Bobby Jindal Endorses Marco Rubio

By The Stream Published on February 6, 2016

Once a candidate himself, former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal has endorsed Marco Rubio for president, calling him a “principled conservative” who could unify the party and win the election. Jindal had dropped out of the race in November, but refused to endorse anyone else at the time.

Making his announcement on Greta von Susteren’s television show, he began a prepared statement but was quickly interrupted by Susteren, who noted that other candidates took the same positions. Jindal said he wasn’t going to criticize other candidates. “The reality is that these are very dangerous times,” he said, blaming president Obama for weakening America’s power in the world and claiming that Rubio was the best candidate to restore the country’s status. He also stressed Rubio’s work as a senator in opposing Obamacare.

“This is the most important election of our lifetime,” Jindal continued.

We’ve got growing dependence on government. We’ve got more and more debt being piled on our children’s backs. Marco can unify our party. His optimistic message is bring voters from across the party lines, from across different demographic groups. … He can win this election in November. We cannot afford four more years of this president’s disastrous policies. I think he’s a principled conservative. I think he’s the right guy to lead us forward.

“The American dream’s not about the government taking care of you,” Jindal said at the end of the interview. “We’re both children of immigrants. I don’t think he takes the American dream for granted. I think he wakes up every day and says ‘The American dream is about opportunity. You should be able to work hard and get a great education. Every child should be able to realize their potential.”

Jindal, Santorum, and Pataki

Jindal’s endorsement is “a big boost,” Rubio said, calling him “a huge asset.”

Rubio, who had come in a strong third in the Iowa caucus, almost beating Donald Trump, also recently received the endorsement of former Senator Rick Santorum, when he dropped out the race after getting the fewest number of votes in the caucus. Rubio, he said, “is “taking the wine I’ve been trying to sell and putting it in new wineskins.”

Former New York governor George Pataki, who had also been a candidate who had drawn no significant support, endorsed Rubio last month.

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