Stephanie Grace, in my opinion one of Louisiana's most astute political observers, has done 'tic hounds a great favor with her current piece in Gambit Weekly entitled The "New" Bobby Jindal.
In the article, she not only gives a very good history of the improbable rise of our gret stet's governor, but explains why, despite his in-state popularity losses, he is a formidable national Republican.
As Gov. Bobby Jindal embarks on his barely veiled campaign to be the next great hope of the post-Romney national GOP, it's worth pausing to reflect on just how good he is at this sort of thing.
Even Jindal's critics sometimes underestimate his appeal beyond Louisiana, amid the day-to-day policy scuffles and political grudge matches in Baton Rouge, and against the backdrop of normal second-term fatigue, genuine fiscal alarm and a near-universal sense that his priorities lie beyond the state's borders. The truth is that Jindal, 41, has a proven talent for writing his own narrative, for positioning himself just where people seem to want him to be. Particularly when those people are still getting to know him, as the national press and American public now are.
Longtime Jindal watchers were not at all surprised at the alacrity with which Bobby joined and jettisoned the causes of his two prom dates, Rick and Mitt. Jindal is, as Grace points out, something of a genius of opportunism and political timing.
What is surprising to those of us la bas is that 'Pubs outside of our fetid swamp actually seem to buy his image of "the smart one." His appeal, to the rank-and-file as well as the Sunday yap show seat-warmers, is real and bears keeping on radar.
Dem politic hounds, professional and amateur, would do well to look past the easy jokes like "The Exorcist" and "Kenneth the Page" and learn how good a snake oil salesman Bobby really is. Grace's article is a good primer.