Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal brought a much-needed dosage of laughter to CPAC on Friday, using boatloads of humor to encourage conservatives to refocus how it governs in Washington, especially when it comes to reducing the national debt.
“You’ve heard enough political speeches, so I thought maybe [I’d share] a couple of lighter moments before we get started,” Jindal said as he shared some jokes from his speech at last week’s Gridiron dinner.
He discussed how conservatives today are so preoccupied with eliminating the national debt that it is becoming a detriment to progress in Washington – stressing the need to limit government that encourage economic growth along the way.
“Today’s conservatism is in love with zeroes…we have an obsession with bookkeeping,” Jindal said. “This obsession with zeros has everyone in our party focused on what – government. By obsessing with zeros on the budget spreadsheet, we send a not-so-subtle signal that the focus of our country is on the phony economy of Washington, D.C. instead of the real economy out in Billings or Baton Rouge.”
He also argued that America has pretty much become defined by government, noting that “what happens in Washington is what drives or dictates the success or failure of America” and that, as conservatives, we need to stop ourselves from “falling into the sideshow trap.”
“America is not the federal government,” he said. “In fact, America is not much about government at all. Government is one of those things you have to have, but you really don’t want too much of it – you know, kind of like your in-laws.”
While he is often mentioned as a potential candidate for president in 2016, Jindal brushed those rumors aside and announced that he doesn’t plan on launching a bid for the White House anytime soon. ”
“I told the president I want to be clear – I’ve got no plans to run for president,” he remarked. “I mean, come on, what chance does a skinny guy with a dark complexion and a funny name have to get elected?”
“The honest truth is that I am too skinny to run for president of the United States – at least that’s what my friend Chris Christie tells me all the time,” he added.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFNIde8Y0hs&w=560&h=315]
