John Maginnis Hits The Real Issue As To the Bobby Jindal " Exorcism "

John Maginnis who has covered Louisiana forever has an excellent article on the Jindal Exorcism "issue" and in second half of it hits on something I have been saying for weeks. See Demonizing Gov. Jindal's exorcism

To the part I am interested in:


..............Those willing to shell out $29.95 to read the article online will be struck as much by his account of the ritual as by how he expresses his caring, conflicted feelings toward his platonic friend Susan, though she, allegedly possessed by the devil, sounds a bit of a drama queen.


Still unsure of what he had witnessed, in conclusion he acknowledged "the reality of spirits, angels and other related phenomena that I can neither touch nor see." There is nothing wacky or wildly zealous here, for Jindal's writing only exposes a young convert's unguarded, searching spirit, his compassion and humanity, the likes of which we have not read or heard from him since. Congregants in Baptist and Pentecostal churches may have experienced the authentic Jindal, though. According to those who have heard him three or four times, he usually says the same thing the same way.

Perhaps what really holds Jindal back is not the candor of his youth but his bland, carefully scripted persona of today. Talking points have their place, but voters are still attracted to leaders they can connect with on a personal level, even if it's just a feeling. That could be Romney's greatest shortcoming in the end, despite Republican fervor to get rid of the President, and why Jindal for vice president doesn't solve the problem.

A national TV producer who once met with Jindal and later talked to me was suitably impressed with his intellect, but asked, closing her fist to her chest, "Where's the heart?"

He showed more of it 18 years ago in the New Oxford Review, even if he wishes now he hadn't. His attitude might change one day, when he's gray around the temples, after he's had the job he really wants, or realizes he won't get it, and feels that by speaking straight from the heart he has nothing to lose, if he ever did.

As much as I support Jindal he has a big point. Which is why I have been saying the article on the whole I think was a plus for him. It does make him a little bit the less of the technocrat in that we get to see the man behind the curtain.

Now I slightly disagree that being Governor of Louisiana of Jindal is not a job Bobby really wants. I think we are basically dealing with Jindal's personality. The fact that Bobby seems to be giving the rather "same" story in Churches is rather telling too. I am not saying he is insincere. But again he is guarded. It's striking that the preachers close to Bobby have not been able to convince him to open it up or change it up a little.

Bobby has assets. In many ways he has very much profited from Louisiana natural disasters.

His "I am in control we are going to get this through this" persona is comforting. In fact I have seen how Bobby interacts with the people on the ground encouraging them and it works.  However thanks be to God the State nor the Nation is in constant natural disaster mode. That means in other times Jindal has to bring something extra to the table .

I do think if Jindal has higher ambitions in the future he might have difficulty in bringing that. In the end after 40 odd years you can't just can't change who you are overnight.