NEXT GENERATION: Jindal Wins Louisiana Governor’s Race!

NEXT GENERATION: Jindal Wins Louisiana Governor’s Race!

By James Duke Mason

Who would have thought that a young, Indian immigrant who studied at Oxford University in the United Kingdom would become Governor of Louisiana? It may have seemed unlikely up until recently, but now it has happened. Congressman Piyush Jindal, or “Bobby” Jindal, as he has come to be known, won the Louisiana Gubernatorial election by a landslide yesterday, defeating his nearest opponent by nearly 40 percent. Yes, Jindal is a conservative Republican, but his election does prove one good thing: that the next  generation of politicians is beginning to emerge, politicians who may, in 20, or 30 years, end up occupying the highest office in the land, and it makes politics even more exciting.

 Jindal, 36, will be the youngest Governor in America at the time of his inauguration in January 2008, although we have had younger Governor’s in the past, including Bill Clinton, who was inaugurated as Governor of Arkansas in 1978 when he was just 32 years old. Matt Blunt, son of Republican Congressman Roy Blunt, became Governor of Missouri in 2003 at age 33. Sure, a young Governor isn’t a uncommon occurence, but a young Governor of indian descent is, and it’s an example of how Americans are beginning to become more open and progressive towards people who are different from them. The same goes for the strong candidacies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Presidency of the United States, their success is just more proof that America is changing, and for the better.

 Although I disagree with him on most issues, I do congratulate Governor-elect Jindal on his victory, and I wish him all the best for the future. He made history last night, and hey, who knows, maybe one day he’ll make history again, by becoming the first Indian President of the United States. It could happen. We’ll just have to wait and see.