Jindal Lays Groundwork for 2012 Run

Bobby Jindal is already preparing to jump ship. His appearance on the Tonight Show is a sure sign Jindal and his staff are seeking to build his national profile.

The Times-Picayune speculates Jindal’s appearance is aimed at laying the groundwork for him to become John McCain’s running mate, but that option seems suicidal for a politician proclaimed the savior of his party by such luminaries as Rush Limbaugh and widely lauded in the conservative blogosphere.

It’s certainly a possibility. There are many potential benefits for McCain, but the upside for Jindal is minimal. The obvious point is that he’s barely 6 months into his first term as Governor. The bigger factor in Jindal’s mind is the the electoral landscape, which is undeniably terrible for Republicans right now. At this stage, the odds are firmly against McCain winning the presidency. Being part of a losing ticket is never good for any presidential hopeful. Just ask John Edwards.

The one thing Jindal’s meteoric rise over the last few years should have taught Jindal is that politics is all about timing. His tight loss to Kathleen Blanco in 2003 and her inept response to Hurricane Katrina led to a strong sense of buyer’s remorse among voters. That carried Jindal to his big victory in October 2007 and gave him a mandate to enact ethics reform. Voters wanted change and Jindal embodied that. It was a change election.

This year’s presidential election is also a change election. Barack Obama recognized that early on and that is one reason why he has been so successful. It is why he and Jindal are often compared together and it’s also why some Republicans are anxious to add Jindal to their presidential ticket.

However, the timing is not right for Jindal. He doesn’t want to be Vice President, particularly at a time when Republican fortunes are on the downturn. 2012 looks a much brighter prospect. The Republican base will be restless and revived after four years of Clinton, McCain (he won’t be nearly conservative enough to satisfy the Republican base and he may will step aside after one term due to his age) or Obama, Republican antipathy will have lessened and the party won’t be saddled with the most unpopular president in history. That will create an opening for Jindal to present himself as the self-proclaimed savior of both the party and the nation.

The real question is, amidst all this campaigning, where does Jindal find the time to do the job he was elected to do back in October - governing the state of Louisiana?