Bobby Jindal: America needs a 'spiritual revival'

Could Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal appeal to religious conservatives who hold sway in Iowa?

Sounds like the answer is "yes," based on the reaction to the potential 2016 presidential candidate's remarks Tuesday night before more than 100 Christian and Jewish conservatives.

Jindal said America is "in desperate need of a spiritual revival" and "now it is time to turn back to God," according to The Des Moines Register, which was allowed to report on the closed-press event.

Jan Mickelson, a talk-radio host who attended the event, told the Register that Jindal — known for his fiscal policies and expertise as a former Bush administration health official — speaks the "right language" when it comes to talking about his faith.

"He's not bilingual. That's his native tongue. He will give Huckabee a run in Iowa," Mickelson said.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, an ordained minister, won the 2008 Iowa caucuses and is considering another White House bid in 2016.

Religious conservatives are an important bloc in Iowa's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. Nearly half, or 46% of Republicans who say they're likely to take part in the 2016 Iowa caucuses consider themselves an evangelical Christian, according to a Bloomberg/Des Moines Register poll released in October.

Rick Santorum, who is also considering a 2016 presidential bid, garnered 32% of the vote from evangelical Christians when he won the 2012 Iowa caucuses, according to a survey of participants entering caucus meetings.