, which will only add to the speculation about his
future political plans.
