‘60 Minutes’ of Jindal
Things I learned from tonight’s 60 Minutes profile on Bobby Jindal:
- He’s a teetotaler
- His mom has a Ph.D. in nuclear physics, his dad’s a civil engineer
- He turned down Harvard Med and Yale Law for a Rhodes
- He’s married to a 2nd genner with an American accent who never finished her doctorate
- Like Obama, he plays down the very real racism in his electorate
- He’s a highly mutable overachiever who sounds remarkably earnest when he spins. Is there a moral core here? Beyond the badge collecting, what does he really believe?
In the clip, both Bobby and Supriya Jindal gloss over their ethnicity, claiming not to do anything — food, rituals — outside the parameters of Standard American. This at a time when the president calls himself Barack rather than Barry and openly talks about his Kenyan roots. It’s a little weird seeing the very white Morley Safer rag on Jindal for being a coward about his ethnicity.
And it’s a damn shame. Watching this clip in America was surreal. Ten years ago, if you’d told me I’d be watching a desi American governor, I’d never have believed it. Add that he was elected in the deep South and is a conservative Republican, and it almost defies plausibility. Dubya truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
on Sunday, March 1st, 2009, 8:50 pm in Bobby Jindal, Politics, TV, Video clips › 
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When Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh can knock down Barack HUSSEIN Obama at every instance,there will definitely be someone to knock and kick PIYUSH JINDAL..let alone his dreams of becoming a 2012 presidential contender..
To be fair, at least this dude is playing the extremes. Much better than some hack ass 2nd gen fumbling through prayers and trying to teach their kids a language they hardly know, claiming they are “keeping it real.”
Disingenuous. There is a unexplored opacity about his background and I have yet to see any interviewer really push the harder questions. Unlike Obama, he was not raised by his white, Christian grandparents, Bobby grew up in an Hindu home. (If you met his brother Nikush Jindal you would guess they were not raised in the same house). Nikush was asked by Esquire what Indian customs the Jindals followed (in the past tense) when they were younger and his on the record answer was a flustered ‘I will get back to you’; He has an Indian background and for the most part he has divested himself from it regarding language, culture, religion but he dismisses his upbringing like no matter of the tiniest Indianess ever existed. The entire “my father came from a distant land’ bit. There is no way he would ever be elected if he came across Indian in any regard –the Un-browning of Bobby Jindal. BUT at the core, he believes in “intelligent design”, no abortion under any circumstance, no gay marriages, and tax cuts and tax incentives for health care and education –he is the un-brown Palin with a better education. Unimpressive and completely predictable GOPer. Look you can change the signs (black RNC chair and desi whiz kid) but if the message is the same , you will get the same result. Rejection by the independents and moderates.
Mee–oww!
Sorry Manish,
Where does it say that Supriya is a 2nd genner?
Where does it say that Supriya is a 2nd genner?
Mee–oww!
:) Wasn’t snark:
Didn’t you think the questions were a little odd, though? Would you be annoyed by questions asking about your Indian-ness in an unrelated context (in this case, an interview about Jindal’s politicals/political aspirations)?
Yes, especially from Morley Safer. I got the sense they were stirring the pot after reading the criticism from desis online. But Jindal’s been elected now, and just as Obama relaxed his white-bread spin, Jindal can take a moment here instead of sprinting to the presidential election.
He strikes me as a conservative mirror to Gavin Newsom, someone more about leveling up than implementing any specific political agenda beyond that which will help him get elected.
He and his wife are good people, but they are totally lost. They have no idea who they are. Its almost like the blind guy who didn’t know he was black and became the leader of KKK in the schepelle show :) They were asked if they celebrated any indian tradition - they bluntly said no, we were brough up like Louisianians. How can that be. He is only second generation Immigrant. That is impossible - All other groups still celebrate some tradition - like Irish, Jewish, African American, and they have been here for atleast 100 plus years. They so want to separate themselves from his heritage - its pathetic. People should obviously participate and be part of the culture they are in..but disowning their parents culture to get votes - now thats a sell out or they were abused so much for their race by the Louisianians that they want to separate themselves from it instead of being proud.
Great point. Even the most deracinated politicians will still make some gesture toward bland syncretism. Even white politicians swing by Diwali celebrations.
I think they’re just cowed by the David Duke electorate in their state. It’s sad, it isn’t the ’50s anymore in the rest of the country.
Btw, as the profile went through his brainiac bona fides, I kept thinking, this is the guy McCain passed over for Sarah Palin. A fitting epitaph for the campaign season and the current incarnation of the party.
I am pretty sure Jindal turned McCain down pretty early on in the game.
60 Minutes piece on Jindal was propaganda beyond the pale. It even made me like Jindal! Pure Puff bearing no relationship to journalism or truth finding. Case in Point: They didn’t even mention the BIG Katrina lie that Jindal tried to put over on his speech. The Sheriff Lee he spoke with during Katrina lie…when in actuallity he, Jindal, was in Baton Rouge at the time…NOT New Orleans.
I dont think Obama played down racism, but he also didnt use it. He did give a nationally televised speech on race during the campaign, even though he was forced to because of his pastor.
Jindal is just to manufactured for me. I know all poloticians are, but some carry it better than others. On a image level, you just cant compete with Obama. Jindal look’s like the biggest dork on the planet next to Obama.
You ‘I get to define cultural authenticity’ types are the reason I’ll never go back to the left. The right sucks in many ways, but I don’t want to be a part of a club that tells other people how they should be. Just because someone makes a different choice than you, it doesn’t mean they aren’t authentic.
Haters.
:)
And, yeah, I hate the bossy strain on the right, too, but the libertarians are too busy discussing star trek, or something, to get elected to much of anything.
Thank goodness the right doesn’t try to define a religion based morality for all of us. Or what patriotic means. Or what being truly American means :)
The problem is that Jindal and his wife’s personal choice is this:
How can a second generation Indian not have any Indian tradition - It just seems impossible. Jindal’s parents are both from India. It is only possible if there is a disgust for Indian traditions that he completely abandoned it. This is plausible since Jindal did become a catholic as soon as he finished High School (ie became an Adult Legally). It seems obvious to me that Jindal was not comfortable with his Name or religion or family background. He changed his name to Bobby (from Brady Bunch) and his religion and according to 60 minutes was “Queezy” about reporters digging into his family background in India. All indications of the fact that Jindal did not grow up with peers that respected his diversity. Therefore, he tried his best to blend in to the main stream culture as much as possible. Which as a personal choice, I am fine with, but what does it say about how ethic groups are treated in U.S.
Also, by declaring that Jindal and his wife does not follow any Indian traditions is sort of an insult to Indian Americans. Its not very smart to isolate the Indian Americans in the U.S. that is part of the fabric of America. What if Obama had said, he does not follow any African American traditions. Wouldn’t there be media discussions on it? What kind of a message is he sending to young Indian Americans kids. Its not cool to follow your Indian tradition. Abandon it as soon as possible, because it will not get you popular. Adopt the mainstream culture and blend in - because that is what America is. Jindal is reversing the progress that Obama has made so far in challenging the definition of “American”.
I also felt that was wierd not to have any traces of anything indian in their lives..not even spicy indian food? hmm…
he converted from hindu to a catholic…not comfortable with the religion or culture looks like..
looked like he wants to be recognised as a american and wants to fit in and be one of them and was not proud of his roots unlike obama who is comfortable with his kenyan roots.. may be Jindal is insecure/not that bold and not as confident as obama that america/americans would love them no matter what the color of skin is or to what ancestry you belong to.
I don’t feel that Piyush’s conversion is authentic. Typically when someone converts or is born again then something traumatic has happened or the person is recovering from some form of addiction. Unless wanting to be white counts as some from of addiction and being afraid of your brown skin is traumatic.
The 60 minutes piece will probably just cement the public’s view of him as being fake. You can bet that people will ask more about his background including the ones that voted for David Duke. It sounds to me like he has used “Guido” like tactics to keep everyone in his immediate family from talking truthfully about him. If they did the whole lie unravel completely.
As a child of the 70s and having lived in the Midwest the desire to be just like every other white American is strong but eventually you get over it. But not for Piyush and Supriya. It defines their reason for being. Sad.
To quote from Jesus “What does it benefit a man to gain the Whole world but lose his soul”.
hyphenated desi-americans (i.e. Coconuts) want to be pure blood americans but their color wont let them…
highly recommend them to get a skin graft….aka michael jackson…it will really help their cause of complete conversion from hindu to catholic..
and to the indians back in india…stop jumping everytime a hyphenated american who looks like you comes in public light in america for good or bad….But ofcourse—you wont..if not slumdogs materially the elite coconuts in india are slums in mentality
Completely brainwashed. I agree, first and second-generation immigrants with absolutely no identification with their own rich culture is scary on so many levels. I also agree that he may not even know how badly he and his wife are trying to fit it - I feel sorry for his children. I hope that he runs for President as it is so obvious to see through his self-made facade.
How is changing his name to Bobby so different than Abcds choosing an Indian name that is close to an American one: Nik(hil), Dev(esh,) Sal(il), Sam(eer), Sheila, Su(rekha), Sara(la), etc.? Practically every Abcd couple I know chooses their baby’s name on this basis.
Jindal creeps out this blog’s audience for a simple reason: this blog’s premise is that there can be a synthesis of American and Indian cultures. It affronts many Jindal is trying to drown the Indian while occupying a public office.
Obama has done the same with Islam. It’s not a stretch to posit that Obama identified with Islam as a young man. He drowned that part early on as well.
Culture, religion, ethnicity and assimilation are powerful forces on a tween, so I empathize with both guys. Blogs like this didn’t exist back then… to discover and express their immigrant culture.
michael jackson has vitiligo, an autoimmune depigmenting disease of the skin
The funny part is how firmly he talks about giving up on everything Indian, and people in India are going gaga proclaiming him as one of their own!
We silly Indians!
I didnt vote for Obama but jindals the worst tharki padoda republicans.
He is a male Sarah Palin.
Republicans badly need Ron Paul but are wanking with these folks.
I still recall the which god did you worship bit that he did to prop up his base.
I currently live in New Orleans. I didn’t grow up here, but I did grow up in a community with similar numbers of Indians and similar problems with race. Race is part of daily life here. Those of weak fabric shun their own heritage to hide themselves from hard realities of identity. I see why Jindal made his choices. And I think he is a spineless twat for it. I feel bad for a man who goes to such lengths to mask himself, but when he puts himself in the spotlight, he’s gotta expect people to see the truth and to nail him for it.
umm…
@Ron Paul bows to Limbaugh
Dude, Ron Paul takes on the federal reserve on a daily basis. This man fears nothing. And how the hell did you pick up he bows to Rush from watching that vid?
Comment #28,
The clip that was linked did not show that Ron Paul bows to Limbaugh, but it showed that Mike Schuster is fu$%ing moron. Ron Paul said several times that he did not agree with Limbaugh’s statement, but like a complete idiot Schuster kept on saying … “Why cant you say he is wrong” or something to that effect. How pathetic !!!! Cable news shows love to instigate fake conflicts that are completely irrelevant to the substance of policy being discussed.
MSNBC is so Dem. version of Fox News. Pathetic.
BTW, Ron Paul had the guts to stand opposed to the ruinous iraq war during the debates when 11 other morons on the stage were cowering at uttering a single word against the administration. Ron Paul also was the only one on the stage who did not raise his hand when the question asked was : “Who does not believe in evolution”.
Ron Paul is what is needed for the Republican party if they have any hope of coming back. I personally dont agree with some of his extreme stuff about financial markets, but I give him HUGE credit for being principled and courageous in doing what he believes in.
You the man RC. Yo you remember the GOP primary debates? That alone to guts — to speak soberly in a room full of crack heads.
Talking about crack heads, check out Alexandra Pelosi’s Right America Feeling Wronged: Some Voices from the Campaign Trail.
I watched the initial debates of both Dems and Republicans. Initially it was more fun to watch the Republican debates because of all those nutty candidates. Anything could happen and it did :-)
My friend Sujata said it best: “Just because he’s brown doesn’t mean he’s not a jackass.”
or how is it different from e.g. bobby singh, bobby bedi, or bobby deol in india itself? i don’t think the name change is reflective of much in and of itself - my dad goes by jack but is pretty desi. also, for whatever reason bobby and his wife have moved away from desi practises (and i wonder how much that has to do with the hindu nature of many of those traditions) but it does seem far fetched, as dominic pointed out that he did not grow up with them, even if he does not currently follow them. however, i do think that being “born” into a particular culture does not mean that you must identify with it.