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Nikki Haley at the NRCC

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  March 23rd, 2012 at 03:36 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I was at a separate meeting in Florida a few weeks ago where Nikki Haley spoke. She left such a good impression people were still taking about her the next day. It’s not often you hear people putting Thatcher’s name in the same sentence with the Governor of one of the fifty states. She really left a strong, positive impression.

Here’s her speech to the National Republican Congressional Committee meeting from a couple of weeks ago. Well done.

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COMMENTS

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  • http://www.baseballcrank.com Dan McLaughlin

    After an inspiring campaign, she’s had a bumpy start, and got badly burned by her Romney endorsement, but with more time to settle in the job, I’m still hopeful that she’ll turn out to be a good one.

  • acat

    and Obama loses to Romney .. or even if its’ close .. she’ll come out of it looking pretty shrewd.

    Mew

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    Her support for Mitt was due to loyalty after he went out of his way to support her run for Governor and the criticism of her in SC are on very shaky grounds re “disclosure” and the Savannah Ports reciprocation. More later

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    a diary posted by badkarma6 under the member diaries. I heard Gov. Haley speak at RSG03 and met her at the meet and greet. She was certainly impressive then, and I haven’t seen anything to make me think otherwise with regard to her record (not holding the Romney endorsement against her all things considered).

  • gracie

    I saw her speak at RS02 and really liked her.

    RedState and Erick went out of it’s way to help her when she was running for Gov. Even when things were touch and go.

    But she sold out to the highest bidder instead of keeping with conservative principles.

    Yes I know Erick is being big about this. We will have to disagree. I value loyalty and conservatism.

  • civil truth

    Political office involves relationships, and one of the important rules is that you help those in return who have helped up up the ladder. This is called loyalty and honoring debts. It can get uncomfortable at times, but that’s part of the reality of serving in public office, which is something most of us don’t have to deal with in our weighing our decisions.

    Nikki was very grateful to RedState back when she “Nikki Who?” as she put it at the 2010 RS convention, and in return she came to Texas and spoke to the Convention in the middle of her busy campaign, int he face of criticism for leaving the state. That’s loyalty.

    Similarly, she endorsed Romney in return for his having provide her support in her campaign. Romney is near the bottom of my list of candidate because of this record, etc., but I don’t criticize her endorsing Romney. because I respect her loyalty.

    BTW, her RedState speech was one of the most moving speeches by a politician I’ve heard in my life.

  • pdawk

    Not because she has become a RINO but because she is on a trajectory to lose reelection. I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see a guy like Curtis Loftis run against her and win. Sadly if the election were held today a guy like Shaheen would crush her.

  • montani

    She has a great resume. She is a clear speaker. When she knows what she wants to say, she says it well. However, she has made several decisions as a Governor alienating her core supporters, Reform Conservatives.
    ?A slim majority of Republicans ? 52.5 percent ? approve of the way Haley is handling her job, but almost 22 percent of Republicans said they disapprove of her performance.?
    http://www.thestate.com/2011/12/11/2076002/sc-voters-souring-on-governor.html

    She’s not losing the support of Liberals and Democrats in SC. She started off her term with little to no support from them. She is losing the support of Reform Conservatives. She repeatedly speaks out against the “Good Old Boys” but caves in the end. Talk radio has decidedly turned against her. Not as bad as it has against Lindsey Graham but turned it has.

    At this point she should have doubts about her future. She can either be the leader she wants (I hope) to be or she can continue to search for a path of least resistance. My suspicion, listening to her national news interviews was that she was thinking about replacing DeMint or Graham. The way things are going, she?ll be lucky to win another election for anything.

  • gracie

    with me! I am not sure if you are talking about her speech in Texas or in S Carolina that you found so moving. I did not attend the later but did hear the former and I thought…. this is someone to watch in the future!

    I am attempting to understand you. Yes I get it that she had loyalty chips to hand out both to RedState and to Romney. I did not go far enough in explaining why she has turned me off so….I see her selling out on conservatism by endorsing Romney!

    Rick Perry would have been a natural fit for her, to me, if I was understanding her values correctly. Therefore her endorsing Romney just seems like a sell out to the highest bidder. It sets really wrong with me and causes me to lose interest in her having a national future. I would like her loyalty to be to conservatism.
    JMO.
    PS I have also heard stories about how she is doing her job as described by montani below. Worrisome. Are you from SC? If so maybe you can shed some light on how she is performing from your view.

  • bs61

    I’m not voting for someone who feels they owe someone a favor!

  • civil truth

    I’m not aware of any evidence that she put her endorsement up for sale – but I don’t think that’s what you meant.

    I also heard Nikki at the Austin Gathering (and I wasn’t at the SC Gathering). I may have met you there, but I don’t remember.

    The point I was making was that I see Nikki’s endorsement as representing as paying a debt of gratitude – and seeing what she in speaking to the RS convention brings me to conclude that this is highly important to her. That’s the charitable interpretation.

    The flip side to relational loyalty is cronyism, if those you’re hold in confidence are unscrupulous (which parenthetically seems to be Perry’s besetting weakness, and the Bushes as well) – and can lead noble minded folks to lose their way.

    The converse, though, is equally ambiguous – her rejecting Romney could have been open to interpretation as being principled – or evidence of being opportunistic, biting the hand that fed you, kicking out the rungs below as you climb the ladder, etc.

    As far as her standing in SC, I don’t live there, but it’s clear that there is a serious political battle going on involving an old boys networks that has strangled SC for years. A real snake pit, so it’s hard to know if the criticisms coming from folks like montani and badkarma are (1) the usual villains at it again; (2) purists confronting imperfection; or (3) legitimate criticism that she has strayed.

    I think we need to be careful of throwing folks away on the basis of one or two hot button issues, but look at the larger picture and not be too hasty.

    Though I suspect Nikki will have to do repair work to overcome her support of Romney.

    In general, we need to be a bit more understanding of the conflicting pressure and interests that our political leaders have to navigate, especially in a fractious and divisive time as this – and not throw up our hands at the first sight of political sausage-making. At the same time, we must continue to call on them to follow their convictions.

  • gracie

    I Did figure Romney’s donation was early and larger than the others. He has had a habit of doing that…Marco Rubio comes to mind. And he WAS repaid in kind for that one too.

    So yes I became disallusioned but I will say I was not giving her many chances as well as not looking at the big picture. No we should not throw good politicians away easily! If nothing else there is a learning curve. But…. it IS difficult to see when they have crossed the line.

    That young woman who spoke at RS was impressive; in any case, time will tell whether she is doing her job well and keeping her endorsements clean. Thanks to you for taking the time to make me think!

    I still think Rick Perry is a great guy whose bank account and ten years of tax returns show that he has not unusually benefited from his governorship. My study of him during his time out has shown a man who appeared to have the peoples’ best interests in heart even if he did go about some things wrongly. But that is a debate for another day!

  • civil truth

    …especially the third paragraph. BTW, Rick Perry was my first choice.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    at RSG03. Her speech was inspiring and made me proud to be a conservative woman and to have her represent us. What struck me about her is a, dare I say it, Reagan like quality of presenting things in a positive way. Even when she was going after Obama, she did so in a sort of “Bless Your Heart” way that I found endearing, but quite effective.

    I was disappointed with her endorsement of Romney, but if I disown every politician who doesn’t agree with me 100%, I’ll have no representation at all.

    As for the comments from badkarma and montani, I’m always a little suspicious of posters without much of a record here who throw out a few vague comments with little or no source. The poll they mention was taken 3-1/2 months ago. CT, I’m inclined to believe your suggested 1 and 2 way before 3.

  • gracie

    It’s just that… Romney! It was a big deal to me. Perry needed that endorsement in the worst way….But I get you.

    I am just one person but I bet as a Tea Partier people ask your opinion…people who don’t inform ask me all the time.

    I am sorry t say I have lost track of where CT lives and is active in Tea Party.

  • civil truth

    …and your first-hand impressions and intuitions.

    The other thing that came through at her RedState Austin speech was a genuineness, a depth of character, and integration of her Christian faith into her life. She needs to be in our prayers; politics is a career that tests and tempts even the best of us, and our country desperately needs those who can remain standing.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    on man