Jindal: I’m praying about my 2016 decision

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says he would not be deterred from entering the 2016 presidential contest because of other Republicans in the field.

“I think our party’s got a deep bench, and so I wouldn’t — I wouldn’t stay out of the race simply because I had friends running,” he said on Hugh Hewitt’s radio program. “I imagine that, regardless of what decision I make, I will have multiple friends running.”

{mosads}Jindal said he is “thinking” and “praying” about whether he should run. A decision would not come until early next year, he said.  

During the 2012 GOP primary, Jindal first endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) and then eventual GOP nominee Mitt Romney. Neither politician’s decisions about 2016 would affect him, he said. 

“So, I’d certainly look for our ranks, and we’ve got some great, great leaders across the country, conservative Republicans, and I hope a bunch of them run,” he said. 

The governor drew contrasts between himself and President Obama, saying if he entered the race, he would be running with accomplishments already under his belt. 

“Unlike the president, I’ve actually run something, both not only as governor, but previously to that. We can show that we’ve turned around our economy,” he said, noting that the GOP nominee would also have to outline a vision for the future. 

Jindal announced Wednesday he is bringing a lawsuit against the Obama administration over its Common Core educational standards, which set benchmarks for students in each grade. 

An early supporter, Jindal asserted the federal government ruined the initiative by taking a “top-down approach.”

“We have never given the federal government in this country the power to make local curriculum decisions,” he said. “That’s exactly what they’re trying to do with Common Core.”