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Jindal, Portman And The GOP Leaders Of Today

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The future of the GOP from Obamacare to 2016. We’ll talk to Ohio Senator Rob Portman and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) are two leading voices in the Republican Party. (AP)
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) are two leading voices in the Republican Party. (AP)

Seven months before Election Day, Republicans suddenly are filled with optimism. President Obama’s ratings are down; the GOP’s chances of winning the Senate are up. Has the party has solved its problems with – with young people, Hispanics, and women? Or is it just masking them in a mid-term election where older whites are more likely to vote? We’ll ask two of the party’s new young leaders – a senator from Ohio almost picked as the VP candidate in 2012, and a governor from Louisiana who may seek the White House in 2016. This hour On Point: are Republicans back?

Guests

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), junior U.S. Senator representing the state of Ohio. (@robportman)

Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), governor of the state of Louisiana. (@BobbyJindal)

Antonia Ferrier, Republican strategist. Senior vice president at Forbes-Tates, a lobbying group. She was communications director for Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and has worked for former Senators Bill Frist (R-TN), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).(@ahrferrier)

From The Reading List

Associated Press: 2016 Campaign Checklist: Jindal — "Had to scrap ambitious plan to replace Louisiana's corporate and personal income taxes with higher sales taxes because of strong opposition. THAT speech: No doubt critics will be happy to dredge up video of disastrous GOP response to Barack Obama's first presidential address to Congress in 2009, a prime showcase that went awry when Jindal delivered a dud."

Washington Post: In the ‘credentials caucus,’ GOP’s 2016 hopefuls study policy and seek advisers — "Over meals, on the phone and in one-on-one chats, the rivals are building relationships with people they hope to recruit to help them navigate a range of issues. Policy leaders are generally hesitant to align with a candidate this far out, but the meetings send signals to would-be donors and operatives about the seriousness and direction of a potential candidacy."

Slate: The Bush Schism — "The argument for a Bush run is that he has a governor’s executive skills, can forge a relationship with crucial Hispanic voters (particularly in a key swing state), and has a fundraising base founded, in part, on a reservoir of goodwill toward the Bush family. Republicans are sick of being out of the White House and want a winner. Perhaps, but Bush is also the perfect candidate if your goal is driving simultaneous wedges into as many fault lines in the Republican Party as possible."

This program aired on April 8, 2014.

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