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The unfolding tragi-comedy known as the Bobby Jindal campaign just keeps getting weirder but it’s hard to imagine it getting any creepier than his crude re-creation of America’s Funniest Videos episode in which he attempts to exploit his children—except it wasn’t really funny.
Apparently it was some kind of desperate, pathetic stunt designed to project his image as a family values candidate. Instead, it served up a sure-to-become-viral video that rivals his pitiful performance in that abysmal Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union address in 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmNM0oj79t8
It’s almost enough to make us forget that exorcism he performed on “Susan” during his years as a student at Brown University. http://www.newoxfordreview.org/article.jsp?did=1294-jindal
We’re talking, of course, about that cozy family gathering around a patio table, apparently at the governor’s mansion, during which he breaks the news in the most contrived, stilted manner possible that “mommy and daddy” are running for president—complete with the amateurishly scripted promise of a puppy “if we move into the White House.”
That his wife, Supriya, would be a part of such a blatantly manipulative display is in itself worthy of analysis by parenting experts but we will leave that argument for others. https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/inside-bobby-jindals-bizarre-trick-on-his-kids-122433837582.html
The performance drew such negative reaction that the video, which had been featured at the top of the web page announcing his candidacy, was removed altogether within hours of its posting.
But it did prompt some creative voiceover editing by a web site called Funny or Die, which resulted in this parody of the family discussion of his candidacy: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/fc8ad653ff/bobby-jindal-campaign-announcement-video-i-m-going-to-do-a-bad-job?_cc=__d___&_ccid=87jc4s.nqjwjn
Even Jon Stewart took the opportunity to lampoon the Jindal clan’s confab on the Daily Show:
http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/2n06t0/jindal-all-the-way
All of which brings us to his formal announcement in Kenner on Wednesday.
What first was one of those aha! moments about the possible violation of state ethics and civil service rules quickly evaporated but at the same time raised new questions about the crowd attending that announcement.
There she was, smiling in her red dress as she stood in the crowd behind Bobby Jindal as he declared that he was officially a candidate for the Republican nomination for President.
Article X Section 9, parts A and C of the Louisiana State Constitution spell it out in clear and unmistakable terms:
- No member of …the classified service shall participate or engage in political activity; be a candidate for nomination or election to public office …or take active part in …any political campaign, except to exercise his right as a citizen to express his opinion privately, to serve as a commissioner or official watcher at the polls, and to cast his vote as he desires.
- Political Activity Defined. As used in this Part, “political activity” means an effort to support or oppose the election of a candidate for political office or to support a particular political party in an election.
Yep, there she was, blonde hair, red dress, beaming, and standing directly behind the lady holding the red “Geaux Bobby” sign. 
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But wait.
Jessica Starns, formerly legal counsel for Troy Hebert’s Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, and until recently, a state classified (civil service) employee, attended Jindal’s big coming out party, and was even allowed (or perhaps required?) to actually share the stage with him and his family when he announced that he would do for the U.S. what he’s done for Louisiana.
It was more than a photo-op; this was an extended live, made-for-television event on national display in its finest pageantry. You’d probably call it a warm fuzzy for lack of a better term.
But a state classified employee attending, nay, participating in a political campaign event is strictly verboten under the Louisiana Constitution which Jindal was sworn to uphold.
Except that upon checking with Civil Service, we found that Starns is no longer a classified employee. Nor is she still at ATC.
It turns out that as of March 30 of this yer, she has a brand new title and classification. She is now an unclassified (appointed) $96,750 per year “advisor,” assigned to the Executive Office (governor). That means, of course, that her attendance at the event was legal after all.
While that quickly became a non-story, it did raise this question:
- How many other state unclassified employees attended either by choice or mandatory dictate to show their enthusiastic support of Jindal? Or more accurately, to pack the crowd to make it appear Jindal had a groundswell of popular support? Unclassified employees, after all, serve at the pleasure of the governor. (And to tell the unvarnished truth, some of the ones in the photo looked for the world like they would’ve preferred being somewhere—anywhere—else.)
Not that Jindal or his handlers would ever participate in such a crass exercise as a tightly-controlled event like say, a scripted family meeting on the patio of the governor’s mansion.
Louisiana Voice 
Where is the Deduct Box, while we’re at it, asking these types of questions (what’s the chance that there isn’t some such, given that the candidate is polling as he is and thus in all likelihood not collecting a boatload of donations from random voters at large with which to fund his campaign)?
This needs to be grieved or sued as state law has obviously been violated.
Since when has something as trivial as state law ever applied to Swindal? Who’s gonna bring charges? Buddy Caldwell? He’s already made clear he represents the government rather than we citizens. Sadly all we can do is express our outrage and take solace in the fact that Swindal doesn’t have a snowballs chance in Hades of getting the nomination. Nope, it’s Faux News for him if he’s lucky. By the time this crazy train gets to the station he may be too irrelevant even for them.
The lady in the red dress is not holding the sign.
That’s not what I said. Read it again. I said the lady in the red dress “standing directly behind the lady holding the red ‘Geaux Bobby’ sign.”
Timmy Teepell has much to answer for by allowing the family video see the light of day. Maybe okay for Louisiana, but not ready for prime time in a national campaign.
Brilliant video and shooshoo launch of the campaign brought to us by that dream (nightmare) team of third rate political operatives. Let’s sit back and enjoy the rest of the campaign – it’s going to be brief so let’s make sure we don’t miss a minute of it. This should be history in the making – political theatre that combines comedy, pathos, drama and ultimate tragedy (for jindal).
The upside – we in Louisiana finally benefit from a jindal action – we get the ever-so-satisfying last laugh.
The cartoon is great! The universal response to the video seems to be: “creepy.” Jindal is even wackier than Herman Cain was in 2012. Teepell et al are certainly not ready for prime time if this is the kind of stuff they come up with.
Although you can’t really plan for every contingency, Jindal picks the week to announce, that ends up being an historic week for news like we haven’t seen in a while. I’m talking about the two monumental Supreme Court decisions. And then he misses FIVE morning talk shows scheduled for Thursday because of a mechanical problem with the airplane he was to fly on.
Not the most auspicious start. Jindal must be so desperate that I would not be surprised if he tries to be the George Wallace of the 21st century about today’s SCOTUS ruling.
Believe me, the future members of his 700,000 PAP Club will see this a lot differently than we do. They believe it is possible to return to an age of innocence that only exists in their imaginations and that Brother Bobby can lead them there.
Most kids have to wait until they’re teens until they get that mommy and daddy are doofuses. These tikes got it right in the face at age nine. BAM!
A few things have terrified me about the Jindal bid for President. First..there seems to by widespread national belief that Jindal has done a good job. Albeit this belief comes without any true vetting of his record. Compare comments on any national news feed to those from Louisiana. They are VASTLY different. While Jindal couldn’t get elected as dog catcher in this state, he has lots if GOP’ers calling his name for the VP slot. Second, Jindal is brilliant. While this is hard to believe by those of us that have seen him destroy the state, he recites facts and figures better than anyone I’ve ever seen. I listened to him on Sean Hannity and could easily see why someone would buy that horse manure. Most of his “facts” about the state are made up, but he recites them with such ease. He knows the issues well, particularly the ones that fire up the GOP base. He is much better at impromptu questions than either Obama or Bush, but he needs some help giving the big speech.
This should get interesting. I would personally stay home before I voted for any ticket with Jindal attached.
Six months ago I would have agreed more with you about the national media, but many national sources are finally catching on. One of the very best articles I’ve seen about Governor Jindal is this one:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/bobby-jindal-how-did-you-end-up-here-20150625
The Washington Post, Salon, Politico and other national publications have raked him over the coals in recent months. In addition, Indian publications that previously sang his praises because of national pride have backed off as he has distanced himself from his heritage.
It is sad to read articles in some national publications that reprint his campaign propaganda either because they share his ideology or they are just too lazy to do a little research. Although its reporting and editorial position contains some content critical of Governor Jindal, the ADVOCATE still provides some content in his defense and The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report also accentuates the positives like the old song goes, but does not now totally eliminate the negatives.
So, there is hope. The Republican Party leadership seems to be catching on and there are many more prominent Republicans with better credentials and essentially the same ideological beliefs who could provide balance to the Republican P/VPOTUS ticket.
Plus, Tom’s book could become a runaway national bestseller and it will certainly not parrot Jindal’s claims of Louisiana’s salvation as a stepping stone to bigger things more worthy of his leadership.
Jindal has a photographic memory, but I do not think he is brilliant. He is crafty and shrewd and will say anything that he thinks will further his ambitions, whether true or not. Way back when he was in the House of Representatives, when he spieled off his “facts and figures”, I had him pegged as a flimflam man. He is an opportunist who changes his views in whatever direction he believes the wind is blowing to his advantage. To this day, I cannot understand how Jindal fooled so many people for so many years. If he is chosen as the VP candidate by the GOP, remember they chose Sarah Palin.
Isn’t Starnes Bodi White’s niece?
Yep.
http://www.fox10phoenix.com/story/29444626/2015/06/30/bobby-jindal-get-rid-of-the-supreme-court
How about this? And, after we get rid of the Judicial branch, let’s go ahead and do away with the legislative branch. That way we can have a true dictatorship like we almost have here in Louisiana. We don’t need no stinkin’ checks and balances.
4/17/15
This is a true story! Folks I couldn’t make this up! So in my dreams he wanted me to teach him how to dance! He said that all presidential candidates needed to know how to dance!
I dreamed Governor Bobby Jindal asked me to teach him how to dance, in which I replied, “what type dance did he want to learn?” I listed all the dances I could teach him! Barefootin, jerk, snake, jitter bug, swim, alligator, shimmy, bump, mash potato, Harlem shuffle, Strokin, and wobble! Out of all dances I listed, he ask me to show him how to do the political dance, at which I replied, “you are master of the political dance”! You’ve jerked the people of this state around so much that you have no more jerk in you! You’ve sold your snake oil to every legislator that would buy it! You’ve jitter bugged across the country in an attempt to seek national attention to run for POTUS! And now that you’re sure to wobble in your Presidential candidacy, you’ve left the people of the State of Louisiana bare footing, eating alligator, and swimming in the oily Gulf Coast!