Stop thinking Americans are stupid: Bobby Jindal

Louisiana's Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal, who had once warned his own Republican party to stop being the "stupid party", says President Barack Obama's Democrats now need to heed that advice.

Jindal, former head of the Republican Governor's Association who is said to be mulling a 2016 presidential run, gave the advice in a CNN OpEd in the wake of the botched rollout of Obamacare, president's signature health care law, and delays in the individual mandate.

Arguing that Obama administration thinks Americans are "delusional" or "dimwits" he said: "While it is true that we as Republicans need to do a better job articulating our principles and being the party of bold new ideas, the Democrats have a far worse problem."

"Democrats need to stop being the party that thinks Americans themselves are stupid," Jindal said recalling his advice to the Republicans after the 2012 defeat of party's presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

The federal government, he claimed "is requiring all individuals to purchase insurance to 'protect' the American people from themselves" and suggested this attitude comes from "the very top of the Obama administration."

Turning to the controversy surrounding insurance cancellations following the introduction of Obamacare, Jindal said "If President Obama, or anyone else on the left thinks the American people are too dumb to pick a school or health plan, they should say so publicly-and in so many words."

"I believe the best way to help is to empower citizens, trusting them to make good choices, not creating nanny states to 'protect' individuals from themselves," he said.

"As a matter of policy, giving Americans choice in schools and health care is simply the right thing to do."

"And as a matter of politics, insulting voters' intelligence is just plain stupid," Jindal said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)