Louisiana's Governor-Elect Piyush "Bobby" JindalHere's yet another disingenuous political commentary disguised as news story from the New York Times. Bobby Jindal's election as Louisiana Governor does not bode well for Democrats in the coming election and the media elites, epitomized by the Gray "Lady," are worried. Hence the drive-by report that follows.
By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: October 21, 2007
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 20 —
Bobby Jindal, a conservative Republican congressman from the New Orleans suburbs and the son of immigrants from India, was elected Louisiana’s governor Saturday, inheriting a state that was suffering well before Hurricane Katrina left lingering scars two years ago.
Nossiter tips his hand right on the first paragraph by assuming that Jindal's election is not a direct result of the incompetent blue state response to Katrina. Louisiana was "suffering well before Hurricane Katrina" because it had been rule by Democrats for too long "well before" Katrina.
Mr. Jindal, 36, defeated three main challengers in an open primary, becoming this state’s first nonwhite governor since a Reconstruction-era figure briefly held the office 130 years ago.
With more than 90 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Jindal received 53 percent, above the 50 percent-plus-one threshold needed to avoid a runoff in November. He will be the nation’s first Indian-American governor when he takes office in January.
Mr. Jindal’s victory over a state Democratic party weakened by perceptions of post-hurricane incompetence and corruption was expected, as he has had an overwhelming lead in polls for months. The incumbent, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, hurt by stumbles after Hurricane Katrina, did not seek re-election.
The NY Times again tries to downplay Jindal's overwhelming victory against eleven opponents. ELEVEN! Nossiter argues that the Louisiana Democratic Party was "weakened by perceptions of post-hurricane incompetence and corruption." Perceptions? Did the electorate perceive that Democrats are corrupt only because the Feds found $90,000 of tagged bribery money in New Orlean's Democratic Rep. William "Cold Cash" Jefferson's freezer? Did the electorate perceive that Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco failed to respond to Katrina in a timely manner because she assumed that a federal government agency should do her job?
Why does Nossiter think Governor Kathleen Blanco decided not to run for reelection? She wouldn't have had a chance in Hades, that's why. Blanco knew she was being held responsible for the disastrous handling of Katrina and its aftermath. Placing the blame on President Bush and FEMA wasn't going to work and she knew it. And will someone please tell me how come Rep. William "Cold Cash" Jefferson (D-LA) is still in Congress? Wasn't Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi going to "clean house" and fight the "culture of corruption" she said had taken hold of Washington while Republicans were in power? Clean your own house first, Madam Speaker!
The ascendancy of the Brown- and Oxford-educated Mr. Jindal, an unabashed policy wonk who has produced a stream of multipoint plans, is likely to be regarded as a racial breakthrough of sorts in this once-segregated state. Still, it is one with qualifiers attached.
Someone please tell Mr. Nossiter and his bosses over at the NY Times that Jindal's election IS a racial breakthrough! Not a racial breakthrough "of sorts." No "qualifiers" are necessary. Just because Louisiana's governor-elect Jindal is an Indian-American who is not a Democrat, it doesn't take anything away from the fact that it is a notable election in racial terms. Downplaying its significance because Jindal is a Republican is downright despicable. I am always amused about how selective liberals are regarding the importance of race.
For one thing, he is by now a familiar figure in Louisiana, having made a strong run for the governorship in 2003, though losing to Ms. Blanco. Before that he had held a series of high-profile administrative jobs, including state health secretary at the age of 24, when he earned a reputation for efficiency — critics said cold-bloodedness — for slashing a bloated budget, cutting jobs and lowering reimbursements to doctors.
So now we know one of the reasons why Mr. Nossiter downplays governor-elect Jindal's accomplishment so quickly. Jindal, America's youngest governor and the first non-White to hold Louisiana's governorship since Reconstruction, is a competent fiscal conservative. And a minority! And a Republican! Horror of liberal horrors!
For another, he did not have the support of a majority of the state’s blacks, about a third of the population, who vote Democratic.
Of all Mr. Nossiter's sour grapes arguments, this is the most disturbing to me as a Black voter. If Jindal earned 53% of the vote running against eleven opponents, did he ever really need the African-American vote? Relying on the Black vote was a failed strategy for Democrats here. Perhaps African-American voters "perceived" the Democratic candidate as the heir of his party's incompetence and corruption and decided to vote for Jindal instead.
Maybe Lousiana Black voters have finally figured out that even though they have voted Democratic for perhaps generations, their communities still have nothing to show for it. Maybe African-Americans are tired of being condenscended to by millionaire White liberal politicians who would have no dealings with them if it were not for a perception that said politicians need the Black vote in order to amass power for themselves.
Mr. Nossiter's points out a few other of Lousiana's governor-elect's sins according to liberal dogma. Jindal is a pro-life born-again Catholic who is not ashamed of his religious faith, believes that "intelligent design" should be taught in public schools as an alternative to evolution, and wants to repeal hate-crime laws.
How could Louisiana voters elect such a "regressive" (i.e., not a condescending, self-important flaming White liberal) to lead the state as its Chief Executive? If liberals over at the NY Times and elsewhere can't figure it out, Republican chances to keep the White House and retake Congress in 2008 look extremely good.
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