Politico: Jindal Says He's Not Interested in 2012 Run

by Jonathan Singer, Wed Dec 10, 2008 at 11:36:32 AM EST

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, seen by many Republicans as the most promising standard-bearer for a remade party, said at a Richmond, Va press conference that he isn't running for president in 2012.
At a news conference Wednesday with Bob McDonnell, Virginia's 2009 Republican candidate for governor, Jindal was asked if he was interested in being president, AP reports.
His answer: "No."
Jindal said he's planning to run for reelection in 2011, something that would make pivoting to a national campaign logistically and politically tricky.

I'm not sure this is a hard no. For one, Bobby Jindal isn't categorically ruling out a run, only saying he's not interested in running. (Politicians have wiggled out of tighter squeezes than that in the past.) Moreover, it's not clear to me that running for reelection in 2011 would preclude Jindal from running in 2012. Smith is correct that the pivot would be difficult -- but I don't see it as an impossible one. Remember, Mike Huckabee was able to come in second in the 2008 Republican primaries despite effectively having no national organization, and John McCain won despite having run out of money and drastically downsizing his campaign a half year before voters went to the polls. If they were able to pull off these feats in 2008, it's not clear to me Jindal couldn't -- particularly following a successful reelection bid that could garner him some momentum and attention.

Tags: 2012, Bobby Jindal, Republican Primaries (all tags)

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Obama wasn't going to run in '08, either.

Jindal might discover the Fierce Urgency of Now at some point.

Then again, a lot of Republicans might realize that running against a successful Obama presidency is a fading hope.

by Dracomicron 2008-12-10 11:54AM | 0 recs

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Re: Obama wasn't going to run in '08, either.

I think the 2011 election is a pretty significant barrier to Jindal running in 2012. The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary take place in January. Jindal would have less than two months to pivot from running for re-election in LA before votes were being cast in the Presidential primary. The logistics would be bad, and the optics would be worse. I think you can pretty much write his name in ink as a candidate in 2016 though.

by Mose 2008-12-11 05:01AM | 0 recs

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I don't think he'll run

He is still very young--not even 40 and he actually seems smart. I think he is smart enough to realize the Republican brand will not be restored in four years. The way that McConnell and Boehner are running their team in Congress it is going to take a long time. Most Repubs seem to think Obama will get two-terms and based on the way he is running his transition it is hard to disagree. I think if he has a few legislative successes and runs the WH competently for the next four years, he is a shoe-in. I wonder if he will retire Biden in four years to pass off the party to. I think in eight years the Dems will run a woman but I don't think it will be HRC. It'll be interesting to see who emerges.

by Lolis 2008-12-10 11:55AM | 0 recs

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um, duh?

I think most Republicans with any future aren't going to be gearing up for a 2012 run, because anyone who is intelligent enough is going to bet on Obama's presidency being a two-termer.

The two-term bar has been lowered intensely as of the last two presidents, lets face it.

Anyone who goes up in 2012 is someone the Republican Party is trying to ditch.

by jmendonsa 2008-12-10 12:08PM | 0 recs

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Re: um, duh?

Gov. Cuomo didn't run in 1992 because Bush was looking unbeatable after the first Gulf War. Politics is an uncertain business.

by Mose 2008-12-11 04:58AM | 0 recs

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Yes, even Obama wriggled out of it

Plus, seriously who will take Jindal to account for saying something 4 yrs back.

by ann0nymous 2008-12-10 12:19PM | 0 recs

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The calendar doesn't work

I don't see how he stands for re-election on November 8 and then begins campaigning in time for Iowa in mid-January (assuming no one moves up dates). And unless he is just insanely popular by that time in LA, I don't see him running for President while campaigning for Governor.

Pivoting after a few months is one thing. Pivoting before even taking the office (he wouldn't formally begin his second term until sometime in Jan 2012) just seems out of the question.

by fsm 2008-12-10 12:32PM | 0 recs

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Re: Politico: Jindal Says He's

I'm not going to pay attention to who says they're not running until after the midterms. Barack Obama used to say he wouldn't run, either. Of course they all say that this early. Now, you get a Howard Dean or a Joe Biden saying they will run so far ahead of time, that's news.

by Nathan Empsall 2008-12-10 01:28PM | 0 recs

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Re: Politico: Jindal Says He's

Get this straight: Obama NEVER said that he would'nt run. When asked in 05' he said that he had no plan to run "At that time". If you can disprove what I just wrote, any of you, step up.Get the facts straight before you post.

by onlinesavant 2008-12-10 04:28PM | 0 recs

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Re: Politico: Jindal Says He's

Tell me, how would your comment have suffered if it started with the words "Obama never" and ended with "at that time," lopping off the rest?

You can correct people and still be polite about it. Your point wasn't made more salient and no one appreciated its truth more just because you were rude about it. There's no call to behave that way.

by Nathan Empsall 2008-12-10 11:02PM | 0 recs

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Re: Politico: Jindal Says He's

By the way, speaking of getting the facts straight, from Meet the Press, January 22, 2006:

MR. RUSSERT: There's been enormous speculation about your political future, Senator. The man you succeeded in the Senate, Peter Fitzgerald, a Republican, said this recently. "I think there's a very good chance that Senator Obama is on the Democratic ticket in 2008 as the vice presidential nominee." Do you agree?

SEN. OBAMA: No. You know, I can't speculate on those kinds of things. What I have said is that, you know, I'm not focused on running for higher office, I'm focused on doing the job that the people of Illinois just sent me to do.

MR. RUSSERT: But there seems to be an evolution in your thinking. This is what you told the Chicago Tribune last month: "Have you ruled out running for another office before your term is up?" Obama answer: "It's not something I anticipate doing." But when we talked back in November of `04 after your election I said, "There's been enormous speculation about your political future. Will you serve your six-year term as United States senator from Illinois?" Obama: "Absolutely."

SEN. OBAMA: I will serve out my full six-year term. You know, Tim, if you get asked enough, sooner or later you get weary and you start looking for new ways of saying things. But my thinking has not changed.

MR. RUSSERT: So you will not run for president or vice president in 2008?

SEN. OBAMA: I will not.

He pretty much unequivocally stated that he would be a senator at least until 2010, and read that last line again about running in 2008: "I will not."

Still feel the need to be rude and snippy when correcting others? This is exactly why I think all of us should avoice stridency and arrogance whenever possible...

by Nathan Empsall 2008-12-10 11:06PM | 0 recs

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Re: Politico: Jindal Says He's

I stand corrected.

by onlinesavant 2008-12-11 07:11AM | 0 recs

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Re: Politico: Jindal Says He's Not Interested in 2

I can't wait to see the pathetic bunch that runs in 2012.

by lojasmo 2008-12-10 03:15PM | 0 recs

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Jindal Says He's Not Interested in 2012 Run

Jindal can't run without bragging rights, and Louisiana is broke. If the economy turns around, Obama gets to take credit for that. Jindal has to run as the social conservative (but he can't claim Obama's failed), and the pocketbook beats the prayerbook.

If Obama can't pull the economy out of the hole, it's unlikely Louisiana will be the state that beats the trend. A governor's experience counts for nothing when his state's on life support.

Who they run will depend on the economy. If it's still bad: Romney. If it's good: Huckabee or Palin, especially if Obama's repealed DOMA.

Jindal will run in 2016, when it would be easier for a Republican to take the presidency.

by tammanycall 2008-12-10 04:32PM | 0 recs