Chart: Louisiana's Unemployment Rate During Bobby Jindal's Governorship
Jindal's greatest asset—economic stewardship—is now a liability.
Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, center, listens during a news conference outside the White House with other governors after a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Monday, Feb. 22, 2010.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal swept into office in early 2008 on a message of fiscal conservatism and economic prosperity, and he delivered. During his first term, Jindal oversaw an increase in Louisiana's credit rating from Standard and Poor's, and the state's unemployment rate stayed well below the national average through the recession.
Jindal was reelected with more than 65 percent of the vote in 2011, leaving the Democratic candidate with less than 20 percent. Then, slowly, his luck changed.