Bobby Jindal – for President?

While the 2008 presidential election is just a few months away from primary season, the race for Louisiana’s governorship is coming to a close with Indian-American Bobby Jindal leading. If Jindal can pull off a 50% victory this Saturday, he’ll be planning his move to the Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge a little earlier than expected. If he fails to get 50%, the race will result in a runoff on November 17^th. Either way, Jindal is a clear favorite with the most recent poll giving him 50% of the vote and his closest rivals 9%.

Jindal has been a bright star in this rather low point of a year for the GOP. In some ways his political career is reminiscent of Barack Obama. Some conservative commentators have labeled him the Obama with actual experience. Could Jindal run for president? Well for one he was born in the US and two, he certainly has the resume having been a Rhodes Scholar, President of the University of Louisiana system, Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Services, and most recently serving as a Congressman. All this accomplished by the age of 36.

Being elected governor would pay off significantly for a White House bid. There has been a trend of governors (southern state governor anyone?) winning the national election, the last person who was a Senator prior to President was JFK. Being a minority Republican candidate could also help Jindal gather more media attention and expand the party’s voter base.

Politics and race aside, the one issue that could make a presidential run successful for him is healthcare. With the first Baby Boomer applying for Social Security yesterday, 4 to 8 years from now healthcare for aging and retiring Americans will be a bigger issue than ever and Jindal who has spent much of his career focusing on public health issues will have a significant influence on policy. Perfect timing for a healthcare savvy governor looking for the next step in his career.

Anay Shah

Edwards takes on Our Issues: A must see

Senator John Edwards recently responded to a questionnaire which addresses some of the more important issues facing Indian American's today. This questionnaire is a must read for everyone. However, here is one of the things I found most interesting.

Senator Edwards responded to a question regarding medical malpractice liability and how it has plagued the over 40,000 Indian physicians in the country. He explains a multi-pronged solution, addressing policy and legislation changes to alleviate the problem:

"To discourage frivolous suits, I will require lawyers to have an expert testify that actual malpractice has occurred before bringing a suit. There will be mandatory sanctions for lawyers who file frivolous cases, and any lawyer who files three frivolous cases will be forbidden from bringing another suit for the next 10 years"

It's about time that somebody takes a hard line to address this issue. Doctors serve an incredibly immense role in society, yet every so often we see a doctor fall victim to a flawed system, losing his career as well as his ability to save lives. It seems as if Edwards is committed to protecting the profession from the onslaught of "frivolous" lawsuits, and further, is committed to keeping doctors where they belong—in hospitals.

I'd encourage everyone to check out the rest of the questionnaire. Senator Edwards has a pretty impressive message to Indian Americans. It's time for us to listen.

Bobby
Blog Contributor