Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s campaign is finally showing signs of life as a new poll shows him moving up in Iowa. Jindal’s showing at 6 percent may not sound like much, but it has him tied for fifth with Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, ahead of Mike Huckabee and just one point behind Jeb Bush. Also, when you consider that the same poll had him languishing at 1 percent in July, one can mark a slow but steady upward trend in Jindal’s support:
Jindal’s bump in the poll isn’t just because he was in the state often. He was also on the offensive. Jindal clearly doesn’t like or respect the GOP frontrunner, Donald Trump, but he also critiqued Scott Walker before Walker got out of the race. Jindal has also been a vocal critic of Republican leaders in Washington. Still, perhaps the most meaningful thing Jindal has done in Iowa that shouldn’t go over-looked is Jindal’s willingness to reach out to Governor Terry Branstad and offer to help him take the necessary steps to defund Planned Parenthood in Iowa.
Jindal’s offensive has also extended to voter outreach: He has a largely unpublicized army of over 600 volunteers in the state, and his PACs have spent staggering amounts on advertising and organizing a 99 county tour. Jindal may not be the top candidate in Iowa right now, but his boots on the ground tactic could make him a real force for 2016.
Nick Arnold is a researcher for American Principles In Action.
