Frankly, we think Bobby Jindal stinks.
At least, Jindal’s views on abortion do.
We also think Jindal is a phony, a Christian fanatic (or at least pretends to be in a state where religion is very important to its citizens) and lacks the experience to handle a complex task like governing a backward and corrupt state like Louisiana.
But here in Louisiana, Bobby Jindal has raised very high hopes that he will usher in big changes in this backward state and break the cycle of politics as usual.
Remember when Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister of India in 1984. The mood is like that now in Baton Rouge, capital of Louisiana, where Bobby Jindal made history when he took the oath on Monday as the first Indian-American Governor.
Bobby Jindal at his inaugural
At 36, Jindal (son of Indian immigrants) is the youngest sitting governor in the U.S.
In his Kennedyesque inaugural address on Monday, Jindal said:
Under the spotlight of the world, with generosity from many and a clear call to common purpose, we have the opportunity to make lasting and positive change….With clarity of purpose and commitment to our pursuit, we will not fail.
When we expressed our opposition to Jindal, a local American lady, who works as an bookkeeper in Baton Rouge, loudly voiced her irritation and opposition. “He is a good man. I go to church with him,” she told us.
We hope that we are wrong about Bobby Jindal. But count us among the pessimists.
By the way, we did not meet Bobby Jindal in Baton Rouge but we did have the pleasure of meeting Mike the Tiger, the mascot of the Louisiana State University.