Jindal compared to Kenneth, the dweeby page

Bobby JindalWashington, Mar. 8 : Louisiana's Indian origin Governor Piyush `Bobby' Jindal is being likened to Kenneth, the dweeby page on "30 Rock."

The politically devastating comparisons started popping right up after Jindal delivered the Republican response to President Barack Obama's address a joint session of Congress. And they've spread like wildfire on the Internet, says Politico.

"Close your eyes and think of Kenneth from `30 Rock.' I can barely count the number of e-mails making that observation," Andrew Sullivan wrote on his blog minutes after Jindal's speech.

Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post and Gawker also made the comparison that night.

Now the wunderkind governor, who's often mentioned as a GOP presidential prospect, is struggling to overcome his association with this generation''s version of Gomer Pyle.

And his predicament is organic, as opposed to the biting parodies of Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live."

Several Facebook groups dedicated to the comparison have sprung up. The latest, "Bobby Jindal is Kenneth the Page," had more than 20,000 members on Friday. In comparison, nearly 34,000 people list themselves as fans of Jindal on the social networking site.

Nine YouTube videos splicing the governor's speech with clips of Kenneth the Page have been viewed by at least 10,000 people and the video of the Kenneth responding to Jindal on "Late Night" in which he calls Jindal a "goober" was featured prominently on The Huffington Post and other sites.

In Louisiana, the governor's communications director sought to play down the comparisons.

"Being compared to Kenneth the Page is a whole lot better than what past Louisiana governors have been compared to," Melissa Sellers said.

"Kenneth sounds like Clark Gable."

The content of Jindal's speech was not the major issue, though it was also panned by some. It was his appearance and awkward delivery from the Louisiana Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge.

Jindal still has plenty of time to recoup. (ANI)

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