A Republican Vice President for the Next Generation

The Republicans are in trouble in the 2008 Presidential election. John McCain is the nominee for a political party that has lost its brand identity. In fact, public opinion polls show that McCain is only competitive with Barack Obama because of his history of independence from the Republican Party mainstream.

The problem that the Republican Party has is that its voting base is just plain tired of the same old politics inside the Washington beltway. They are fed up with the ever increasing gasoline prices at the pump to fill their cars. They are shocked at the rise of the price of oil to heat their homes and the lack of proper planning to end the war in Iraq. Indeed, every voter is weary of the ongoing partisanship and corruption that permeates Washington, D.C.

In 2008, in every public opinion poll, an overwhelming majority across the United States feel that the country is heading in the wrong direction. The voter does not want politics as usual, they want new ideas and attractive candidates who think of ways to improve government process. The voter desires smart, honest, reform candidates that can think outside of the box and are not trapped in the beltway mindset of the status quo. Indeed, the voter wants government managers not just a career campaign manager interested in the next political election.

It is with this background that John McCain will soon make his selection for Vice President on the 2008 Republican ticket for the fall election. In general, the Republican Party is in need of a candidate with a young, vibrant, fresh approach. The Party needs someone with integrity and intelligence. The person needs to be a manager with a vision and an ideological purpose. So, here is the speech announcing his selection of the Republican Vice Presidential nominee that John McCain should consider making at the Republican National Convention in August 2008.

" I am honored today to announce my selection of Vice President. The man whom I have chosen will make an excellent running mate for me in the 2008 Presidential election. In addition, I have no doubt that he will become an important leader in the Republican Party of the future. The man I have chosen as a running mate is a graduate of Brown University. He has received a Masters degree from New College, Oxford and graduated as a Rhodes Scholar. In the private sector, he has worked for McKinsey and Company, a consulting firm, where he advised many of the large Fortune 500 companies.

He was put in charge of Louisiana's state hospitals and health department at the early age of 27. He then served as executive director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare and was named assistant secretary of Health and Human Services for planning and evaluation under George W. Bush.

The man I have chosen is the highest elected Indian American in the nation and its youngest serving governor. He is the son of Indian immigrants. He has been chosen by Scholastic Update magazine as "one of America's top 10 extraordinary young people for the next millennium." In addition, he was India Abroad's Person of the Year in 2005.

He served in the United States House of Representatives before his election as the Governor of Louisiana last year. Immediately after his election, he established a new era of integrity in state government through the passage of legislation that promotes ethics reform. This man also understands first hand the limitations of a large federal government bureaucracy while using his experience from the private sector to promote solutions to government problems that require fresh new ideas.

It is certainly a testament to his success and integrity that he currently enjoys an approval rating of over 70% as the Governor of the state of Louisiana. Ladies and Gentlemen, my choice for Vice President of the United States for the 2008 Republican ticket is Louisiana's distinguished Governor, Bobby Jindal."

There are many qualified people who could be selected to run as Vice President on the Republican ticket. There are politically safe choices and some that would probably bring more immediate strategic value. However, the selection of Bobby Jindal would be an excellent choice for the Republican Party as it looks to its future. It is a party that needs to rebuild a brand identity that should endorse integrity and ethics, creative thinking, intelligence, efficient management, limited government, low taxes, and reform. The selection of the Louisiana Governor for Vice President would signal that the Republican Party was serious in the creation of such an identity. Indeed, Bobby Jindal would be a Republican Vice President for the next generation.