On Bobby Jindal's Fail
There's been a lot of talk online about Obama's faux-SOTU last night. Good points and bad points. However, I personally am way more interested in Bobby Jindal's response. Because it's a lot easier to make fun of a trainwreck than to make fun of a train that pretty much arrives when you thought it would but maybe smelled a little bit like salami. (You can take that however you like.)
Here's Jindal's rebuttal, in case you missed it…
As a commenter (Cube, I think) pointed out in the comments last night, you can't watch that speech — essentially, his first speech as a big-time operator on the national stage — without also remembering Sarah Palin's first speech on the day after the DNC.
The differences could not be more stark. Sure, Sarah Palin proved herself to be somewhat of a self-perpetuating caricature within a few weeks, but that first day, those first few weeks, she seemed like a force of nature. Strong, confident, witty, attractive and (yes) intelligent. And she actually knocked Obama off the front page for a good long month.
By contrast, look at Jindal's first time. He seemed snake-oily, untrustworthy, un-energetic and goofy. He didn't even radiate any of that supposed intelligence of his.
Here's Andrew Sullivan's response to BJ from last night, which, to me, seems right on the bailout money…
Close your eyes and think of Kenneth from 30 Rock. I can barely count the number of emails making that observation…
Stylistically, he got better as he went along but there was, alas, a slightly high-school debate team feel to the beginning. And there was a patronizing feel to it as well – as if he were talking to kindergartners – that made Obama's adult approach so much more striking. And I'm not sure that the best example for private enterprise is responding to a natural calamity that even Ron Paul believes is a responsibility for the federal government.
And really: does a Republican seriously want to bring up Katrina?…
If the GOP believes tax cuts – more tax cuts – are the answer to every problem right now, they are officially out of steam and out of ideas. And remember: this guy is supposed to be the smart one.
And some opinions from the right he dug up.
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here's my own response to the jindal speech. i'm indian, so there's that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZJl79fKHd0
That was "Through the storms of our times," by Bobby Jindal.
Take a look, it's in a book, Reading Rainbow!
I listened on the radio. And I couldn’t help but being kept in suspense for a Jim Nabors-esque, “Gawwwleee!” or "Shazzayam!"
Blame the handlers. I mean, that speech wasn't live. It could have been done better. But I liked the positivity. And face it – that's a &^%$ load of money going out – if that's how much we need to spend to recover – then who stole that much in the first place. It's frightening !
Yes Americans can do anything which is why we voted lying, partisan phonies like this out of office.
I think I wrote that here Dennis. Not the same spark as Palin. Jindal doesn't have the Prez. gene. He'll never have it, and in a way, that's unfortunate.
There was (at first) a good discussion going on at PM on Jindal's speech. Then some fool with a fake name of "catquick" said she loved Jesus and I was like Hitler… typical brainy analysis.
It's kind of fun to watch the terrible dialogue in the comment area there. It's sick. I was born on this blog. I was raised on this blog. And gosh darnit, I'm gonna croak on this blog. I'll never be able to fully comprehend some of the comments on PM. I've written how I've felt over there and really enjoy the writing of the authors. The trolls make me feel like Dr. Thompson or some shit.
I almost feel like I'm cheating on Indecision when I write on Political Machine. Sorry. I'm a blog slut.
If you feel like reading some lunacy, check it out. Here's some of my battle with catquick when she wouldn't talk about Jindal. I find it amusing:
catquick2:00AMFeb 25th 2009
JESUS would order him to stop abortion and gay rights
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Cube2:05AMFeb 25th 2009
catquick. Think you could ever just chill out and be happy? Sheeeeeeeeeeeit. You don't get hyperbole and sarcasm. Don't have a freaking stroke.
Tonight is your intervention catquick. Listen to Cube. I will guide you. You can be saved. Breathe in. Breathe out. Mellow. Mellow. There.
Enjoy the tunes and get groovy catquick. Fuck politics. Yeah. Listen to Cube.
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catquick2:09AMFeb 25th 2009
CUBE.. concensus is the guiding principle of your amoral cowardice. I pity any woman that is foolish enough to defile herself with a cretin that doesn't know what love is. Remember Hitler had a concensus about dousing Jews. Does your little polling victory make you feel like the man you should be, but aren't?
Cube2:10AMFeb 25th 2009
Huh?
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Cube2:15AMFeb 25th 2009
Ah, the Hitler card. You're gonna get all Hitlery on me somehow. Wow. That's like, the most brilliant argument ever. I show you a little Pink Floyd, ask you to chill out, and you have to bust out some comparison to, oh, I don't know, the most noted homicidal maniac of all time. Yup. You're a smart one. Do what Jesus would do huh?
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Cube2:20AMFeb 25th 2009
catquick: WHO OR WHAT HAVE YOU SACRIFICED? JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.
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Good thing we talked about Jindal. i told her to perform an impossible act on herself and the conversation degenerated.
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2009/02/24/jindals-advance/#comments