In the still-unfolding Louisiana Senate race, when Republican Bill Cassidy wants to hurt Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu’s standing, he suggests that a vote for her is a vote for unpopular President Barack Obama.
The Associated Press reports Democrats have their supposed bad guy too: When they want to hurt Cassidy, they link him to Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Like Obama’s nationally, Jindal’s approval ratings in Louisiana have dipped into the 40s. And Jindal’s stock is falling just as he’s considering a bid for the presidency in 2016.
He’s angered state workers with layoffs, health care changes and attempts to lessen retirement benefits. His education policies have miffed public school teachers. And his patchwork approach to balancing the state’s budget has put Jindal at odds with conservative Republicans as well as Democrats. Repeated cuts have hit public colleges and health care services. And Jindal’s frequent out-of-state travel has soured some support for the governor.
Jindal, who is term-limited and can’t run for re-election next year, dismissed his low popularity as the cost of bold leadership.
“I was elected to do big, generational reforms in my state,” Jindal said when asked about his low approval ratings, at the Republican Governors Association conference in Florida last week. “We have enough politicians that try to be celebrities and kiss babies and cut ribbons. It’s easy if you want to avoid rocking the boat.”
Cassidy has given Jindal high marks, saying the governor’s “taken some tough licks.”
Democrats would like to see Jindal on the Louisiana campaign trail much more.
“If Bill Cassidy’s smart, he’ll ask Bobby Jindal to stay home,” says Ted James, a Democratic state lawmaker from Baton Rouge and Landrieu supporter. He says it might have helped Landrieu if the governor had come out for Cassidy months ago. Read the full story.
