Jindal: Romney-ism Not Future of GOP

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Mitt Romney was “absolutely wrong” in his analysis of why Barack Obama won reelection.

Jindal’s statement was made in response to Mitt Romney’s comments on Wednesday that President Barack Obama won reelection by offering minorities and young people “gifts.” 

Jindal said Republicans had to go after “100 percent of the votes, not 53 percent” and had to stop “dividing American voters.”

“We need to continue to show how our policies help every voter out there achieve the American Dream, which is to be in the middle class, which is to be able to give their children an opportunity to be able to get a great education,” Jindal explained. “So, I absolutely reject that notion, that description. I think that’s absolutely wrong.”

Jindal said “one of the most fundamental takeaways from this election” has to be that Romney’s comments — and his failure to communicate conservative principles to working class Americans — do not represent “where we are as a party and where we’re going as a party.”

If we’re going to continue to be a competitive party and win elections on the national stage and continue to fight for our conservative principles, we need two messages to get out loudly and clearly: One, we are fighting for 100 percent of the votes, and secondly, our policies benefit every American who wants to pursue the American dream. Period. No exceptions.

Jindal then said that while Romney was an “honorable person,” his campaign was mainly about his “biography and experience” instead of a “vision.”

“You have to connect your policies to the aspirations of the American people,” Jindal declared. “I don’t think the campaign did that, and as a result this became a contest between personalities. And you know what? Chicago won that.” 

On Tuesday, Jindal said Republicans cannot allow themselves to be portrayed as the party that “simply protects the rich so they get to keep their toys.”

“You’ve got to give the president’s team credit: They did a very good job portraying the Republican Party as wanting to just preserve the status quo for those who’ve already been successful and burn the bridge behind them,” Jindal said. “That’s not what we as a party stand for and what we as a party can stand for.”