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Find Out Which Conservative Governor Wants the GOP To ‘Change Just About Everything’

Jan. 24, 2013 4:00pm Mytheos Holt

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is calling on the Republican Party to “recalibrate the compass of conservatism” as the GOP rebounds from painful Election Day losses.

The governor will deliver the keynote address at the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting Thursday night in Charlotte, N.C., becoming the latest high-profile conservative from outside Washington to call for fundamental changes inside the GOP.

Bobby Jindal Says GOP Needs to Change Just About Everything In Its Political Strategy

Bobby Jindal (Photo Credit: AP)

In speech excerpts released earlier in the day, Jindal says the Republican Party doesn’t need to change its values, but, “might need to change just about everything else we do.”

“We do not need to change what we believe as conservatives – our principles are timeless,” Jindal says. “But we do need to re-orient our focus to the place where conservatism thrives: in the real world beyond the Washington Beltway.”

The GOP is too focused on number-crunching on Capitol Hill, he continues, and not focused enough on economic growth across the nation.

“Today’s conservatism is completely wrapped up in solving the hideous mess that is the federal budget, the burgeoning deficits, the mammoth federal debt, the shortfall in our entitlement programs,” he says. “We seem to have an obsession with government bookkeeping. This is a rigged game, and it is the wrong game for us to play.”

Speaker John Boehner (Photo Credit: AP)

The comments come a day after the House passed a bill to permit the government to borrow enough money to avoid a first-time default for at least four months, defusing a looming crisis setting up a springtime debate over taxes, spending and the deficit. The House passed the measure on a bipartisan basis as majority Republicans back away from their previous demand that any increase in the government’s borrowing cap be paired with an equivalent level of spending cuts.

“The Republican Party must become the party of growth, the party of a prosperous future that is based in our economic growth and opportunity that is based in every community in this great country and that is not based in Washington, D.C.,” Jindal says.

The Louisiana governor’s comments come shortly after another high-profile Republican based outside Washington publicly blasted GOP leadership on Capitol Hill.

One of the party’s most popular voices, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, earlier in the month criticized his party’s `’toxic internal politics” after House Republicans initially declined to approve disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy. He said it was `’disgusting to watch” their actions and he faulted the GOP’s most powerful elected official, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Chris Christie (Photo Credit: AP)

Republican officials from across the country are gathering in North Carolina this week to begin shaping a path forward following their party’s November shellacking.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting Thursday that Republicans also need to develop a sound strategy for confronting the Obama administration, suggesting House Republicans could use hearings to expose waste and promote better ideas.

“A lot of Republicans frankly spent the last two years saying ‘Oh gee, we don’t have to do much because after Obama loses we’ll work with the new Republican president.’ Well, that world ain’t there,” Gingrich said. “So now they have to make adjustments. They’ve got to understand that this is a different game.”

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Comments (77)

vaman
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 9:15am
The only way Republicans can salvage the party is too appeal to moderate people and expel the christian radicals that high jacked the party in the early 80′s.

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wolverine
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 6:51am
WE\e lost the election because of too many stupid comments by Republicans about rape, abortion, gays and etc. we need to worry about the welfare of the middle class, not the evangelicals, the Christians the moslems or whatever

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Willik
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 5:57am
I think what Governor Jindal is saying is: “Opt out of the morass that is DC, Republicans, and concentrate your political/economic efforts outside the Beltway.”
I have to agree with the good Guv. DC is beyond redemption at this point and the country needs to return to the Constitution fold which must start at the State and Local levels. Obviously Congress hasn’t the wherewithal.

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MisterSarcastic
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 2:31am
Christie may be popular in the republican party but he isn’t very popular among the conservatives.

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Verceofreason
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 1:13am
You can thank the Tea Party for KILLING the Republican brand.
Bobby wants to be president (never going to happen) and knows the party
has to go back to some form of sanity.
First and foremost – vote Bachmann out of office,

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TheWhiteFalcon
Posted on January 25, 2013 at 12:23am
Christie and Jindal need to leave the GOP. They’re not Reagan conservatives.

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Robert999
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:56pm
DC Republicans are going to change themselves into liberals and then there won’t be any more Republican Party. Jindal wants to be president and will do anything he believes will help him, including destroying the Republican Party. But he won’t ever be president because he is not a native born citizen.

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marybethelizabeth
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 9:01pm
Without number crunching there is no need for a Congress. That’s what they are supposed to be doing.

When the Republicans take up social issues they are always on the losing side. Right now they are licking their wounds after being trounced in the gun debates.

It’s best to stick with number crunching. That’s what they are there to do.

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angeleyes63
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 8:03pm
Like it or not something must change, and I don’t mean the time tested values of conservatism. The way the message is conveyed and portrayed in the media has to change to a more positive one. I understand what a democrat stands for because they don’t hide their disdain for America or thier communist/socialist values. Can someone tell me what our current crop of so called republicans stand for?
Excluding a scant few they seem too be as progressive and giant government loving as Obama and his commie minions.

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- CathyvanDyke
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 10:41pm
  The definitition of a Conservative is Allen West!!
  
  LTC Allen West on Illegal Immigration
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmn0mFV7xFs
  
  Compilation – Allen West – Interviews – Speeches
  http://www.therightscoop.com/?s=allen+west
  
  Report this comment
barber2
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 7:49pm
Jindal is correct. This ” is a rigged game.” Unfortunately, the radical Democrats are playing by their ” Rules For Radicals” which make them unbeatable by honest means since they do not play ” fair.” The radicals play to win – anyway they can dream up. Not sure how this will end , but this is NOT the Democrat Party of JFK. This is more the Democrat Party of Saul Alinsky , Bill Ayers, the OWS , and the other Chicago radical crowd. Very , shall we say, Far Left ( wink, wink )

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barber2
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 7:37pm
Despite the Democrats Character Assassination Media Squad’s phony assault on the Tea Party as “racists,” The Tea Party does represent the majority of Americans who want the Good Old Boys & Girls in Washington to STOP THE SPENDING. The Radical Democrats only use the Media to promote their War on Capitalism. They intend to crash the economy and they use their propaganda tool, the MSM, to smear , label, and assault anyone who tries to curtail the spending spree.

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EllieR
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 7:34pm
Sounds like a bid for 2016. Just watch how one pseudo-conservative after another will trip over themselves trying to appeal to the low info voters (on both sides) with populist messages, urging Repubs to collaborate with the regime, work real hard and help Obama to implement his ruinous policies.

Jindal is permanently off my list of potential candidates, and so is Christie, and so is Sanctimonious Rick (Santorum).

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bobbie22
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 7:06pm
Chris Christie is no conservative, he is a New Jersey republican the best the liberal state can turn out …still hoping that there is a real conservative leader out there somewhere in NJ.

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spirited
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 5:35pm
Term Limits
and calling out the lies and corruption ~> AS THEY HAPPEN
without concern about one’s own political career.

>’America First’ or ‘For America’ should be the name of the change Bobby.

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Chuck Stein
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 5:31pm
The Republican party should just fold. All join the dem party. One party = no parties. Parties got us where we are.

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- flipper1073
  Posted on January 25, 2013 at 9:54am
  Chuck
  How about Truth in Labeling for Political Parties ?
  
  The Progressive Party = 20-25 % (mostly in Washington DC)
  The Moderate Party = less than 10%
  The Conservative Party = 60-65 %
  
  Report this comment

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