Let me tell you how good Bobby Jindal’s speech was at AFP’s Defending The Dream Summit. It was his best speech I’ve heard him give in years.

He was introduced as the only governor running for president who cut spending. Jindal made sure his audience didn’t forget that.

Jindal threw shade at pretty much all of the candidates in the race. But at the same time he didn’t come off as mean-spirited.

He remind the audience that his life story is actually as compelling, if not more so than Marco Rubio’s. His parents came to America on a student visa, while his mom was pregnant with him. His dad got a job by calling companies in the phone book and asked for a job until he was hired. When he was born, the Jindal’s made a deal with the doctor that they would send him a check every month until the bill was paid.

Jindal’s speech touched on immigration where he called for holding mayors and councilmen of sanctuary cities criminally accountable. Jindal also drew very loud applause for defunding Planned Parenthood and for his showing the Planned Parenthood videos when supporters of the organization protested him.

The speech drew frequent standing ovations. At the end of the speech, attendees of the conference rushed the stage and Jindal worked it like a rope line.

This was Jindal’s best speech in years. He got a fantastic reaction on social media and he clearly won the day. Jeb Bush’s speech earlier in the day paled in comparison.

Jindal campaign manager Timmy Teepell tweeted to me that Jindal’s been making progress in Iowa. Polls seem to show that he is.

https://twitter.com/TaylorTeepell/status/634830628140265473

Team Jindal would be wise to promote videos of this speech when it comes out and exploit it. He made some friends today with conservative activists in an important battleground state and that’s a much needed win.