Have a great idea for a caption?  Leave it in the comments section.

…when she could say nothing at all:

Can’t say I blame Rachel for being speechless. Governor Jindal squandered a huge opportunity last night with his “response” to President Obama’s address. I was a bit disappointed, too. I’d heard a lot about this popular governor; he has a reputation for wide support from the right and left, and is often mentioned as a rising star in the Republican Party.

First, let’s discuss style. Jindal sounded, to my ears, almost exactly like Kenneth the Page from 30 Rock. It was distracting, as were his strained smiles and awkward facial expressions.  He came across as unpolished and, frankly, when taking into account the content of his speech, almost childish. If he’s going to give President Obama a real challenge in 2012, he has a lot of work to do.

But the important failure here is in what Jindal said - and didn’t say.  There was nothing in his speech to indicate that he listened to the President’s address. This is a huge failure on Jindal’s part, since one wouldn’t have to hear Obama’s speech to predict some of the issues that would be raised. Instead, Jindal discussed, at length, Hurricane Katrina. He talked about his personal role in the unfolding crisis, but mainly focused on the inefficiencies of bureaucracy, following it up with a feel-good bit about Americans risking life and limb to help each other in times of need.

Jindal didn’t respond to the issues at hand. He started to turn the speech into a quasi-campaign speech, which might have been ok except that he didn’t really provide a path or a vision, instead relying on cliched platitudes about government vs people. I think the GOP probably regrets putting Jindal up for the response, and I think he may well have ruined his short-term chances for a GOP nomination nod.

Then again, an interesting tidbit from Politico (emphasis mine):

“Obama gave a polished performance, as usual. Jindal’s act needs a lot of work,” said John J. Pitney Jr., a political science professor at California’s Claremont McKenna College. “His basic message was sound but his language was hackneyed and his performance was wooden. Fortunately he has a lot of time to improve his delivery. In the year 2040 he will still be younger than McCain was in 2008.”

What was your reaction to Jindal’s speech?

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

I don’t know anyone like that, do you? Heh, heh.  Why? What have you heard?

I did wonder a bit, before the election was over, what I’d spend my time thinking about afterward.  Turns out that there’s endless speculation about Obama’s cabinet to mull, future GOP rivals to wonder about, and even a few Senate races left undecided. So, all this talk about the election being “over” and people needing to “get over it” or to “get a real life” seem a bit premature, to me.

Beyond that, I can fill the void with early holiday shopping. Just trying to stimulate the economy!

The word on the street is that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is on the short list for the position of Obama’s Secretary of State.

Part of me wonders if the name is just being floated as a sign of respect for her but that she’s not really in the running.

I think she’s worth careful consideration for the post. She’s experienced, and she has a deep and fundamental understanding of the dynamics and issues.

And, she’s a rock star.

“You can send John Kerry or Chuck Hagel,” said one adviser, mentioning some other candidates for secretary of state, “or you can send Hillary Clinton. That’s totally different.”

I agree. Other problems aside, the Clintons have always been welcomed and respected abroad.

But, there are downsides to choosing Senator Clinton as well.

First, filling up the White House with former Clinton staffers - or Clintons themselves - is likely to irritate both the left and center-right folks.  The lefties will be afraid that the choices of Emanuel and Clinton indicate that Obama will be ruling from the center rather than staking out a progressive platform, and independents who might otherwise have voted for a Republican will be disappointed that the Change Candidate’s cabinet looks suspiciously familiar.

Second…wait, I’m having trouble thinking of a second downside.  The only other thing I can think of is that HRC might be also very well-suited for a host of other positions, from Attorney General to some sort of health care role, or even as a Supreme Court justice.

I don’t fear that she will outshine or subvert Obama like some on the left do. I think she’d be a pretty good Secetary of State - especially compared to the other snoozetastic names that have been floated.

What do you think?

Prime Minister Silvo Berlusconi

Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi, who once sparked a media firestorm by calling himself the Jesus Christ of politics, has done it again.

From CNN:

The outspoken Italian leader appeared to be joking when he said Obama “has everything needed in order to reach deals with him: he’s young, handsome and even tanned.”

Berlusconi later said the remark was meant to be “cute” and called those who disagreed “imbeciles, of which there are too many.”

Berlusconi, 72, is infamous for eyebrow-raising comments.

I swear, I could follow Berlusconi around all day and have enough material for this site for a year.

When questioned / criticized about it today, he lost his temper and walked out of the press conference.

Other greatest hits from Berlusconi can be found here. I highly recommend it if you need a laugh.