The AP reports that Bobby Jindal, 36, has been sworn in as Louisiana’s newest governor, replacing Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.

I was teaching in Lafayette when Jindal, a Republican, ran for the first time four years ago. I didn’t get to actually see him, but he was saying smarter things than most of the Republican presidential contenders are today. He was very free-market and anti-cronyism.

Jindal has a chance to turn around a state that has yet to recover from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, that is among the poorest states in the country, and that is still leaking residents like a sieve. This will be an interesting case study.

Best of luck to ya, Governor.