THE SIXTH WINNER of the Curmudgeon’s coveted Buffoon Award is — [drum roll, flourish of trumpets] — Bobby Jindal!
Yes, it’s time we honored Louisiana’s creationist governor Bobby Jindal, also known as Bobby Jindal, the Exorcist. We’ve written before about Bobby Jindal’s Presidential Ambitions. See also: Bobby Jindal: Ignorance is Strength.
Today’s award was triggered by an article in the Times-Picayune of New Orleans, in which we read: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal needs to return to his roots. Here are some excerpts, with bold added by us:
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s been to Iowa. He’s held fund-raisers all over the country. He’s completed the network interview circuit, including appearances on Meet the Press, 60 Minutes and — of course — Sean Hannity. He’s done everything else a young, ambitious Republican is supposed to do in order to build a national following, to establish himself as a rising GOP leader.
Yet if I were one of Jindal’s advisers, I think I’d be about ready to walk into the boss’ office and break the bad news: It’s not working.
It’s not working? That’s good news. Let’s read on:
There’s really no other way to interpret the results of last weekend’s presidential straw poll conducted at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C., an event sponsored by the Family Research Council, which is headed by Louisiana native and longtime Jindal ally Tony Perkins.
Jindal finished behind not just established figures like ex-presidential candidates Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and one-time House Speaker Newt Gingrich, but also a couple of other entrants in the new face category, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Indiana Rep. Mike Pence.
Of that list of contenders, Romney is the only one we’re certain isn’t a creationist. See: Which 2012 Presidential Challengers Are Creationists? We continue with the Times-Picayune:
The people who participated in the vote are the same ones Jindal’s been courting on all those trips and in all those media appearances. They’re the ones whose attention he was hoping to get when he supported school vouchers and the teaching of intelligent design in Louisiana, when he spoke out against taxes, the federal stimulus bill and Democratic health care reform proposals on the national level.
All that pandering and it’s not working out? This is excellent. Here’s more:
His strategy is clearly to play to conservatives, but that’s the same thing a whole lot of other politicians are doing these days. He’s just saying what everyone else is saying, and not saying it as well.
As a sitting governor, he’s also opening himself up to charges of hypocrisy for, say, criticizing the stimulus but happily handing out giant checks that include the very federal spending he attacks.
Hypocrisy? A biology major who supports creationism is open to charges of hypocrisy? We’re shocked! Moving along:
If I were advising Jindal, I’d recommend that he return to his roots as a Republican who is willing to cross party lines and seek the sort of sensible policy solutions that can draw wide support.
Good luck with that. We strongly suspect that Jindal-the-creationist and “sensible policy solutions” just don’t go together. Meanwhile, we’re delighted that Bobby’s national ambitions appear to be going nowhere, but we can’t be certain that things will stay this way. However things work out, he’s definitely a buffoon.
Congratulations, Governor Jindal! Enjoy the award. You’ve earned it!
[History note: The first Buffoon Award winner was John West; the second was WorldNetDaily; the third was Mark Souder, Creationist Congressman; the fourth was The Intelligent Designer; and the fifth was Ronda Storms.]
Copyright © 2009. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
Obviously a case of racism. If his parents weren’t from India, he’d be a shoo-in. After all, he has done more for the cause of IDiots than any of the other candidates.
OK, to put Bobby in perspective, he is probably more rational than anyone in the Oklahoma congressional delegation or Sara Palin.
I am sorely tempted to do a Kayne West here and storm on stage protesting that, deserving though Jindal may be, surely Palin is the bigger buffoon!
Great Claw says: “… surely Palin is the bigger buffoon!”
You know I’m a Palin fan. It would be a lot easier for me to evaluate her views if she were ugly.
The obvious question for Jindal, given his Indian ancestry, is what he thinks of “Forbidden Archeology”, the Indian creationist “theory” that claims that modern humans have existed for 100s of millions of years.
Given that he isn’t getting much of the YEC vote the least he can do is admit that YEC is nonsense if not the “don’t ask, don’t tell” ID that he favors.
“You know I’m a Palin fan”
Them’s fightin’ words.
Politics is at best a choice between two evils, and reasonable people can disagree about which is lesser.
In Louisiana most people are creationists, as are most politicians of both parties.
@FrankJ:The obvious question for Jindal, given his Indian ancestry, is what he thinks of “Forbidden Archeology”, the Indian creationist “theory” that claims that modern humans have existed for 100s of millions of years.
The obvious question for President Obama, given his African ancestry, is what he thinks of Afrocentrism, the black anthropological “theory” that Western philosophy and science, going back to ancient Greece, were stolen from black African cultures, and that the ancient Egyptians were black Africans (rather than cousins of Jews and Arabs).
Jindal’s Republicanism does not give you a license for racism.
@megalonyx and comradebillyboy:
Sarah Palin is not in favor teaching creation in science classes, and has not imposed any cultural conservatism on Alaskans.
“Sarah Palin is not in favor teaching creation in science classes, and has not imposed any cultural conservatism on Alaskans.”
That’s not true. Alaska has an abstinence-only sex “education” program. And we all know how that worked out for her daughter, don’t we?
The Curmudgeon notes:
De gustibus non est disputandum…
And I could sort of follow the logic last autumn, when McCain selected Palin as his running mate — though at best it seemed a “if you can’t be with the one you love, then love the one you’re with” variety of argument.
But is the GOP really so devoid of anyone with sufficient intellectual stature that we have instead to tie ourselves into pretzels of hyper-rationalisation defending clowns like Palin?
Could a Palin ever someday grace a banknote in recognition of her intellectual prowess and insight?
Gabrial Hanna: “Jindal’s Republicanism does not give you a license for racism.”
No racism intended, if that’s what you mean. Jindal probably thinks that “Forbidden Archeology” is nonsense, and might want to make that clear to those who assume that he believes it because of his nationality. I’m pretty sure he thinks that YEC and most forms of OEC are nonsense too. But they all make “what happened when” claims that are easily falsified, so his opinion on all those versions ought to be scrutinized given his support of “academic freedom”.
BTW I’m just as suspicious of Democratic politicians who claim to accept evolution. I recall Al Gore and Ted Kennedy waffling on the issue
The Curmudgeon “You know I’m a Palin fan. It would be a lot easier for me to evaluate her views if she were ugly.”
Oh, but she is.
megalonyx “But is the GOP really so devoid of anyone with sufficient intellectual stature that we have instead to tie ourselves into pretzels of hyper-rationalisation defending clowns like Palin?”
Mods are so pre-Southern Strategy. It’s all Biblical literalistm and NeoCon now. Why bother with the attempts at rational dialogue when shouts of “NObama!” or “Death panels!” work?
Much like the comedy/death dichotomy, thinking is hard, but racebaiting-slash-blindly partisan rhetoric is easy.
Great Claw asks: “But is the GOP really so devoid of anyone with sufficient intellectual stature that we have instead to tie ourselves into pretzels of hyper-rationalisation defending clowns like Palin?”
Except for occasional generals, presidential (and VP) candidates almost always come from a limited number of state governors or people in Congress. It’s very rare for anyone of intelligence and character to seek those positions. Therefore …
@LRA:That’s not true. Alaska has an abstinence-only sex “education” program. And we all know how that worked out for her daughter, don’t we?
Most of what you have heard about Palin’s views are untrue.
http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/06/nation/na-sexed6
In a widely quoted 2006 survey she answered during her gubernatorial campaign, Palin said she supported abstinence-until-marriage programs. But weeks later, she proclaimed herself “pro-contraception” and said condoms ought to be discussed in schools alongside abstinence.
“I’m pro-contraception, and I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues,” she said during a debate in Juneau.
Such statements could raise concerns among social conservatives who have been some of Palin’s most enthusiastic supporters since she was tapped for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket last week.
Leslee Unruh, president of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse and campaign manager of the Vote Yes for Life effort, said children must be given a “clear and concise” message on the benefits of abstinence.
Asked about Palin’s statement, Unruh said, “I don’t think it’s clear. It seems disjointed to me.”
@FrankJ:No racism intended, if that’s what you mean. Jindal probably thinks that “Forbidden Archeology” is nonsense, and might want to make that clear to those who assume that he believes it because of his nationality.
Bobby Jindal has no obligation to renounce views that other people, who are not of his religion or his nationality, may espouse.
If somebody DOES think that Jindal, an American Catholic, might believe in a nutty Hindu creationism just because of where his ancestors come from, that person is a racist–who cares what he thinks?
I know Indians whose families have been Catholic for five hundred years. I don’t know if it’s true of Jindal’s family, but he’s an American and a Catholic. If you’ve got a problem with HIS views, fine. But he’s not answerable for the views of Indian Hindus any more than Barack Obama is answerable for the views of Kenyan animists.
@Modusoperandi
Much like the comedy/death dichotomy, thinking is hard, but racebaiting-slash-blindly partisan rhetoric is easy.
The ever-popular and never-supported charge of racism.
If I said Obama is a Marxist, you would fact-check my ass so fast… yet you never bother to examine your OWN stereotypes and prejudices.
We’re all so opposed to factual distortions and mischaracterizations when they come from creationists, but for some of us it they’re A-OK when talking about Republicans.
Gabriel Hanna says: “Most of what you have heard about Palin’s views are untrue.”
I fought that battle for months last year. This was probably the only pro-evolution blog that had positive things to say about Palin.
I fought that battle for months last year. This was probably the only pro-evolution blog that had positive things to say about Palin.
Yeah, I know, there’s no point.
Clearly racism and encitement to violence is a disease peculiar to the right:
http://www.zombietime.com/hall_of_shame/
I’ll shut up now.
“Clearly racism and encitement [sic] to violence is a disease peculiar to the right”
Sarcasm. I get it. Yeah, there are nuts all over the place. However, the subject of Curmudgeon’s blog is primarily evolution which seems to be a peculiar bugaboo of the right.
primarily evolution which seems to be a peculiar bugaboo of the right.
A bugaboo of elements of the Right, just as it is, and has been, for elements of the Left. I wasn’t the one who introduced Left and Right into this discourse.
The vast majority of people don’t understand science or the scientific method, and the desire to use science as a political football is not constrained to one side of the spectrum.
Nice catch on “encitement”.
Gabriel Hanna “The ever-popular and never-supported charge of racism.”
Strategy, Southern. And you skipped the part about “blindly partisan rhetoric” (something’s gone wrong with the Right when a goon like Limbaugh becomes their unnofficial spokesman).
“If I said Obama is a Marxist, you would fact-check my ass so fast…”
No I wouldn’t. I like Marx. If you accused Obama of Three Stoogery, then I’d check. They succeeded only in being terrible. Bad for comedy, bad for America.
…but we don’t have to fight. Now is the time for dance!
Modusoperandi says: “I like Marx.”
Groucho? Yeah, he’s okay.
Not just okay. Genius.