DBWI: Bobby Jindal declines to run in 2012

In 2011, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, first elected in 2003 (POD) and re-elected in 2007, declared his candidacy for President of the United States. While his main rival, former Governor Mitt Romney, was seen as the moderate consensus pick and the front runner, Jindal positioned himself as the principled conservative who had sensible ideas and policies, in opposition to the more fanatically religious right Perry and Gingrich.

Jindal managed to land the upset in the primary by taking out Romney and securing the nomination, with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels as his running mate. The pair later went on to defeat President Obama and Vice President Biden in the election, winning 321-217 and securing a majority of the popular vote.

What if Jindal had decided to forgo running in 2012? Could Romney have potentially been the one to beat Obama, or could Obama have taken the victory from Romney?

OOC: The POD of Jindal winning in 2003 (which he nearly did) allows him to gain more political exposure before 2012, boosting his national profile.
 
In 2011, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, first elected in 2003 (POD) and re-elected in 2007, declared his candidacy for President of the United States. While his main rival, former Governor Mitt Romney, was seen as the moderate consensus pick and the front runner, Jindal positioned himself as the principled conservative who had sensible ideas and policies, in opposition to the more fanatically religious right Perry and Gingrich.

Jindal managed to land the upset in the primary by taking out Romney and securing the nomination, with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels as his running mate. The pair later went on to defeat President Obama and Vice President Biden in the election, winning 321-217 and securing a majority of the popular vote.

What if Jindal had decided to forgo running in 2012? Could Romney have potentially been the one to beat Obama, or could Obama have taken the victory from Romney?

OOC: The POD of Jindal winning in 2003 (which he nearly did) allows him to gain more political exposure before 2012, boosting his national profile.

If Romney couldn't beat Jindal in the primary, then he'd probably lose to Obama in the general. Romney was always a poor debater (both in 2012, and in 1994 against Kennedy), and he could never quite shake the popular image of himself an awkward, out-of-touch billionaire.

Had Obama been re-elected, I expect he would've vetoed the Keystone XL Pipeline. An Obama victory could mean that the House flips back to the Dems in 2012, making immigration reform and gun control a possibility. Jindal accomplished nothing in his first year, most notably failing to repeal Obamacare. The public got so sick of partisan gridlock that the Dems retook the House in 2014.
 
If Romney couldn't beat Jindal in the primary, then he'd probably lose to Obama in the general. Romney was always a poor debater (both in 2012, and in 1994 against Kennedy), and he could never quite shake the popular image of himself an awkward, out-of-touch billionaire.

Had Obama been re-elected, I expect he would've vetoed the Keystone XL Pipeline. An Obama victory could mean that the House flips back to the Dems in 2012, making immigration reform and gun control a possibility. Jindal accomplished nothing in his first year, most notably failing to repeal Obamacare. The public got so sick of partisan gridlock that the Dems retook the House in 2014.

The House flipping to the Democrats did have a silver lining for Jindal: it showed that he could work with Democrats on some issues. For example, he strengthened the National Instant Check System that houses a database for potentially dangerous people in regards to obtaining firearms. It was the first piece of actual gun control legislation since the Assault Weapons Ban (OOC: Jindal actually advocated for this OTL). While he hasn’t gone for a full assault weapons ban, the strengthening of background checks was passed with bipartisan approval (albeit with some dissent from more conservative politicians).

The economy’s recovery is something that the Jindal administration has used to their advantage. One can make the argument that Obama laid the groundwork for it, but the Jindal administration, to this day, has maintained a flourishing economy, unemployment down to 3.4% recently and all.

Even though Jindal worked with a divided Congress for four years (2015-2019, when the Republicans retook the House in 2018 in an unusually strong year for Republicans), he did show why many people called him the next Reagan, in that he was able to work with a divided Congress and a Democratic Speaker of the House (Pelosi was the Tip O’Neill to Jindal’s Reagan) to advance his agenda, even if it meant not getting everything that he wanted.

And with good timing, too. Even though Republicans did very well in the last midterms, it also swept in a more progressive wave that is vehemently opposed to the Jindal administration, and against the fact that Pelosi had compromised so many times. It showed when they went to vote for Speaker of the House, and many of the progressives voted for Rep. David Ciciline (D-RI). You think this more progressive pack of politicians could affect Democrats for 2020?
 
I feel that President Jindal greatest accomplishment was when he cut off all food aid and relations to Mauritania's to force their government to end the endemic use of slave labor.( completely true fact is that 10 to 20% of Mauritania's population is thought to be enslaved.)
 
The House flipping to the Democrats did have a silver lining for Jindal: it showed that he could work with Democrats on some issues. For example, he strengthened the National Instant Check System that houses a database for potentially dangerous people in regards to obtaining firearms. It was the first piece of actual gun control legislation since the Assault Weapons Ban (OOC: Jindal actually advocated for this OTL). While he hasn’t gone for a full assault weapons ban, the strengthening of background checks was passed with bipartisan approval (albeit with some dissent from more conservative politicians).

The economy’s recovery is something that the Jindal administration has used to their advantage. One can make the argument that Obama laid the groundwork for it, but the Jindal administration, to this day, has maintained a flourishing economy, unemployment down to 3.4% recently and all.

Even though Jindal worked with a divided Congress for four years (2015-2019, when the Republicans retook the House in 2018 in an unusually strong year for Republicans), he did show why many people called him the next Reagan, in that he was able to work with a divided Congress and a Democratic Speaker of the House (Pelosi was the Tip O’Neill to Jindal’s Reagan) to advance his agenda, even if it meant not getting everything that he wanted.

And with good timing, too. Even though Republicans did very well in the last midterms, it also swept in a more progressive wave that is vehemently opposed to the Jindal administration, and against the fact that Pelosi had compromised so many times. It showed when they went to vote for Speaker of the House, and many of the progressives voted for Rep. David Ciciline (D-RI). You think this more progressive pack of politicians could affect Democrats for 2020?

I think Democrats are in a strong position in 2020 regardless. Jindal's 2019 plan to privatize Social Security has been a disaster. It was a big mistake of him to waste the 2018 midterm gains on such an unpopular (and doomed) policy. And with economic growth slowing down I think many Americans are in the mood for change.
 
I think Democrats are in a strong position in 2020 regardless. Jindal's 2019 plan to privatize Social Security has been a disaster. It was a big mistake of him to waste the 2018 midterm gains on such an unpopular (and doomed) policy. And with economic growth slowing down I think many Americans are in the mood for change.

It’s a good thing that he moved away from it. He’s now more focused on securing a historic trade deal with China. If that can happen, it might just be his long-lasting legacy. That and immigration reform. Jindal did also pass legislation that has significantly reduced illegal immigration.

Also, when it came to ObamaCare, Jindal was able to compromise with Democrats on that. While it wasn’t exactly what the GOP wanted, they did agree to eliminate the individual mandate while also keeping coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Who do you think has a shot in 2020? Vice President Daniels already has announced that he won’t run, into wanting to return to Indiana to be with his family. Personally, I’m betting on either Nikki Haley or Rand Paul. I like both of them and think they would do good.

For the Democrats, I personally wouldn’t mind someone like Jon Tester or John Hickenlooper.
 
I feel that President Jindal greatest accomplishment was when he cut off all food aid and relations to Mauritania's to force their government to end the endemic use of slave labor.( completely true fact is that 10 to 20% of Mauritania's population is thought to be enslaved.)

Many people have noted that Jindal has come out strong on combating international issues such as that in other countries. He’s not afraid to call out Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela or others like Assad in Syria.
 
Who do you think has a shot in 2020? Vice President Daniels already has announced that he won’t run, into wanting to return to Indiana to be with his family. Personally, I’m betting on either Nikki Haley or Rand Paul. I like both of them and think they would do good.

Daniels' announcement was a big surprise. Besides Haley and Paul you have Cruz and Rubio. Rubio would be best positioned to win the general election.

On the Democratic side there's Warren, Harris, and Booker also in the running. Buttigieg is a remote possibility.
 
He did handle the destruction from Hurricane Harvey (which hit between Jacksonville and St. Augustine with winds comparable to that of the 1935 hurricane, becoming one of Florida's worst hurricanes; however, the death toll was only 100, due to evacuation and warnings) well, insisting that people evacuate and declaring disaster areas in the affected areas, while sending immediate aid to the hardest-hit areas.

And he's handled the California earthquakes fairly well, IMO...
 
Daniels' announcement was a big surprise. Besides Haley and Paul you have Cruz and Rubio. Rubio would be best positioned to win the general election.

On the Democratic side there's Warren, Harris, and Booker also in the running. Buttigieg is a remote possibility.

Daniels never really wanted to be President, but he was willing to join Bobby Jindal in 2012 for the good of the country. He deserves his retirement after nearly 20 years of public service.

Besides those four, you have a myriad of candidates from both parties. Both fields are massive, but the Democrats are looking for a new image to make of themselves. Ever since Joe Biden's crushing defeat in 2016, many Democrats were left scrambling to try and reinvent themselves in a post-Obama Democratic Party. Warren, Harris, Sanders, Booker, and all of them are trying to be the new standard bearer for the party. Meanwhile, so many Republicans are jumping in because they believe that they are the best to carry on the Jindal legacy. Personally, I think Haley can win it. I think Republicans want to lay claim to the first female President.
 
He did handle the destruction from Hurricane Harvey (which hit between Jacksonville and St. Augustine with winds comparable to that of the 1935 hurricane, becoming one of Florida's worst hurricanes; however, the death toll was only 100, due to evacuation and warnings) well, insisting that people evacuate and declaring disaster areas in the affected areas, while sending immediate aid to the hardest-hit areas.

And he's handled the California earthquakes fairly well, IMO...

He's had experience on that front when Katrina hit his home state in 2005.
 
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