YOU HAVE THE FIRE OR YOU DON'T:

Jindal in 2012? (JONATHAN MARTIN, 12/25/08 , Politico)

Jindal, only elected governor last year, said flatly this month he’s not interested in being president and is only focused on a 2011 reelection bid — perhaps not surprising at a time when few will admit to White House ambitions.

Still, there are indications, from Jindal and close advisers, that he truly is reserving judgment about taking on President-elect Barack Obama in four years.

If Obama is as formidable then as he appears now, it’s unlikely that Jindal, who would be only 41, would risk an uphill race against the incumbent.

“Tell me where Obama is sitting at the end of 2010,” responded a senior adviser to Jindal when asked about a possible run. “Timing is everything.”

Where was George H. W. Bush sitting when Bill Clinton decided to take him on? Timing is nothing.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 25, 2008 8:29 AM