Fletcher: 50% chance Jindal will be on the GOP presidential ticket

There's a one-in-two chance Gov. Bobby Jindal will wind up on the Republican ticket this fall with Mitt Romney. That's the prediction from veteran political consultant Roy Fletcher, who believes Jindal is emerging as a more attractive running mate than any of the frontrunners for the vice presidential spot. "The challenge for the Romney campaign is to figure out how to broaden their base," says Fletcher, speaking this morning on WRKF-FM's The Jim Engster Show. Jindal can help the presumptive nominee do that in three ways, Fletcher says. First, the Romney campaign has chosen education reform as one of its key focus areas, something Jindal is uniquely qualified to discuss, he says. Also, by virtue of being Indian-American, Jindal brings an element of diversity to the ticket. But perhaps most importantly, Jindal has proven himself particularly adept at fundraising, particularly in what Fletcher describes as the wealthy and untapped Indian-American business community. "Bobby Jindal has raised $100 million from one segment of this society that has never really played (in politics): the Indian-Americans," Fletcher says. "In a race that is going to cost upwards of $1 billion, a vice presidential candidate that can raise $100 million is a serious contender.

Editor's note: This story has been changed since its original publication.

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