In his campaign to be president, don’t be surprised if John McCain chooses a Barack Obama kind of guy as his running mate, or more precisely, a politician who is in some interesting respects similar to Obama and actually walks some of Obama?s most idealistic talk better than Obama himself.
That guy would be Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana. Like Obama, he is a brilliant, youthful figure seemingly full of promise and a minority who has found his racial identity no seeming hindrance to considerable electoral success. He may not be as exceptional giving speeches as Obama, but he appears as good at defending his positions in interviews.
His academic credentials — Brown University and a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford — are maybe more prestigious than Obama?s; the Democrat graduated from Columbia University and was magna cum laude at Harvard Law School. One of Obama?s parents was a Kenyan. Jindal?s parents immigrated to the United States from India right before Jindal was born. Obama came to the Christian faith as an adult through the spiritual mentoring of the now famous Jeremiah Wright. Jindal, raised as a Hindu, converted to Catholicism in his teens.
Of course, McCain would not be all that interested in Jindal if these Obama similarities with small differences did not give way ultimately to some large differences with little similarity. Obama, by one respected examination of votes, is as far left as anyone in the Senate, whereas Jindal is deeply conservative. And while Jindal is 10 years younger than Obama, he has far more executive experience — a spectacular list of leadership accomplishments, not mostly a record of giving speeches about change.
In his 20s, he directed the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and sent a Medicaid deficit packing. Still in his 20s, he was president of the Louisiana University System, helping to direct its colleges on paths to excellence, it is reported. On the federal level, he was executive director of a bipartisan Medicare commission that came up highly praised proposals for a necessary restructuring of the program. He was also an assistant secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services, and was elected to the House twice, serving as an assistant majority whip.
Jindal — who also has experience as a business consultant — failed in his first run for governor, then won easily the second time around, calling a special session for what has been described as “tough” and “comprehensive” ethics reform.
Put all this together, and you have someone who could bring both substance and sizzle to the Republican ticket. He might help energize those young people not wholly enamored of populist, welfare-state politics and, it’s been suggested, pull back some disaffected conservatives to the ticket. I think he could also appeal to middle-of-the-road independents. The consensus view — almost surely right — is that the 71-year-old McCain needs a young running mate. Is 36 young enough for you?
Some might say he is too young, but his brain power, the evidence of character and all that compacted experience point to an ability to serve in the highest office in the land if that became necessary. McCain has indicated interest, although Jindal has been governor only since January and, some say, may be committed to stay on. McCain does have a number of solid alternatives — I myself particularly like Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina.
But who can doubt that a fascinating, historic election would become even more fascinating if Jindal were his vice presidential running mate?
Jay Ambrose is a former Washington, D.C., opinion writer and editor of two dailies.
