Though not officially a candidate, Jindal has campaigned extensively in early primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
If Jindal enters the race as expected, he is considered a long-shot, having polled near the bottom in a field that could include 16 Republicans.
But Pearson Cross, a University of Louisiana at Lafayette political scientist, said the governor shouldn't be discounted.
“He has an extraordinary belief in himself, and I believe he sees a path to the nomination,” Cross said. “It’s early, so if you see candidates begin to stumble the next thing you know you’re looking at a diminished field of religious conservatives who are also policy wonks. It could happen, even if it isn’t likely.
“One note of caution; he hasn’t connected up to now. I think he has a charisma dearth, which is why he’s not higher in the polls, because he says all the right things.”
Josh Stockley, a political scientist at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, said Jindal’s growing unpopularity in Louisiana largely won’t affect the governor in states where voters don’t know him.
“People in Iowa and South Carolina and Iowa like his speeches and what he has to say, so his favorable outside of Louisiana indicate there is room for growth,” Stockley said. “But he clearly has an uphill climb, and right now he’s often not mentioned in the first or even second tier of candidates.”
Stockley said Jindal’s biggest challenge will be moving up into the top 10, which will be a requirement to appear on the debate stages.
“If he doesn't appear in the debates, he won’t be considered a serious candidate,” Stockley said.
The time and place of Jindal’s New Orleans announcement hasn't been determined.
The Roving reporter G.
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