Romney's B.R. visit stirs more speculation about Jindal

Published Jul 16, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Jul 16, 2012)

With Mitt Romney holding a $50,000-a-plate fundraiser at the City Club downtown today that Gov. Bobby Jindal is also expected to attend, political pundits will surely be considering the timing of Romney's Baton Rouge visit, whether it is coincidental or might mean the presumptive GOP presidential nominee is leaning toward selecting Jindal as his running mate. Even before today's fundraiser was announced, local political consultant and strategist Roy Fletcher said on 89.3 FM WRKF's The Jim Engster Show last week that he has raised the odds he's putting on Jindal as Romney's pick, from 50% to 60%. In an editorial Sunday, The Wall Street Journal says Jindal "carries some benefits" as Romney's pick but "remains a longshot." Jindal "has the kind of gubernatorial experience Mitt Romney admires and the 'American dream' narrative the Republican presidential candidate lacks," reads the editorial. "Still, Mr. Jindal is viewed as a less likely pick than Mr. [Tim] Pawlenty or Ohio Sen. Rob Portman. Louisiana is a solidly red state, and while he brings ethnic diversity, it isn't clear that having an Indian-American on the ticket would improve the GOP's standing with coveted voting blocs like Hispanics." The Associated Press has a detailed story on Jindal's recent return to the national stage here.

Today's poll question: Do you think the timing of Mitt Romney’s fundraiser in Baton Rouge today indicates that the GOP presidential candidate is going to select Gov. Bobby Jindal as his running mate?