Newt: Jindal for Veep

By Rick Moran

Hopefully, Newt Gingrich has even less influence with John McCain than he thinks because the former speaker of the House came out yesterday and said that Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal would be the "best choice" for Vice President.

The 37 year old Jindal has been mentioned prominently as a possible Veep for McCain but in the next breath, most analysts dismiss the idea as nothing short of preposterous. Jindal has no experience as an executive and little as a legislator. While no one doubts his attractiveness as a candidate there really isn't much there once you get beyond the youthful appearance and multi-ethnic background.

The Hill reports on Gingrich's reasoning:

Asked whether it could be a problem that the governor, who is 37, might be perceived as not ready to lead the country in case he would have to replace McCain, Gingrich said the case can be made that Jindal's "experience in the executive branch and in the legislative branch is greater than" that of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.).

"It strikes me that it's going to be very hard for Obama's campaign to explain that Jindal, as a governor, who has served as an assistant secretary of Health and Human Services, has served as a congressional staffer, has served as a congressman, is not qualified but Sen. Obama is qualified," Gingrich said.

On the issue, he added that voters are "not going to reject Sen. Obama on inexperience."

I am not so sure that Obama can't be beat by highlighting his paper thin resume. The American voter will look long and hard at Obama and only if they can be convinced that his inexperience wouldn't make him dangerous will they vote for him. That's the reason the race is so close at this point despite the problems the GOP has with an unpopular incumbent, a faltering economy, high gas and food prices, and the general toxicity of the GOP brand.

Painting Obama as dangerously naive on foreign affairs may be an easy sell if Obama keeps putting his foot in his mouth. But will putting an equally inexperienced Jindal on the ticket pose any advantage for McCain at all?

Not when there are other candidates who can do him a helluva lot more good. Pawlenty might bring him a state (Minnesota) on election day as would Portman of Ohio. Huckabee would please the evangelicals. Romney might assuage fiscal conservatives. All of those men bring more to the table as a Vice Presidential candidate than Jindal.

Jindal has eliminated himself from contention which is extremely smart of him. He knows he's not ready for a national campaign. Give him 4 or 8 years as governor and there is no doubt he would be an extremely strong candidate.

But today, he belongs to the future.