Posted on 10/21/2007 6:49:56 AM PDT by avacado
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal became the nation's youngest governor and the first nonwhite to hold post in Louisiana since Reconstruction when he carried more than half the vote to defeat 11 opponents.
Jindal, the Republican 36-year-old son of Indian immigrants, had 53 percent with 625,036 votes with about 92 percent of the vote tallied. It was more than enough to win Saturday's election outright and avoid a November 17 runoff.
"My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American dream. And guess what happened. They found the American Dream to be alive and well right here in Louisiana," he said to cheers and applause at his victory party.
....
When he takes office in January, Jindal will become the nation's youngest governor in office. He pledged to fight corruption and rid the state of those "feeding at the public trough," revisiting a campaign theme.
"They can either go quietly or they can go loudly, but either way, they will go," he said, adding that he would call the Legislature into special session to address ethics reform.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Why 2016? Why not 2012? Four plus years as governor (or is it two year terms in LA?) would qualify him,at least,as VP.
...exactly what I was thinking. Jindal has impressed me with actually espousing and creating effective, more efficient government - which could be a real winner for Democrats. Obama hasn't even gotten close to proposing anything beyond the typical liberal-run, bigger, more ineffective model of government. Obama is wasting his talents - Jindal is using them.
Hooray Bobby Jindal! Congratulations!
For starters, Fox News, which ran the same AP story. The New Orleans Times-Picayune. The Washington Times. The Wall Street Journal. Oh, and Jindal himself, who referenced -- reasonably enough -- his immigrant roots in the campaign.
“Who cares about his skin color? Other than the Clintoon News Network?”
The usual suspects: Democrats, liberals, race-baiting pimps and journalists.
Just like the last Jindal run for governor...
“In the runoff, Jindal was savaged by negative ads from the campaign of
Democrat Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. The ads showed a darkened Jindal
and called him a heartless bean-counter.”
from:
Miracle on the Bayou
Townhall.com ^ | October 20, 2007 | Patrick Ruffini
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1913856/posts
Black?
This is really a racist article. They could have said that he was the first Gov. of LA(maybe US) who was of Indian decent. The color or shade of his skin is irrelevant. The good people of LA are less racist than this writer..and have recognized the quality of Bobbie’s character.
He is one of my favorite politicians..and I wish him well.
Also Caucasians.
Immigrant roots — no problem. But the headline says “nonwhite”, not “immigrant roots.”
That depends hugely on how you define your terms -- terms that, for the most part, don't have a scientific definition. While the "Aryan" race is said to have its origins in the subcontinent -- and the Nazis even sent an expedition to Tibet to chart its roots -- most of the current occupants of India are described as Dravidian.
As with most questions of "race," Jindal's race comes down to the only definition that ever counted, "I know it when I see it." Is Jindal "non-white?" Look at him. Duh.
When Jindal talked about his immigrant parents, I think it was clear to the most casual observer that they didn't emigrate from Ireland.
Good going Bobby. Beware, Dems get real savage when you threaten their rice (race) bowl. If you don’t believe me, just ask Clarence Thomas. My guess is LA now joins the rest of the south as hardcore red states. I think the Clintons understand this and will do something to smear Bobby early and often. Watch your six.
Well, if Louisianans are that racist, I guess I’ll just stand down.
“most of the current occupants of India are described as Dravidian.”
Not quite. The Dravidians are mainly associated with South and South Central India (represented by the 4 southern states). Indians elsewhere in the subcontinent (about 80% of the population) are of Aryan descent. Then, there are communities of Aryan descent in South India too (and these folks are often the targets of discrimination by the darker-hued “Dravidians”).
No, it isn't. You can make the argument that th "non-white" observation in the firt paragraph is racist, but the balance of the article is straightforward and factual.
They could have said that he was the first Gov. of LA(maybe US) who was of Indian decent. The color or shade of his skin is irrelevant.
Did you fall off the cabbage truck yesterday, or as long ago as last week? Skin hue is a factor in electoral politics. It shouldn't be, but it is, and has always been. Jindal won a sweeping victory in a state where his parents weren't allowed to stay in a lot of hotels or ride in a lot of train cars. That's news.
And what you're proposing -- that he be described as "the first governor of Indian descent" without reference to race or color -- amounts to nothing more than a code phrase. Any astute reader, and most who aren't so astute, would see through that in half a heartbeat.
The good people of LA are less racist than this writer..and have recognized the quality of Bobbies character.
He is one of my favorite politicians..and I wish him well.
I agree with you about Jindal and Louisiana voters, but not about the reporter. A fact is not racist. Observing it is not racist.
I hear he’s a Rhodes Scholar, a Catholic, and was accepted to both Harvard Law School and Harvard Medical School.
It's horrible to think that there are still people that stupid walking around loose. I have some acquaintances like that, too: educated, sophisticated racists.
The big question now is: Is he now, or has he ever been, a Muslim? (:
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