Hello Edwards . . . goodbye Jindal

As we approach the inauguration of a new governor, John Bel Edwards, for Louisiana on Jan. 11, we also near the end of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s eight year service in that position.

We’re looking forward to our new governor’s service to our state based on the good thinking he expressed during his campaign and the undeniable expressions of sincerely wanting to serve our state in the best possible manner.

We’re impressed with the fact that he is not entirely liberal or conservative in his views of what he intends to do as governor. As an open-minded democracy, we have to consider view points from all sides of the aisle in running our state. He may have expressed some liberal viewpoints in the course of his campaign but overall he was two-sided on most of them.

Which is a good way for a public official to serve his electorate. There is always more than one way in which to serve the public from public office. And Edwards seems to consider more than one answer to each question. The people of Louisiana are more conservative in political viewpoints than liberal and Edwards seems to be able to take that course of action if it appears to be the better solution in his political problems.

In the meantime, Jindal will leave office upon Edwards’ entrance and, according to his expressions so far, he will retire to a private home in Baton Rouge and not seek public office again for the time being. He was considered a boy wonder at the beginning of his first term eight years ago but then his interest meandered into a desire to seek the highest office of the land – the presidency of the United States of America.

There is nothing wrong with that because successful politicians usually have to start from the bottom and work up. So the best way to do that is to do a good job in a lesser position and then seek a higher office at a later date.

Though Jindal did good work at the beginning of his eight years, he later spent a lot of efforts campaigning for the presidency in states where he wasn’t serving as governor. And the folks back home thought he wasn’t paying enough attention to what he was elected to do.

Jindal did do a good job overall in Louisiana even in some of his absence. But he was limited to two straight terms as governor and he couldn’t be reelected to a third straight term anyhow because state law does not allow it.

But we feel he fulfilled most of his obligations as governor even considering his absences. He is a bright young man and before winning the governorship was appointed to lead the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals at age of 24 and the University of University system just three years later. He performed well there. Perhaps later he can regain his entry into politics and pursue other goals that could go his way in the future.

He is still a very young man and still able to pursue and fulfill other major political jobs that come his way. We wish him well.