Iowa Equals Popcorn
June 25, 2015 7:27 AM Subscribe
Bobby Jindal kicked off his 2016 presidential bid yesterday by informing his children first. SLYT
Apparently we get to choose between Governor Bush and Governor Branch
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:31 AM on June 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 7:31 AM on June 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
The GOP field is kind of like a clown car - they just keep coming out.
I saw someone say on Twitter that "clown car" lets these wingnuts off too easy, and we should start calling it the "GOP human centipede" to fully describe the spectacle.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:33 AM on June 25, 2015 [45 favorites]
I saw someone say on Twitter that "clown car" lets these wingnuts off too easy, and we should start calling it the "GOP human centipede" to fully describe the spectacle.
posted by zombieflanders at 7:33 AM on June 25, 2015 [45 favorites]
Bobby Jindal presidential bid sparks Twitter mockery, according to the BBC.
posted by misteraitch at 7:34 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by misteraitch at 7:34 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
You know, while I know it was a political stunt, I do give him credit -- if you are going to put your entire life in the media blender, you better tell your kids first.
So: +5 points for telling his kids first. -10 for filming it, -25 for putting the film on YouTube and -100 for making it a cheap stunt, but +5 for telling his kids first.
posted by eriko at 7:35 AM on June 25, 2015 [31 favorites]
So: +5 points for telling his kids first. -10 for filming it, -25 for putting the film on YouTube and -100 for making it a cheap stunt, but +5 for telling his kids first.
posted by eriko at 7:35 AM on June 25, 2015 [31 favorites]
Related: Bobby Jindal’s Biggest Troll Is His Friend’s 21-Year-Old Son [Mother Jones]
posted by Fizz at 7:35 AM on June 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 7:35 AM on June 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
I think there's a term for feeling embarrassment for someone else but I can't remember it. I get that feeling super hard whenever I hear a parent refer to the parental unit in 3rd person saying "mommy and daddy decided..." It's so infantalizing! His kids look way old enough to be out of that stage where it's helpful to refer to people in relational ways, and this whole video just feels really uncomfortable because of it.
posted by phunniemee at 7:35 AM on June 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 7:35 AM on June 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
He talks to his kids like he's never met his kids.
posted by penduluum at 7:38 AM on June 25, 2015 [29 favorites]
posted by penduluum at 7:38 AM on June 25, 2015 [29 favorites]
Yeah, I just looked it up and his youngest kid is 9. NINE. That kid is plenty old enough to understand "I'm running for President and your mom and I wanted you to know first."
posted by phunniemee at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2015
posted by phunniemee at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2015
This thing of filming kids' reactions to things is going to leave kids of this generation with some weird trust issues about conversations like this. The stagey behavior of the parents, to induce the kids to react videogenically, is agonizing.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2015 [8 favorites]
Zzzzzz
Anyone who changes their name for a Brady Bunch character to sound more American is already suspect in my book. (Totally not even getting to how much of a knucklehead he is anyway)
posted by Melismata at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
Anyone who changes their name for a Brady Bunch character to sound more American is already suspect in my book. (Totally not even getting to how much of a knucklehead he is anyway)
posted by Melismata at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
Plaatsvervangende schaamte, phunniemee. I call it "The Office syndrome", though.
posted by Zeinab Badawi's Twenty Hotels at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Zeinab Badawi's Twenty Hotels at 7:39 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
"Kids, you're going to hear some mean words thrown around about your daddy. 'Viciously misogynistic homophobic ideologue,' for instance, or 'failing upwards.' The important thing to remember is, all the people saying those mean things are witches, and we should be plotting how to send their evil spirits back to hell."
posted by Mayor West at 7:40 AM on June 25, 2015 [35 favorites]
posted by Mayor West at 7:40 AM on June 25, 2015 [35 favorites]
Oh good god no, this is so gross to me.
So, for context, I'm Canadian. There's a much firmer line about separating the personal and the political here; sexuality and family (unless they are part of a corruption scandal or are themselves in politics) are generally off-limits for anything except "thanks for your service" fluff pieces at the end of your career (unless you're married to the PM, in which case your social calendar becomes something to note).
So American election season is always a little surreal. When browsing candidates' sites (I'm in webdev, it's interesting!), I was grossed out by Santorum making his child's birthday into a political event, but at least there he didn't violate her privacy like this. "Hey kids, let's turn something that will greatly affect your life into a publicity stunt for me!"
Hurgh.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:40 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
So, for context, I'm Canadian. There's a much firmer line about separating the personal and the political here; sexuality and family (unless they are part of a corruption scandal or are themselves in politics) are generally off-limits for anything except "thanks for your service" fluff pieces at the end of your career (unless you're married to the PM, in which case your social calendar becomes something to note).
So American election season is always a little surreal. When browsing candidates' sites (I'm in webdev, it's interesting!), I was grossed out by Santorum making his child's birthday into a political event, but at least there he didn't violate her privacy like this. "Hey kids, let's turn something that will greatly affect your life into a publicity stunt for me!"
Hurgh.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:40 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
Anyone who changes their name for a Brady Bunch character to sound more American is already suspect in my book.
I always wonder if "Piyush Jindal" could possibly have been elected governor of a U.S. state. (Or Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa, before she married Michael Haley, for that matter.) Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they shouldn't be treated the same with their south Asian names, just imagining that their constituencies might not have been as keen on them had they used their birth names.
posted by aught at 7:48 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
I always wonder if "Piyush Jindal" could possibly have been elected governor of a U.S. state. (Or Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa, before she married Michael Haley, for that matter.) Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they shouldn't be treated the same with their south Asian names, just imagining that their constituencies might not have been as keen on them had they used their birth names.
posted by aught at 7:48 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
What upsets me most is the way in which he panders to the right with regard to certain issues like his views on science, education, & creationism. Mr. Jindal's wife is a scientist who has a degree in chemical engineering and he himself has degrees in biology and public policy and yet he advocates legislation on behalf of creationists and those in favour of intelligent design. He betrays his own education for the sake of politics. No thank you.
posted by Fizz at 7:49 AM on June 25, 2015 [22 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 7:49 AM on June 25, 2015 [22 favorites]
Bobby Jindal kicked off his 2016 presidential bid yesterday by informing his children first . SLYT
Jindal has been in LA state politics since the early 90s, was part of George W Bush's administration, served in Congress, and has run for governor of LA three times (he lost the first time).
Those kids have been immersed in politics and media attention their whole lives, and this is purely a sentimental stunt for the GOP rubes.
posted by aught at 7:55 AM on June 25, 2015 [9 favorites]
Jindal has been in LA state politics since the early 90s, was part of George W Bush's administration, served in Congress, and has run for governor of LA three times (he lost the first time).
Those kids have been immersed in politics and media attention their whole lives, and this is purely a sentimental stunt for the GOP rubes.
posted by aught at 7:55 AM on June 25, 2015 [9 favorites]
Is it just me or is this like some sort of swarm/fakeout attack where Dems don't know which (loony!) leader to prepare to fight, but the GOP's and dark money candidates sharpen and hone their Hillary-specific weapons for months and months and months
posted by lalochezia at 7:58 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 7:58 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Nothing says "Republican President" quite like a hidden surveillance camera recording private family conversations. Fisheye lens as cinéma vérité. Awkward having the candidate hiding behind a tree branch though.
posted by Nelson at 7:59 AM on June 25, 2015 [12 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 7:59 AM on June 25, 2015 [12 favorites]
I always wonder if "Piyush Jindal" could possibly have been elected governor of a U.S. state.
No worse than Barak Obama.
posted by Melismata at 7:59 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
No worse than Barak Obama.
posted by Melismata at 7:59 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
The camera is up in a tree? Hidden camera investigative reporting style? Ewwwwwwwwwwwww.
posted by joycehealy at 8:01 AM on June 25, 2015
posted by joycehealy at 8:01 AM on June 25, 2015
No worse than Barak Obama.
Barack Hussein Obama at that.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:01 AM on June 25, 2015
Barack Hussein Obama at that.
posted by Tomorrowful at 8:01 AM on June 25, 2015
Barack Hussein Obama at that.
And he beat Mitt Romney, who was more white bread than Wonder.
posted by Melismata at 8:03 AM on June 25, 2015
And he beat Mitt Romney, who was more white bread than Wonder.
posted by Melismata at 8:03 AM on June 25, 2015
Bobby Jindal kicked off his 2016 presidential bid yesterday by informing his children first
He'll inform them first when he drops out, too.
posted by kirkaracha at 8:06 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
I always wonder if "Piyush Jindal" could possibly have been elected governor of a U.S. state. (Or Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa, before she married Michael Haley, for that matter.)
Maybe if they Lamar!'d those names?
Piyush!
Randhawa!
posted by notyou at 8:08 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
Maybe if they Lamar!'d those names?
Piyush!
Randhawa!
posted by notyou at 8:08 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
What upsets me most is the way in which he panders to the right with regard to certain issues like his views on science, education, & creationism.
I don't know that I've ever seen a politician so transparently and blatantly pretending to be a dipshit. He's truly disheartening.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:09 AM on June 25, 2015 [11 favorites]
I don't know that I've ever seen a politician so transparently and blatantly pretending to be a dipshit. He's truly disheartening.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:09 AM on June 25, 2015 [11 favorites]
I was grossed out by Santorum making his child's birthday into a political event
I think more political fundraisers should take place at Chuck-E-Cheeses.
posted by octobersurprise at 8:10 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think more political fundraisers should take place at Chuck-E-Cheeses.
posted by octobersurprise at 8:10 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yeah, when he first hit the scene he was positioning as the reasonable, technocratic Republican.
Must be something in the swamp water.
posted by notyou at 8:11 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Must be something in the swamp water.
posted by notyou at 8:11 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think more political fundraisers should take place at Chuck-E-Cheeses.
FIVE FUNDRAISERS AT FREDDY'S
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:13 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
FIVE FUNDRAISERS AT FREDDY'S
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:13 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
I guess what depresses me about the elections that put Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley in power is that they could easily be used as "I'm not a racist, look I voted for a non-white candidate for governor" get-out-of-jail card. But out of the two of them, Bobby Jindal depresses me the most.
posted by Kitteh at 8:16 AM on June 25, 2015
posted by Kitteh at 8:16 AM on June 25, 2015
Barack Hussein Obama at that.
And he beat Mitt Romney, who was more white bread than Wonder.
And whose actual first name is Willard, if we're going to talk about making names more voter-friendly.
posted by Etrigan at 8:16 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
And he beat Mitt Romney, who was more white bread than Wonder.
And whose actual first name is Willard, if we're going to talk about making names more voter-friendly.
posted by Etrigan at 8:16 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
No worse than Barak Obama.
I guess, though Barack Obama wasn't campaigning only to red state voters. (Though admittedly NC has taken a purplish hue at times, I suppose.)
posted by aught at 8:21 AM on June 25, 2015
I guess, though Barack Obama wasn't campaigning only to red state voters. (Though admittedly NC has taken a purplish hue at times, I suppose.)
posted by aught at 8:21 AM on June 25, 2015
Jindal has been a disaster for Louisiana. I wish he was satisfied with running one state into the ground.
As for me, I support Crawfish.
posted by a hat out of hell at 8:23 AM on June 25, 2015
As for me, I support Crawfish.
posted by a hat out of hell at 8:23 AM on June 25, 2015
I was grossed out by Santorum making his child's birthday into a political event
I think more political fundraisers should take place at Chuck-E-Cheeses.
Giant rats + child-like thinking + begging adults for money + bright lights & sounds. Yup. Seems about right.
posted by Fizz at 8:25 AM on June 25, 2015 [9 favorites]
I think more political fundraisers should take place at Chuck-E-Cheeses.
Giant rats + child-like thinking + begging adults for money + bright lights & sounds. Yup. Seems about right.
posted by Fizz at 8:25 AM on June 25, 2015 [9 favorites]
Fizz: Related: Bobby Jindal’s Biggest Troll Is His Friend’s 21-Year-Old Son
Apparently John Oliver needs to put together a piece on "trolling" like he did for newscasters mis-identifying "selfies" because Zack Kopplin is not "trolling" Jindal, he's refuting and countering the "teach the controversy" bullshit, and the idea that Jindall actually cares about it (his kids were taught evolution, not "controversy," per Kopplin). You don't even have to tread into Urban Dictionary, modern internet "trolling" is in Dictionary.com (well, Reference.com's Dictionary sub-section, but close enough).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:30 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
Apparently John Oliver needs to put together a piece on "trolling" like he did for newscasters mis-identifying "selfies" because Zack Kopplin is not "trolling" Jindal, he's refuting and countering the "teach the controversy" bullshit, and the idea that Jindall actually cares about it (his kids were taught evolution, not "controversy," per Kopplin). You don't even have to tread into Urban Dictionary, modern internet "trolling" is in Dictionary.com (well, Reference.com's Dictionary sub-section, but close enough).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:30 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
I was grossed out by Santorum making his child's birthday into a political event
I think more political fundraisers should take place at Chuck-E-Cheeses.
Giant rats + child-like thinking + begging adults for money + bright lights & sounds. Yup. Seems about right.
The Tea Party/John Bircher wing of the Republican party will never go for it. At Chuck-E-Cheese you're paid in paper scrip that you use to redeem prizes. That sounds like communism to me -- get Chuck-E-Cheese back on the gold token standard!
posted by nathan_teske at 8:31 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think more political fundraisers should take place at Chuck-E-Cheeses.
Giant rats + child-like thinking + begging adults for money + bright lights & sounds. Yup. Seems about right.
The Tea Party/John Bircher wing of the Republican party will never go for it. At Chuck-E-Cheese you're paid in paper scrip that you use to redeem prizes. That sounds like communism to me -- get Chuck-E-Cheese back on the gold token standard!
posted by nathan_teske at 8:31 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I agree filthy light thief. That Mother Jones article is very informative but their choice of headline makes Zack Kopplin out to be something else entirely.
posted by Fizz at 8:32 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Fizz at 8:32 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
And he beat Mitt Romney, who was more white bread than Wonder.
(And who ran a confused and self-deluded campaign.)
posted by aught at 8:33 AM on June 25, 2015
(And who ran a confused and self-deluded campaign.)
posted by aught at 8:33 AM on June 25, 2015
Paid in scrip that you can only use at the company store. That's not communism, that's back to the good ol' days of unfettered capitalism coal company style!
posted by zoinks at 8:33 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by zoinks at 8:33 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
Greg Nog: never forget that this trifling motherfucker dissed the concept of monitoring volcanoes, Nature's Hell Mountains
Better yet, let's remember that Jindal criticized Democrats for funding "something called volcano monitoring" just in time for Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano to erupt on March 22, 2009, with activity continuing for several months, with reports that found ash clouds reaching as high as 65,000 feet (20,000 m) above sea level. As The Daily Beast noted, that pleasantly left Jindal looking "like the thumb-twiddling politician from every disaster movie."
I agree filthy light thief. That Mother Jones article is very informative but their choice of headline makes Zack Kopplin out to be something else entirely.
Yes, I'm sorry I didn't note that the article is a good one, but with a terrible headline.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:37 AM on June 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
Better yet, let's remember that Jindal criticized Democrats for funding "something called volcano monitoring" just in time for Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano to erupt on March 22, 2009, with activity continuing for several months, with reports that found ash clouds reaching as high as 65,000 feet (20,000 m) above sea level. As The Daily Beast noted, that pleasantly left Jindal looking "like the thumb-twiddling politician from every disaster movie."
I agree filthy light thief. That Mother Jones article is very informative but their choice of headline makes Zack Kopplin out to be something else entirely.
Yes, I'm sorry I didn't note that the article is a good one, but with a terrible headline.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:37 AM on June 25, 2015 [6 favorites]
Xurando: "Bobby Jindal kicked off his 2016 presidential bid yesterday by informing his children first"
"Jindall's children and wife were unaware of the camera."
posted by boo_radley at 8:37 AM on June 25, 2015
"Jindall's children and wife were unaware of the camera."
posted by boo_radley at 8:37 AM on June 25, 2015
From one minute on, he's trying to play the circle game with his son, but his son's not falling for it.
posted by jpdoane at 8:38 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by jpdoane at 8:38 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Uh hey boo-boo, that camera is to make sure no bears sneak off with his pic-i-nik basket.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:39 AM on June 25, 2015
posted by filthy light thief at 8:39 AM on June 25, 2015
a hat out of hell: "Jindal has been a disaster for Louisiana. I wish he was satisfied with running one state into the ground"
Oh jeez, what's with Republicans getting a governorship and then half-assing it? I guess at least Jindal didn't Actually Literally Resign to start running already, so maybe some lesson learned from Palin.
posted by boo_radley at 8:39 AM on June 25, 2015
Oh jeez, what's with Republicans getting a governorship and then half-assing it? I guess at least Jindal didn't Actually Literally Resign to start running already, so maybe some lesson learned from Palin.
posted by boo_radley at 8:39 AM on June 25, 2015
Honestly, it seems for a large portion of the modern Republican party, getting a governorship and running the state into the ground, is they very definition of full-assing it. That is their intent.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:42 AM on June 25, 2015 [15 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:42 AM on June 25, 2015 [15 favorites]
"A longtime family friend named Sumir Chehl recalls how, before attending Jindal’s primary-night victory party in 2003, she received a phone call from Jindal’s father asking her to wear Western dress for the event. 'He said that’s what his political advisers were saying,' said Chehl, who nonetheless wore a flowing top and pants common in Punjab. 'It gave me the feeling that he was trying to disassociate from his heritage.' She said Indian dress was also discouraged for his 2008 inauguration... Suresh C. Gupta, a Potomac, Md., doctor, gave a fundraiser for Jindal’s first gubernatorial bid. But he said Jindal has actively tried to disassociate himself from the Indian American community in recent years." From Piyush to Bobby: How does Jindal feel about his family’s past? [via Anil Dash]
posted by koeselitz at 8:49 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
posted by koeselitz at 8:49 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
I saw this comment via social media, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it:
I can say one positive thing about Bobby Jindal, I work among a number of people from India or of Indian descent, and they are a bunch of pretty sharp cookies. When I hear Bobby Jindal say anything, I realize not all folks of Indian descent are smart, which makes me feel a little better.
(Ok, I laughed.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 8:52 AM on June 25, 2015
I can say one positive thing about Bobby Jindal, I work among a number of people from India or of Indian descent, and they are a bunch of pretty sharp cookies. When I hear Bobby Jindal say anything, I realize not all folks of Indian descent are smart, which makes me feel a little better.
(Ok, I laughed.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 8:52 AM on June 25, 2015
I don't know that I've ever seen a politician so transparently and blatantly pretending to be a dipshit. He's truly disheartening.
ROU_Xenophobe
What's even more depressing is that Jindal was the guy who, after the 2012 Presidential loss, said that the GOP should being the "stupid party":
posted by Sangermaine at 8:57 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
ROU_Xenophobe
What's even more depressing is that Jindal was the guy who, after the 2012 Presidential loss, said that the GOP should being the "stupid party":
“It is no secret we had a number of Republicans damage our brand this year with offensive, bizarre comments — enough of that,” Jindal said. “It’s not going to be the last time anyone says something stupid within our party, but it can’t be tolerated within our party. We’ve also had enough of this dumbed-down conservatism. We need to stop being simplistic, we need to trust the intelligence of the American people and we need to stop insulting the intelligence of the voters.”He clearly knows the GOP is being stupid, but he also has clearly calculated that playing up that stupid wins him conservative voters. To me it makes him far more despicable than idiot true believers like Santorum. At least those people are being honest with their shitty views.
posted by Sangermaine at 8:57 AM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
so maybe some lesson learned from Palin.
Who got dropped by Fox News recently.
posted by aught at 8:57 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Who got dropped by Fox News recently.
posted by aught at 8:57 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I feel like he is an embarrassment to Asian-Americans as a whole.
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:16 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:16 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
I always wonder if "Piyush Jindal" could possibly have been elected governor of a U.S. state.
I immediately thought of the various Jewish politicians we've had in the US. Paul Wellstone, senator from Minnesota, did not change his name himself, his father did, from the original Wexelstein. Barbara Boxer was Barbara Levy in Brooklyn before she got married. Michael Bennet (senator from Colorado) has Jewish heritage, though he wasn't raised observant. One would guess that there's a slightly less WASP-y surname somewhere in his ancestry.
In short, there's a long, long, history of changing your name to pass and achieve in this country. Though I disagree with Jindal and Haley's politics, I can't slight them for doing want many have done before to get ahead.
posted by aureliobuendia at 9:17 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
I immediately thought of the various Jewish politicians we've had in the US. Paul Wellstone, senator from Minnesota, did not change his name himself, his father did, from the original Wexelstein. Barbara Boxer was Barbara Levy in Brooklyn before she got married. Michael Bennet (senator from Colorado) has Jewish heritage, though he wasn't raised observant. One would guess that there's a slightly less WASP-y surname somewhere in his ancestry.
In short, there's a long, long, history of changing your name to pass and achieve in this country. Though I disagree with Jindal and Haley's politics, I can't slight them for doing want many have done before to get ahead.
posted by aureliobuendia at 9:17 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
The GOP presdential field has already supassed an NBA roster and is quickly approaching a MLB 25 man team. I want a 53-man NFL roster, so Sarah Palin, Haley Barbour, Paul Ryan, Steve King, Peter King, Scott Brown, Rick Snyder, Darrell Issa, Sam Brownback, Rick Scott, Jan Brewer, Condalezza Rice, Liz Cheney, and Jon Bolton c'mon down! And let's get the gang back together for Mitt Romney, John Huntsman, John McCain, Ruby Guliani, Herman Cain, Allen West, Newt Gingrich, Rob Portman and Mitch Daniels! Is Bob Dole still alive, he's still alive right? C'mon down!
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:20 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:20 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
T.D. Strange, you're missing next week's addition of Chris Christie.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:22 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:22 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I feel like he is an embarrassment to Asian-Americans as a whole.
Agreed. I also considering changing "as a whole" to just "asshole", but exercised some taste and restraint.
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:22 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Agreed. I also considering changing "as a whole" to just "asshole", but exercised some taste and restraint.
posted by Strange Interlude at 9:22 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Is it just me or is this like some sort of swarm/fakeout attack where Dems don't know which (loony!) leader to prepare to fight, but the GOP's and dark money candidates sharpen and hone their Hillary-specific weapons for months and months and months
Nope, this is standard practice for both sides to rush the field, then get knocked off by the primaries and polls. It's all a political game, and as Slate notes:
The GOP presdential field has already supassed an NBA roster and is quickly approaching a MLB 25 man team.
I remember some SNL skit about some look-alike GOP candidates but I couldn't find it; here's a list of 16 GOP possibles for the 2008 election, littered with names I don't even remember.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:23 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nope, this is standard practice for both sides to rush the field, then get knocked off by the primaries and polls. It's all a political game, and as Slate notes:
For the first time in recent memory, there’s no natural choice for the nomination. And while the front-runners—Walker, Bush, and Rubio—are strong, there’s no guarantee they’ll win. A presidential campaign is brutal, exhausting work. But right now, if you have the ambition, there’s no reason not to try. Barring a huge change in national conditions, the eventual nominee has an even chance of winning.When any of the top candidates could drop out because of some flub (like the amazing but politically deadly Dean Scream), or a bombshell from someone's past (Herman Cain's numerous allegations of sexual harassment and his long-term affair, plus referring to the country of Uzbekistan as "uz becki beki beki beki stan stan").
The GOP presdential field has already supassed an NBA roster and is quickly approaching a MLB 25 man team.
I remember some SNL skit about some look-alike GOP candidates but I couldn't find it; here's a list of 16 GOP possibles for the 2008 election, littered with names I don't even remember.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:23 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
T.D. Strange, you're missing next week's addition of Chris Christie.
Doh! And how could I forget Fred Thompson!?
littered with names I don't even remember.
I've got you covered.
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:26 AM on June 25, 2015
Doh! And how could I forget Fred Thompson!?
littered with names I don't even remember.
I've got you covered.
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:26 AM on June 25, 2015
I think there's a term for feeling embarrassment for someone else but I can't remember it.
Igry!
posted by drezdn at 9:34 AM on June 25, 2015
Igry!
posted by drezdn at 9:34 AM on June 25, 2015
It's interesting, but three mainstream Republican candidates for President are afraid or ashamed to use their birth names - Piyush Jindal, Rafael Cruz and John Bush - Jeb! won't even use either his first or last name on his campaign material.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:38 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:38 AM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I don't think Jeb is afraid to use his birth name, or ashamed of it. Jeb has been his nickname his whole life.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:40 AM on June 25, 2015
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:40 AM on June 25, 2015
He's not ashamed of the "John", but he's clearly ashamed and afraid of the "Bush".
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:43 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:43 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure if Jeb himself is afraid or ashamed of his last name, but I'm sure folks running his campaign are.
If anything he himself probably used it professionally because "John Ellis Bush" would remind everybody that he comes from a line of moneyed politicians rather than being downhome folk.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:43 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
If anything he himself probably used it professionally because "John Ellis Bush" would remind everybody that he comes from a line of moneyed politicians rather than being downhome folk.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 9:43 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
Can anyone point me to a good article about Bobby Jindal's budget shenanigans?
posted by drezdn at 9:48 AM on June 25, 2015
posted by drezdn at 9:48 AM on June 25, 2015
someone pointed out that basically makes him the GOB to George 43's Buster and now I cannot unsee
posted by kagredon at 9:48 AM on June 25, 2015 [10 favorites]
posted by kagredon at 9:48 AM on June 25, 2015 [10 favorites]
At this point, I am convinced that 75% of the Republicans running for president are doing it for the perks. Their SuperPAC donors foot the bill, and the "candidates" get to run around the country, getting their soundbites of idiocy in more places and eating regional foods for photo ops. It gives them an excuse to neglect their normal jobs, see some cool sites, and listen to months and months of sycophantic ego-stroking.
posted by a fiendish thingy at 9:57 AM on June 25, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by a fiendish thingy at 9:57 AM on June 25, 2015 [9 favorites]
I'm uncomfortable with the direction some of the discussion of Jindal's race has went in this thread.
posted by drezdn at 10:00 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by drezdn at 10:00 AM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
What I find weird about this is how shittily it's filmed and recorded. If you're going to exploit your family for political purposes, why would you film it like you're capturing a drug deal for the FBI?
posted by yoink at 10:03 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by yoink at 10:03 AM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
drezdn: "I'm uncomfortable with the direction some of the discussion of Jindal's race has went in this thread."
You probably want to stay the hell away from twitter, then.
posted by boo_radley at 10:07 AM on June 25, 2015
You probably want to stay the hell away from twitter, then.
posted by boo_radley at 10:07 AM on June 25, 2015
I want a 53-man NFL roster
If you say all those names out loud, Karl Rove shows up in your bathroom mirror.
posted by backseatpilot at 10:12 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
If you say all those names out loud, Karl Rove shows up in your bathroom mirror.
posted by backseatpilot at 10:12 AM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
To be honest, I've been hearing about "Jeb Bush" (aka "ATM Machine") for a very long time, the downplaying of his last name is the news this time around. Funny that for someone the right defend so much, their tacticians are scared shitless of that name, and I'm pretty sure it's not because of Papa Bush or allegedly nazi collaborator Prescott.
posted by lmfsilva at 10:17 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by lmfsilva at 10:17 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you're going to exploit your family for political purposes, why would you film it like you're capturing a drug deal for the FBI?
Aw-shucks authenticity. Remember that the last successful GOP Presidential candidate played "Who would you rather get a beer with, me or that egghead?" hard.
posted by Etrigan at 10:54 AM on June 25, 2015
Aw-shucks authenticity. Remember that the last successful GOP Presidential candidate played "Who would you rather get a beer with, me or that egghead?" hard.
posted by Etrigan at 10:54 AM on June 25, 2015
Can we get a vintage Harold Stassen run? I'm pretty sure Weekend at Harold's would poll better than Jindal or Christie.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:00 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:00 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
All I can think of is this Onion article from January. He must have decided that this would be good timing, since his campaign would be over by the time the kids are back in school this fall.
posted by Johnny Assay at 11:11 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Assay at 11:11 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Zack Kopplin is not a troll.
Bobby Jindal is a troll. He has already trolled one state and now will try to troll forty nine more.
posted by notreally at 11:14 AM on June 25, 2015
Anyone else get a Sinister vibe from this video? I kept expecting a jump cut to a shot of the family's lifeless bodies dangling from a tree branch.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:32 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:32 AM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
a fiendish thingy: At this point, I am convinced that 75% of the Republicans running for president are doing it for the perks. Their SuperPAC donors foot the bill, and the "candidates" get to run around the country, getting their soundbites of idiocy in more places and eating regional foods for photo ops
Sure, they do a lot of traveling in this country (fun infographic of who has traveled or is planning to travel where in the US, since Nov. 2014), but what about trips overseas to look like they understand world politics and talk about foreign policy, like your college friend just back from their study abroad? "Well, when I was in Italy..."
posted by filthy light thief at 11:47 AM on June 25, 2015
Sure, they do a lot of traveling in this country (fun infographic of who has traveled or is planning to travel where in the US, since Nov. 2014), but what about trips overseas to look like they understand world politics and talk about foreign policy, like your college friend just back from their study abroad? "Well, when I was in Italy..."
posted by filthy light thief at 11:47 AM on June 25, 2015
Can we get a vintage Harold Stassen run?
Mad Sam Yorty or GTFO.
At this point, I am convinced that 75% of the Republicans running for president are doing it for the perks.
I suppose presidential primary campaigns have always been like this to some degree, but the number of candidates who look more interested in running for the next book deal or tv appearance seems to have risen over the last decade or so, especially on the right. I'm guessing that's partly a symptom of easy PAC money and partly a symptom of the size and significance of conservative culture war politics.
I do find it interesting that these kind of free-for-alls don't happen more frequently on the Democratic side. Because there's no reason they shouldn't, and yet, 1988 was the last time the number of Democratic primary candidates exceeded today's crop of Republicans. And you have to go back to 1972 to find a Democratic field (16) that's as large as the Republican field is likely to be by the end of the summer.
posted by octobersurprise at 12:18 PM on June 25, 2015
Mad Sam Yorty or GTFO.
At this point, I am convinced that 75% of the Republicans running for president are doing it for the perks.
I suppose presidential primary campaigns have always been like this to some degree, but the number of candidates who look more interested in running for the next book deal or tv appearance seems to have risen over the last decade or so, especially on the right. I'm guessing that's partly a symptom of easy PAC money and partly a symptom of the size and significance of conservative culture war politics.
I do find it interesting that these kind of free-for-alls don't happen more frequently on the Democratic side. Because there's no reason they shouldn't, and yet, 1988 was the last time the number of Democratic primary candidates exceeded today's crop of Republicans. And you have to go back to 1972 to find a Democratic field (16) that's as large as the Republican field is likely to be by the end of the summer.
posted by octobersurprise at 12:18 PM on June 25, 2015
That may be because, as filthy light thief points out above, it's actually fairly unusual for either party to go into an election cycle without a clear favorite. The Republicans are in an odd position this time of not having someone like Romney who everyone expected to get the nomination from the beginning. Since Obama defeated Clinton in the 2008 primaries it's been the common wisdom that she'll get the nomination after Obama leaves, so there's not really as much impetus for others to try.
1992 was also a somewhat open year for the Democrats (Bill Clinton was relatively unknown nationally when he threw his hat in), though with fewer candidates, but since then there's been a clear favorite every election cycle until now.
posted by Sangermaine at 12:25 PM on June 25, 2015
1992 was also a somewhat open year for the Democrats (Bill Clinton was relatively unknown nationally when he threw his hat in), though with fewer candidates, but since then there's been a clear favorite every election cycle until now.
posted by Sangermaine at 12:25 PM on June 25, 2015
Was going to make a joke about how one of the less-likely GOP hopefuls should just do things the old-fashioned way and try having some of the troops hail them as Imperator, but thinking about it for even a second removed any potential funny from the thought.
posted by the phlegmatic king at 12:34 PM on June 25, 2015
posted by the phlegmatic king at 12:34 PM on June 25, 2015
without a clear favorite.
Speaking of which, I dig the photo of Paul Ryan the WSJ chose to accompany "Rep. Paul Ryan Rules Out 2016 Presidential Candidacy." To me, it says "Hey, Girl, I still want to be your President, but I think I need to work on me for a while."
posted by octobersurprise at 12:37 PM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
Speaking of which, I dig the photo of Paul Ryan the WSJ chose to accompany "Rep. Paul Ryan Rules Out 2016 Presidential Candidacy." To me, it says "Hey, Girl, I still want to be your President, but I think I need to work on me for a while."
posted by octobersurprise at 12:37 PM on June 25, 2015 [5 favorites]
1992 was also a somewhat open year for the Democrats (Bill Clinton was relatively unknown nationally when he threw his hat in), though with fewer candidates, but since then there's been a clear favorite every election cycle until now.
The GOP has had the "wait your turn" mentality for years -- Reagan ran against Ford and lost, but then got the nod in 1980. Bush ran against Reagan and lost, but (oddly) got the VP nod and became the next GOP nominee. Dole ran against Bush in 1988 and got the 1996 nod. Dubya was the outlier in 2000, because no one caught on during the 1996 primaries (it's weird just how demoralized the GOP still was at that point). But McCain ran against him and lost, so he got the chance in 2008. And of course, he stepped over Mitt Romney to do it, so there was your 2012 nominee. Note the sub-pattern in there -- it's the second-place guy from the last competitive race except when you're following a two-term Democrat.
posted by Etrigan at 12:45 PM on June 25, 2015
The GOP has had the "wait your turn" mentality for years -- Reagan ran against Ford and lost, but then got the nod in 1980. Bush ran against Reagan and lost, but (oddly) got the VP nod and became the next GOP nominee. Dole ran against Bush in 1988 and got the 1996 nod. Dubya was the outlier in 2000, because no one caught on during the 1996 primaries (it's weird just how demoralized the GOP still was at that point). But McCain ran against him and lost, so he got the chance in 2008. And of course, he stepped over Mitt Romney to do it, so there was your 2012 nominee. Note the sub-pattern in there -- it's the second-place guy from the last competitive race except when you're following a two-term Democrat.
posted by Etrigan at 12:45 PM on June 25, 2015
drezdn: “I'm uncomfortable with the direction some of the discussion of Jindal's race has went in this thread.”
Yeah, I have to say I understand that discomfort. I posted that article above, about Jindal supposedly distancing himself from the Indian-American community, with some reservations, and that's pretty much why I didn't make a comment on it directly.
But I may as well state those reservations: I am a white man. It is absolutely not my place to tell other people how, where, and when they're allowed to present themselves racially. If Bobby Jindal doesn't want to be a Hindu or dress like his grandparents did or follow the traditions his grandparents had, that is absolutely his business. And I'm going to try very hard to avoid the temptation to snicker at him for doing whatever it is he wants to do. Lord knows I am not rushing to embrace half of the noxious things my grandparents and great-grandparents did. Hell, I have at least one ancestor who was a Civil War general fighting for the South. My saying I don't want anything to do with his cultural and political ideas doesn't make me any kind of race traitor, and implications to the contrary are unseemly, to say the least. And this is particularly something we white people do to minorities – often in the worst ways; think of the producer character in Bamboozled telling his black co-worker that "I'm more black than you'll ever be!" because he listens to rap and likes basketball. Ugh.
So: Bobby Jindal can be whatever the hell Bobby Jindal wants to be. That's his choice, and it absolutely has nothing to do with whether or not he is or is not a good candidate. I disagree strongly with him, but I sure as hell don't think he's a bad guy because he decided he'd rather be called Bobby.
I will say this, however: I provided the via link at the end of my comment because I think the context in which it came up is interesting. It was from Anil Dash, who was not telling people that Bobby Jindal is an awful person; he was talking about Nikki Haley's comments about the Confederate flag, and pointing out that, in a white supremacist society, there is ultimately nothing to be gained from cozying up to the forces of white supremacy and playing the part of going along, because – lo and behold – even Nikki Haley has been attacked by conservatives as a "guru worshipper" Sikh and an "immigrant" who "doesn't understand American history."
So it was really more of a sad warning, coupled with the observation that, no matter how hard you try, it is actually impossible for non-whites to play the part and fit in in a way that pleases all mainstream conservatives. White supremacy always comes out.
And therefore, in the case of Jindal – it's not that he's a traitor to his heritage, or anything like that; if there are Indian-Americans who feel that way, then that is their right, but it's not my place as a white guy to judge. For me it's not really about Bobby Jindal at all, however. It's about the fact that Bobby Jindal will absolutely, positively not break through the walls that separate him from other candidates, no matter how much he may play the part and play nice for all the conservatives that are made nervous by the idea of an Indian-American in power. And that's sad and unfortunate. It says a lot about how much work we have left to do.
posted by koeselitz at 1:02 PM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
Yeah, I have to say I understand that discomfort. I posted that article above, about Jindal supposedly distancing himself from the Indian-American community, with some reservations, and that's pretty much why I didn't make a comment on it directly.
But I may as well state those reservations: I am a white man. It is absolutely not my place to tell other people how, where, and when they're allowed to present themselves racially. If Bobby Jindal doesn't want to be a Hindu or dress like his grandparents did or follow the traditions his grandparents had, that is absolutely his business. And I'm going to try very hard to avoid the temptation to snicker at him for doing whatever it is he wants to do. Lord knows I am not rushing to embrace half of the noxious things my grandparents and great-grandparents did. Hell, I have at least one ancestor who was a Civil War general fighting for the South. My saying I don't want anything to do with his cultural and political ideas doesn't make me any kind of race traitor, and implications to the contrary are unseemly, to say the least. And this is particularly something we white people do to minorities – often in the worst ways; think of the producer character in Bamboozled telling his black co-worker that "I'm more black than you'll ever be!" because he listens to rap and likes basketball. Ugh.
So: Bobby Jindal can be whatever the hell Bobby Jindal wants to be. That's his choice, and it absolutely has nothing to do with whether or not he is or is not a good candidate. I disagree strongly with him, but I sure as hell don't think he's a bad guy because he decided he'd rather be called Bobby.
I will say this, however: I provided the via link at the end of my comment because I think the context in which it came up is interesting. It was from Anil Dash, who was not telling people that Bobby Jindal is an awful person; he was talking about Nikki Haley's comments about the Confederate flag, and pointing out that, in a white supremacist society, there is ultimately nothing to be gained from cozying up to the forces of white supremacy and playing the part of going along, because – lo and behold – even Nikki Haley has been attacked by conservatives as a "guru worshipper" Sikh and an "immigrant" who "doesn't understand American history."
So it was really more of a sad warning, coupled with the observation that, no matter how hard you try, it is actually impossible for non-whites to play the part and fit in in a way that pleases all mainstream conservatives. White supremacy always comes out.
And therefore, in the case of Jindal – it's not that he's a traitor to his heritage, or anything like that; if there are Indian-Americans who feel that way, then that is their right, but it's not my place as a white guy to judge. For me it's not really about Bobby Jindal at all, however. It's about the fact that Bobby Jindal will absolutely, positively not break through the walls that separate him from other candidates, no matter how much he may play the part and play nice for all the conservatives that are made nervous by the idea of an Indian-American in power. And that's sad and unfortunate. It says a lot about how much work we have left to do.
posted by koeselitz at 1:02 PM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
The GOP has had the "wait your turn" mentality for years
Rick Santorum came in 2nd in 2012, so he's the rightful heir. But no one cares this time, he's Stannis Baratheon.
posted by T.D. Strange at 1:02 PM on June 25, 2015
Rick Santorum came in 2nd in 2012, so he's the rightful heir. But no one cares this time, he's Stannis Baratheon.
posted by T.D. Strange at 1:02 PM on June 25, 2015
Of course, Romney was the Stannis back in 2012 too -- i.e. a guy with a straightforward claim to the throne, yet who was almost universally disliked, even by his own supporters.
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:19 PM on June 25, 2015
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:19 PM on June 25, 2015
@JohnFugelsang: Bobby Jindal announced today that he hates govt so much he's officially seeking a larger paycheck from it. June 25, 2015
posted by aught at 1:29 PM on June 25, 2015
posted by aught at 1:29 PM on June 25, 2015
Aw-shucks authenticity.
I can see the idea that using a crappy mic too far away from the speakers would capture a kind of "genuine home movie" feeling--but I can't see why, after they viewed what they'd got, that they decided to post it. I don't think we read shitty video/audio as "homespun" (even though in a way we should, of course)--we tend to read it as "dodgy"--which is why attack ads always feature blurry, glitchy images of the eeeeevil candidate. This looks like a video in which some horrible family secret gets "caught on tape" rather than a planned recording.
posted by yoink at 1:42 PM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I can see the idea that using a crappy mic too far away from the speakers would capture a kind of "genuine home movie" feeling--but I can't see why, after they viewed what they'd got, that they decided to post it. I don't think we read shitty video/audio as "homespun" (even though in a way we should, of course)--we tend to read it as "dodgy"--which is why attack ads always feature blurry, glitchy images of the eeeeevil candidate. This looks like a video in which some horrible family secret gets "caught on tape" rather than a planned recording.
posted by yoink at 1:42 PM on June 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
(Christ, that hashtag and Desi Twitter are savage.)
DAMN!
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:32 PM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
DAMN!
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:32 PM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
hone their Hillary-specific weapons for months and months and months
Eh, they've been honing since the 90's. If they're not careful there won't be any blade left.
A few extra months won't make any difference on top of the 20+ years they've already had.
posted by thefoxgod at 4:32 PM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Eh, they've been honing since the 90's. If they're not careful there won't be any blade left.
A few extra months won't make any difference on top of the 20+ years they've already had.
posted by thefoxgod at 4:32 PM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I can tell this shit is some racist shit because it is OK for German/Italian-American White dude Warren Wilhelm to choose a more marketable name and emphasize the most politically favorable aspects of his heritage.
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 4:59 PM on June 25, 2015
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 4:59 PM on June 25, 2015
The point is not that Bobby Jindal is a bad person for distancing himself from his Indian-American heritage. A few of us said this above. The point is that ingratiating oneself to racists unfortunately doesn't end up working unless one is white.
posted by koeselitz at 5:16 PM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by koeselitz at 5:16 PM on June 25, 2015 [3 favorites]
I don't think we read shitty video/audio as "homespun"
The Kennedy-Nixon debate is covered in most US history textbooks, but Mefites from other countries might not know this story. It is the video that is important. In 1960, most people who listened on the radio thought Richard Nixon won the debate. But people who watched it on TV all thought that Kennedy won. Nobody who listened to the radio knew that JFK was hiding behind a gigantic vine the whole time. So this video is pretty clearly referencing that event.
posted by compartment at 5:18 PM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
The Kennedy-Nixon debate is covered in most US history textbooks, but Mefites from other countries might not know this story. It is the video that is important. In 1960, most people who listened on the radio thought Richard Nixon won the debate. But people who watched it on TV all thought that Kennedy won. Nobody who listened to the radio knew that JFK was hiding behind a gigantic vine the whole time. So this video is pretty clearly referencing that event.
posted by compartment at 5:18 PM on June 25, 2015 [4 favorites]
This had some interesting points: Bobby Jindal Should Have Run In 2012, Not 2016
I like their "5 ring circus" infographic thingy too.
posted by thefoxgod at 7:12 PM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I like their "5 ring circus" infographic thingy too.
posted by thefoxgod at 7:12 PM on June 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I can tell this shit is some racist shit because it is OK for German/Italian-American White dude Warren Wilhelm to choose a more marketable name and emphasize the most politically favorable aspects of his heritage.
Yeah, pretty canny of him to have his father abandon him when he was 7 just so he could use his mother's name to advance his political career.
posted by Etrigan at 7:33 PM on June 25, 2015
Yeah, pretty canny of him to have his father abandon him when he was 7 just so he could use his mother's name to advance his political career.
posted by Etrigan at 7:33 PM on June 25, 2015
drezdn: "I'm uncomfortable with the direction some of the discussion of Jindal's race has went in this thread."
You probably want to stay the hell away from twitter, then.
What's different about the twitter thing is that it's mostly Desi people - Indians and Indian Americans - making fun of Jindal for distancing himself from his ancestry or "playing white." It is kind of a complex thing to me because I totally understand the instinct to be like, "well, I'm not like, THAT into being Indian." I'm younger than Jindal but grew up in an all white affluent area where it was SUPER WEIRD to be Indian and wished I could just be "normal." For Desi people ten- fifteen years or so younger than me, it seems like they were already growing up with it being much more "normal" to be Indian, but I can only imagine for Jindal's generation, being some of the very first, how hard it must have been. The general affluence of a lot of Indian Americans can be a sort of cushion from a lot of racism, and you end up spending so much time around white people that it's easy, really easy to just identify with that.
So it's weird to see white people poke fun at it without any idea of the background and complexity. It's another thing to explore the idea of being Indian-American, or Indian Enough from inside the culture. This recent post
and the discussion are a more in depth look at this.
Basically I'm glad koeselitz came back and clarified. Because it is a nuanced topic for a lot of us who are actually from the culture and for white people to har har from outside is kind of off to me.
Jindal specifically, yea can't stand the guy but the fact that he changed his name and his wife doesn't sit around in Saris, that doesn't bother me.
posted by sweetkid at 8:12 PM on June 25, 2015 [7 favorites]
I was acquainted with a few people who went to work for Jindal after Katrina. They were from a group that had come over to Louisiana from one of the big Baptist churches in Texas. One young man in particular became one of his aides.
I ran into the guy after Jindal threw his support behind the Creationism in the classroom law, and asked him why on Earth Jindal did it. I thought it was a blunder, because he was throwing a bone to a group of voters that were already going to vote for him anyway, and it cost him any chance of getting elected to a national level office.
The guy looked at me as though I were a leper.
I think the Governor genuinely believes in this idea, and supports it, he said. Or something along those lines.
So if anything, in my mind, the smart-guy technocrat trying to rein in the crazy is the facade.
posted by atchafalaya at 5:56 AM on June 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I ran into the guy after Jindal threw his support behind the Creationism in the classroom law, and asked him why on Earth Jindal did it. I thought it was a blunder, because he was throwing a bone to a group of voters that were already going to vote for him anyway, and it cost him any chance of getting elected to a national level office.
The guy looked at me as though I were a leper.
I think the Governor genuinely believes in this idea, and supports it, he said. Or something along those lines.
So if anything, in my mind, the smart-guy technocrat trying to rein in the crazy is the facade.
posted by atchafalaya at 5:56 AM on June 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think the Governor genuinely believes in this idea, and supports it, he said. Or something along those lines.
...which is bizarre, because he's identified as Catholic, and Creationism is squarely against Church teaching. The bone-throwing theory makes more sense.
posted by jquinby at 6:07 AM on June 26, 2015
...which is bizarre, because he's identified as Catholic, and Creationism is squarely against Church teaching. The bone-throwing theory makes more sense.
posted by jquinby at 6:07 AM on June 26, 2015
Nelson: Nothing says "Republican President" quite like a hidden surveillance camera recording private family conversations. Fisheye lens as cinéma vérité.
*ahem*
posted by wenestvedt at 6:45 AM on June 26, 2015
*ahem*
Whomp, whomp(If I had more time, I would finish up these lyrics and make it the new "This Is Just To Say" -- but I gotta get to work, you know?)
I bought a fisheye lens
And made arapGOP video with a couple offriendskids
It goes "whomp, whomp"
All the ladies and mens
They know everythingdeclaration of candidacy is better with a fisheye lens
posted by wenestvedt at 6:45 AM on June 26, 2015
Bobby Jindal and Grover Norquist Wreck Louisiana
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:07 PM on June 26, 2015
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:07 PM on June 26, 2015
Bobby Jindal and Grover Norquist Wreck Louisiana
The best buddy comedy of the summer!
posted by kagredon at 2:51 PM on June 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
The best buddy comedy of the summer!
posted by kagredon at 2:51 PM on June 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
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