"Doers of Deeds"

I’ve been following Bobby Jindal from his Katrina days. He seemed to epitomize what I’ve been trying to say in my blogs. He’s been an example of doing what I’ve been trying to say.

Whether he or I were right or wrong, what I admired was that he was a “doer” of the deed. My main point in my blogs has been based on the idea best summned up in a quote attributed to Tip O’Neal; “Politics is Personal“.

The fewer layers between politics and the people the more the people like it. The more personal it is. The better chance the voters have of seeing not only what a politician stands for; but how well he can put that into practice. The more connected to the process the People feel--Are.

Bobby Jindal had a chance to practice what he preached in the aftermath of Katrina. Remember a lot of other politicians with a lot more power had the same chance and better resources to work with but didn’t. Bobby Jindal just rolled up his sleeves and started helping people. When everyone else who should of stepped up was busy covering there backside and doing the Beltway shuffle; he leveraged what political power he had in the vacuum and started assuming leadership and got things done.
Guess what? The citizens of Louisiana made him Governor because of that.

I’ve said all this before, but one thing I missed was that during Katrina there was another “doer of deeds” who jumped in and started organizing aid and help while everyone else from Mayors to Governors to FEMA bureaucrats were being PC and covering their butts. This guy flew under my radar as well as most others’.
From an article in Politico by JOSH KRAUSHAAR & ANDY BARR |
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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16336.html
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From that article the following quote
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After Hurricane Katrina, Cao’s rebuilt law office became a hub for community organizing and assistance to hurricane victims. His experience helping to rebuild New Orleans also has important symbolic value for the GOP, which was stigmatized — particularly among minority voters — by the Bush administration’s failed response to the disaster.
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Well that “doer of deeds” was just elected in a heavily Democratic area. It was a stunning upset. By the way after Katrina, Jindal appointed Cao to a government position, I assume as a kindred spirit and later the people elected him.

All well and good. As the article pointed out, Newt Gingrich has been touting Bobby Jindal for a long time now.

The article was enlightening in what it didn’t say about the Republican efforts to recruit minority members. It didn’t say it had been a top down procedure. An example of the best of the leadership within the party trying to pick a candidate using the best methods available. Then they all got together and picked a candidate. Like the Democrats picking a popular comedian, Al Franken, to run and are hoping next to snare a well know “talking head” in Chris Matthews. We picked a football player Lynn Swann. Swann lost, Franken is losing. Matthews hasn’t lost because he hasn’t run yet.

No offense to these candidates, just to the way they are picked.

It just seems like this top down process does not connect with the people we are claiming to be recruiting. If so it is only those that will only think the way the leadership thinks. All well and good for the leadership perhaps, but for the party and the people the “bottom up” approach seems to be resonating a lot lately.
We have a chance here to beat the Dems at their own game. If we facilitate the local candidates who are proving to be the “doers” instead of supplanting them with people “we” think better represent the people then we will start letting the Cao’s and Jindal’s rise to the top.

One last thing. I’ve always liked John Boehner. He was slow in the uptake on the idea of changing the Republican message. But once he started changing he has become a real leader of the opposition. He has show cased the young conservative talent that we have in the House. He has dare I say it facilitated the fresh young minds instead of being just another obstacle to them. The above article shows again his ability to use his “bully pulpit” to advance the up and comers in our ranks. To make sure we all can see who the “Doer of Deeds” are.

Regards, Live Dangerously Be A Conservative