Bobby Jindal's campaign for the presidency got off to an awkward start, with the above must-see video.
In a gesture of good, old-fashioned family values, Jindal and his wife, Supriya, wanted to let their kids know he's running before they told the world. But the gesture took a modern twist: Jindal recorded the family conversation, using a hidden camera — up in a tree.
As the Jindals and their three kids sit around a garden table, on a patio flanked by white Romanesque pillars, a device nestled up on a tree records the intimate moment.
In the nearly 2-minute video released by Jindal's campaign, the kids don't show much emotion or surprise.
"Mommy and Daddy have been thinking and praying about this a lot," Jindal confides. "We're going to talk to you first and then you can't go tell your friends."
Jindal emphasizes this is not news for pals at baseball or soccer practice. And when he makes the big announcement, the kids stay completely mum. Not a word.
Mrs. Jindal prompts them to react, asking, "How do you feel about that?"
One son gives a quick two thumbs up, and their daughter shrugs.
Earlier Wednesday, the video was at the very top of the Web page announcing Jindal's candidacy. But within hours, the video became unavailable.
From a production standpoint, Jindal probably could have done better, too. The camera takes an aerial wide-angle shot, as though it's a drone, drawing the viewer's eye to the tops of protagonists' heads. There isn't any eye contact that can be made out.
In case Jindal wants to take another stab at it, videos on YouTube, like this one by James Wedmore, offer some useful tips.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
