Conservatives are buzzing this week about whether one of the party's young up-and-comers, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, has made presumed GOP nominee John McCain's short list for his running mate.

Democratic strategists, meanwhile, say they'd welcome the contrast between the 36-year-old Indian-American and the 71-year-old senator. "There's a mixed bag on [Jindal]," one high-ranking Democratic Party official told U.S. News. "With McCain, a young vigorous running mate is potentially a negative—it highlights his age."

Jindal, long a darling of conservative talker Rush Limbaugh, has said he doesn't expect to be asked. But his tour in the national spotlight continues this week with a speech Friday at the National Press Club.