bobby jindal is the future of the gop

The Washington Post has an interesting story on Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who is widely regarded as the future of Republican Party: GOP Looks to Louisiana's Governor. The article goes as far as suggesting that the 2012 presidential race has actually (quietly) begun, and the 37-year-old Indian American governor could be the GOP's answer to Barack Obama.

Can you really blame the GOP? Can you really blame Republicans for looking to a younger and more exciting candidate for a better chance of winning the next around? Obama's win over 72-year-old John McCain seems to be a fairly obvious example of this dynamic. They need a figure to help reinvigorate the Republican party... and Sarah Palin certainly didn't cut it.

One can't help but wonder what things might've looked like if Jindal had been on McCain's ticket. Not that I like either guy—it's no secret how much I dislike John McCain, and Jindal pretty much stands in fundamental opposition to anything I could hope for in a candidate. That said, I'm still curious what a Jindal presidential campaign would look like.

But damn! We're talking about 2012! Obama hasn't even taken office yet! To his credit, despite all this premature speculation, Jindal adamantly insists he's ignoring the White House talk, focusing on the work to be done in Louisiana. Still, that's not stopping GOP strategists from talking.