Bobby Jindal Blasts Mitt Romney’s ‘Gifts’ Comment, Says He Couldn’t Disagree More

Bobby Jindal, Republican rising star and Louisiana State governor, has responded to controversial remarks made yesterday by Mitt Romney, who alleged that President Barack Obama was re-elected due to a bevy of gifts he bestowed upon minority voters.

Bobby Jindal’s rejection of the Romney remarks seem to be further evidence of dissonance in the ranks of the GOP and maybe even perhaps a harbinger of a total party makeover.

It may just be that the party will begin to divide among those more of Romney’s mindset, seeking to keep the its current narrow platform that no one can deny did not do well in the 2012 election. But the Bobby Jindals and Chris Christies of the GOP may forge ahead with a new and enlightened Republican Party, one that holds far more appeal for today’s America.

Liberal gloating over the election began early, even before Romney’s stunning loss last week. A campaign marked by ugly, race-based rhetoric and a leaked video in which Romney dismisses nearly half of Americans (“the 47%”) as “takers” did not sit well with American voters of every stripe, many of whom felt that, regardless of their stance, there was no room at the GOP table for them.

Bobby Jindal was plain earlier this week in decrying the GOP’s anti-intellectual tendencies, and now he’s speaking out about the elitism and erroneous “makers and takers” rhetoric spewed by the Republican old guard.

Jindal addresses Romney’s assertion that President Obama bribed part of the electorate with “gifts,” saying:

“That is absolutely wrong. I absolutely reject that notion … I don’t think that represents where we are as a party and where we’re going as a party.”

He adds:

” … we need to continue to show that our policies help every voter out there achieve the American dream, which is to be in the middle class, which is to be able to give their children the opportunity to get a great education, which is for their children to have even better-paying jobs than their parents.”

Jindal continued, cautioning that the Romneys of the party have not learned the key lessons to be gleaned from the 2012 election mess:

“That has got to be one of the most fundamental takeaways from this election: If we’re going to continue to be a competitive party and win elections on the national stage and continue to fight for our conservative principles, we need two messages to get out loudly and clearly: One, we are fighting for 100 percent of the votes, and secondly, our policies benefit every American who wants to pursue the American dream. Period. No exceptions.”

Is Bobby Jindal right in suggesting the GOP has to bend or break if they want a shot in 2016?