It seems clear that the Republicans are trying to position Jindal to be the new face for the party. Though many on the left regard him as an Uncle Tom, Jindal clearly has a Conservative philosophy. My issue with him is that he badly needs to work on his delivery. For one, I wish someone would tie Jindal’s hands. He talks with his hands so much that it is distracting! He also needs to learn the art of the “dramatic pause” and use more vocal inflection.
It seems recent Republicans are horrible at speech delivery, especially when you consider that Reagan was an expert. In this day of style over substance (*cough* Obama *cough*), this is going to be a big problem for Republicans. His writers could also provide overwhelming examples of where similar proposals to the ones he mentions have worked in the past. The opportunity is there to charismatically and powerfully deliver the message, we just need someone to do it! Jindal needs to move away from the dry and monotone delivery and writing.
Focusing on content (which given the delivery was difficult to do), I am glad that Jindal admitted that the Republican Party screwed up and moved away from Conservative principles. He has kept a consistent message, now it is up to the Republicans to act according to that message. Reagan Conservatism was both successful and popular, why the Republicans moved away from that philosophy is anyone’s guess. The 2006 and 2008 elections were hopefully a wake up call that Jindal is stepping forward to answer.
If Jindal wants to make a run for President in 2012 (and I hope he does), he MUST work on his speech abilities. A well-delivered speech drives home the points in a memorable way. Honestly, this speech was difficult to concentrate on, let alone remember.
Republican response embedded below:
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