Reality meet the 2012 GOP Primary Electorate

By Fester:

The oil patch governors have been the great non-white male hope of the GOP for a couple of years now.  They were supposed to form the next wave of rising stars of "you can have it all" governance.   And now reality hits:

It is very easy to be popular when you can provide more services, cut taxes, and write several thousand dollar checks to each family in the state. That is easy, choiceless decision-making. Everyone wins. Everyone gets a pony.

Now the magical money ponies have departed and choices have to be made. These choices will have winners and they will have losers. And the losers won't be compensated for losing, there is no money available for that. So enemies will be made, and grudges formed. Three years is a long time in the Presidential cycle for knives to be sharpened and contrasts to be driven. The oil patch Governors won't be working with 'free' money any more, so they'll be operating in the same realm as every other governor who has to make tough choices and piss people and constituencies off. I think that will tarnish the attractiveness of both Palin and Jindal in 2012.

This reality of having to make hard choices will not sit well with the Free Ice Cream via Tax Cuts contingent that makes up a significant portion of the Republican base.  Louisiana is facing at least a two billion dollar deficit and is in line to receive significant federal funds from the stimulus package.  However Governor Jindal wants to be the 2012 Republican nominee so he needs to either take care of his state or take care of his political fortunes.

It looks like he will be choosing to take care of his political future as CBS News reports:

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, has suggested his state may not be interested in all of the roughly $4 billion allotted to it in the economic stimulus package to be signed by President Obama today....

Louisiana reportedly faces a possible $2 billion budget shortfall next year. It has been allocated $538,575,876 for infrastructure spending in the stimulus package, and the White House predicts the bill will create 50,000 jobs in the state.