Thanks to the GOP Agenda Barack Obama Is More Popular Than Bobby Jindal In Louisiana

Last updated on April 5th, 2013 at 10:43 pm

OBAMA-JINDAL

Gov. Bobby Jindal tried to put the Republican agenda in place in Louisiana, and the end result is an approval rating in the state that is now lower than President Obama’s.

According to the new SMOR poll of Louisiana, Gov. Jindal’s unpopular education cuts,  budget cuts, and tax plan have destroyed his approval rating. Jindal’s approval rating has dropped 13 points from 51% in October 2012 to 38% today. Even worse, Jindal’s approval rating has dropped 23 points since March of 2012. Things have gotten so bad for the governor that his approval rating is five points lower  (38%-43%), and his disapproval rating is five points higher (60% to 55%) than President Obama’s in the red state.

It is not a coincidence that Bobby Jindal’s approval ratings fell off the cliff as soon as he implemented the national Republican Party’s agenda in his state. Gov. Jindal is trying to use Louisiana as a springboard for a 2016 presidential run with disastrous  results for both the state, and his political future. Jindal’s plan to replace state taxes with an increased flat sales tax has a 63% disapproval rating. Over the past four years, Jindal has slashed spending on education and health care, and 64% of those polled feel that the budget has been slashed enough. Sixty percent of respondents opposed Jindal’s plan to privatize the state’s public hospitals, and 78% oppose additional cuts to the state’s health care system.

Bobby Jindal’s submarining of his own popularity illustrates that the problem really is the Republican agenda. Slashing funding for education and health care is not popular. Budgets that are cut on the backs of the poor and middle class aren’t popular. Privatizing public services like hospitals isn’t popular, and tax schemes that promise to raise taxes on the middle class and poor while cutting them for the rich definitely aren’t popular.

President Obama has become more popular than Gov. Jindal because, even in a red state like Louisiana, his message has more appeal. Republicans keep trying to blame the messengers, but the problem really is the message.

As long as Republicans continue to govern for the few at the expense of the many, Democrats will continue to gain in popularity. If Republicans aren’t careful, they may end up costing themselves support, even in red states like Louisiana.

Jason Easley
Follow Me


Copyright PoliticusUSA LLC 2008-2023