“And he’ll be fine in the future, too. I think he was judged a bit harshly last night — it’s very easy to forget he’s only 37. He has a long time to hone his speaking ability. He’s already outstanding on the give-and-take of interviews - far better and more thoughtful than Obama. Jindal is a proven leader; he showed that during the hurricane evac last year. He has his head on straight on the other issues as well.
Obama’s nothing but an empty suit who gives a great speech — nothing more.”
Good points all.
Romney was unacceptable to many "conservatives" because a.) he was from Massachusetts and, worse, b.) he was a Morman.
Palin is unacceptable to many "conservatives" in 2012 because she is a.) uneducated and b.) a redneck.
Now, Jindal is unacceptable to many "conservatives" because he is a.) too callow and b.) not a good speaker.
Note that all of the objections fall into the category of either irrelevant or shallow and subjective. An odd phenomenon, don't you think, since conservatives are supposed to be all about substance!
I also note that many of the negative assessments come from screen-names that are relatively unfamiliar (though some are of long-standing) -- which suggests a concerted effort on the part of somebody to shoot down any GOP candidate whose head rises above the horizon.
Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, I note that a.) I supported Romney after Thompson withdrew and b.) I'm prepared to support either a Palin or Jindal in 2012 (or any other legitimate conservative candidate who might yet emerge).
But, my God, Palin has "it" -- the electricity that can rivet attention -- plus strong conservative credentials as a government executive. And Jindal has "substance" -- he clearly understands conservative philosophy and possesses the ability to articulate it -- plus strong conservative credentials as a government executive.
And there are FReepers who are prepared to totally discount both...even attack them?
Pardon me if I wonder whether the board is becoming infested with trolls and we are being manipulated by posters who do not have our conservative interests at heart...
Frankly, now would be a very good time for us to invoke Reagan's 11th Amendment -- thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican. If you've got a candidate for 2012, by all means, promote him (or her)! But don't undertake to do it by tearing down another candidate.
The Politics of Personal Destruction are, after all, a liberal device...