Gov. Bobby Jindal running for president

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will try to rise from his underdog campaign for President of the U.S.A.

LOUISIANA GOVERNOR Bobby Jindal this morning announced that he will be running for President of the United States of America. It was no major surprise to political news junkies, but I kind of like the way he announced his major decision. In contrast to the high-tech use of Twitter or Instagram that other candidates have been using, he did a simple video of a conversation with his children, whom he wanted to tell the news to his three children first.

It's kind of a strange video in that the single shot scene was from high up in a tree looking down at the Jindal family. You can't even see the governor (he's behind a tree branch) except for the top of his head. Weird.

As the conversation continued, his daughter Selia took a cue from the Obama daughters and took the opportunity to ask for a puppy. "I gave in, but with some conditions." said Jindal on his Facebook page.

The Louisiana-born Jindal, 44, is the first Indian American to run for president, AKA Leader of the Free World, or even to seek the GOP nomination. (By the way, he derides the use of Indian American. He believes hyphenated Americans should be considered Americans first.)

In the latest NBC/WSJ poll, he received less than one percent support from Republican primary voters. In the latest NBC/WSJ poll, he received less than one percent support from Republican primary voters. In the most recent Fox News poll, the news was even worse. Jindal wasn't just behind all the other candidates, he was also behind "None of the Above," which got 2 percent.

He is considered a long shot but his announcement will put his name out there into the  national landscape, beyond his state of Louisiana and maybe that would get him the serious attention he needs to run for higher office.

He was once viewed as a rising star in the Republican party but a series of decisions and issue positions he took appeared to be an attempt to appease ultra-conservative voters and distanced him from the mainstream Republicans. He has recently struggled with low approval ratings in his own home state amid budget problems. 

But Jindal's supporters believe his resume and accomplishments will appeal to conservative Christians in the GOP primary electorate. He describes himself as an evangelical Catholic and he has been an outspoken advocate for Christian values and boasts of deep cuts to spending in his home state.

This is shaping up to be one of the most interesting presidential campaigns in recent memory. Jindal, Donald Trump and 10 others on the Republican side; Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on the Democrats' side. Just think, only 18 months to go!

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