Bobby Jindal wants to steal Ted Cruz's ObamaCare thunder
JUSTIN SULLIVAN/Getty Images


Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) writes in a Fox News op-ed Monday that, despite the "conventional wisdom on the cocktail circuit" and the chatter in the "elite salons of Washington," ObamaCare can still be repealed.
"The only reason we can't accomplish both objectives [to slow healthcare spending and repeal ObamaCare] is political will — because Washington needs a Beltway-sized reality check," he writes.
Though ostensibly a policy primer, Jindal's op-ed also doubles as a campaign pitch tuned to the key of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas.) Both politicians are believed to be considering White House bids, though Jindal has yet to gain a fraction of the attention heaped on Cruz and other potential candidates. So in taking up Cruz's ObamaCare repeal mantle and, like Cruz, offering plenty of dogmatic red meat — the op-ed bashes "Beltway insiders," and includes lines like "we are not willing to quit on the idea of America" — Jindal is angling to present himself to conservative voters as a viable alternative in 2016.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Unlike most other Republicans calling for ObamaCare repeal, Jindal has offered his own plan to replace the law. Yet hitching his hopes to the increasingly unpopular idea of ObamaCare repeal may turn out to be a myopic approach.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
June 29 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the AI genie, Iran saving face, and bad language bombs
-
A tall ship adventure in the Mediterranean
The Week Recommends Sailing aboard this schooner and exploring Portugal, Spain and Monaco is a 'magical' experience
-
How drone warfare works
The Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia