Editorial #4: Banal in Baton Rouge

In response to the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address, the editorial, “Banal in Baton Rough,” stresses how Bobby Jindal, Republican Governor of Louisiana, failed to provide any new ideas or alternatives to Obama’s record-high stimulus plan. The author complains that Jindal only picked out the flaws from the plan and didn’t really provide any concrete ideas. According to Jindal, it’s better to cut taxes on businesses and income, credit homebuyer taxes, and business incentives. However, Jindal did not address the soaring foreclosure rates and the frozen credit markets. He also commented on the failures of big government and its reaction to Hurricane Katrina, suggesting that civilians lost trust in the government as soon as the hurricane hit. Nevertheless, if cutting government spending is the solution, then maybe the $175 billion that came from the government for the Katrina recovery effort fund wasn’t the answer Louisiana was looking for.

It was an interesting editorial with a different point-of-view. I’m still trying to figure out if a hard-core Democrat wrote it or a very upset Republican. It seemed to me Bobby Jindal handled the response as any other politician would have: stand their party ground and get the job done. What I’m thinking caused the writer to feel this way is actually President Obama himself. After listening to such a charismatic and powerful speaker like Obama, no one sounds rights; and so people were still under Obama’s enticing spell when the GOP response was aired. So I wouldn’t be bashing Jindal so much: he was only doing what he was supposed to. What else was he supposed to say? “Hey, Democrats, you guys are right—you’re always right. Let’s all be best for friends for life?” He defended the GOP values and he did a pretty decent job. I can understand where the author was getting at, but do you really want to go there? If the author can find a better speaker for the response, fine. I’m not a Republican and I wouldn’t claim myself as a Democrat, but I know comments like the ones in the article are just one of those that you should just rather ignore.