Bobby Jindal: Don't Even Bother

Bobby Jindal

In Physics there is a basic principle known as the Pauli Exclusion Principle, named after physicist Wolfgang Pauli who invented it. It states that no two bodies can inhabit the same space at the same time. It is the political version of that same rule (which can be much less ridged) which will nonetheless likely be the death knell of Bobby Jindal’s hopes for the Republican Nomination.

He announced yesterday, however, that he is indeed running for the GOP Nomination, while he was in Baltimore.

Louisiana’s current 44 year old Governor, Jindal, an American born son of Indian immigrants who is a former Hindu, although he converted to Catholicism in his teen years, has plenty of problems. Although I see him as an engaging and humorous speaker, (he likes to joke that as an Indian-American, he can’t laugh at himself as that would be racist) many have feel that he often comes across as restrained, or stressing too hard.

This, and the fact that his state of Louisiana, of which he is two time governor, is not exactly doing the best, have conspired together, along with other factors to bring Jindal, a former congressman, where he was elected at the age of 32, down to dead last in the nomination race, running in fifteenth place, at 1%.

Jindal has no base, and the reasons are pretty obvious.

Jindal’s problem is that he has no group of voters which are his. He has been squeezed out of every spot that he would like to fill, because somebody else is already there. There are plenty of conservatives in the race, so the fact that Jindal is far right won’t help him. The young brand is already filled by Cruz, Paul, and Rubio. The ethnic slot is filled by Carson, Rubio, and Cruz, and the Catholic opening is filled by Jeb Bush, Rubio, etc. etc.

Jindal might last a while, but probably not too long. And it’s almost unconceivable that he could ever pull out a win. The reason is the field is simply way too overcrowded, but even were it not, Jindal lacks the charisma of some of the more popular candidates, as well as their credentials.

At another time, in a parallel universe, Jindal might have won. But we are talking about this universe, in this time. And not only do I see no possibility of Bobby Jindal winning the presidency of the United States, I don’t really understand why he’s running.

Andrew C. Abbott