When asked about what was the cause of the Civil War at a campaign stop in Berlin, New Hampshire yesterday, Republican candidate for President Nikki Haley spouted a confusing word salad about “freedoms”, the rights of (white) people to do just what they want to do and, of course, “capitalism”.
Glaringly missing from her answer was any mention of the fact that the ability of Southerners to continue to hold people in chattle slavery, their ability to buy, sell, beat torture and rape human beings for profit was the central issue in American politics in 1860 as it had been for the proceeding 30 years:
“Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley sparked a backlash on social media, including from conservatives, after she was asked about the cause of the Civil War and didn’t mention slavery in her answer.
Haley, who served six years as South Carolina’s governor and then two years as the ambassador to the United Nations, was asked by a voter during a town hall in Berlin, New Hampshire, on Wednesday to identify the cause of the Civil War.
“I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run,” she said. “The freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do. What do you think the cause of the Civil War was?”
The man who asked the question replied that he was not the one running for president and wanted to hear her answer.“
One might understandably hope that given a second bite at that apple, Haley would grasp the failure of her initial response to address the central cause of the Southern State’s rebellion, but one would be wrong:
“I mean, I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are,” she said. “And I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn’t need to tell you how to live your life. They don’t need to tell you what you can and can’t do. They don’t need to be a part of your life. They need to make sure that you have freedom.”
She continued: “We need to have capitalism. We need to have economic freedom. We need to make sure that we do all things so that individuals have the liberties so that they can have freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to do or be anything they want to be without government getting in the way.”
And, when her omission of slavery and its proposed abolition as the central cause the of the war was pointed out by the questioner Haley flippantly said “What do you want me to say about slavery?”
Well, Nikki, you could start by saying that slavery and it’s continued existence in America in 1860 was reprehensible and violated every precept of our founding documents, and that although the authors of those documents had lacked the political will to do away it as they should have done, the ensuing eight decades of attempts to temporize and compromise with those states that insisted on continuing the evil practice had failed miserably.
But Haley knows that such a statement would fall flat with her base voters, and so she spouted the nonsense about the government not telling the people what to do, freedoms and capitalism, hoping to cover her abject moral failure to state the truth with rhetoric more appealing to them.
The Biden-Harris War Room was quick to point out her BS on Twitter:
She knows she’s competing for trump’s base, sickening though that she’s lowering herself to this level.
— Cfleety (@cfleetybee) December 28, 2023
Exactly this. That the mere acknowledgment of the evil of slavery would be disqualifying with Trump’s base exemplifies the predicament we face as a nation.
Is it cowardice, ignorance or confusion?
I mean, my cat could give a better answer. 🤦— Jeffrey Ⓥ (@LiftForever67) December 28, 2023
I vote cowardice, her inability to confront the MAGA crowd with the truth disqualifies her as a national leader.
Oh, how courageous. A politician avoiding a tough question and refusing to acknowledge a dark chapter in American history. Because, you know, it's not like a leader should be able to confront difficult issues and have nuanced discussions or anything. But hey, let's all just move… pic.twitter.com/SEvjQb8SR1
— Joe (@JoeMaristela) December 28, 2023
Yup.
Looking back, scribes would refer to this moment when the promising campaign of @NikkiHaley came to a disastrous end.
— ϽΓΣⱤẛ∁ (@CholericCleric) December 28, 2023
Well, one would hope so anyway.
But the cold hard fact is that none of the Republican challengers to Trump, perhaps excepting Chris Christie who has no hope of winning the nomination, is willing to confront the MAGA base and attempt to cauterize the damage he has done to the Republican Party.
2024 is the year we will either electorally sweep away the treat that MAGA mess and the weak willed politicians like Haley who continue to enable it or the year we will lose our Democracy.
We are in the fight of our lives, folks.
That’s one helluva Nikki Haley mask Sarah Palin was wearing! Or maybe Palin is now one of Haley’s campaign coaches. Frankly, I wonder if this morning SNL will be begging Tina Fey to come back and do a skit like she did with Palin, simply repeating this word for word. The only question would be if the makeup folks could make Fey look sort of like Haley.
All I can say is: “It’s the slavery, stupid!”
Why? BECAUSE SHE IS A RACIST BEATCH! As a white man, the father of a 28 year old black daughter, your boys got their asses handed to them because YOUR descendants wanted to own BLACK PEOPLE AND STILL DO! Phuck her and her nazi party. Freedom? I can’t wait til sane Americans ARE FREE FROM YOU EVIL ASSHOLES!
Um, if your “your boys got their asses” comment is directed at Haley, bear in mind that her family was living in India at the time of the US Civil War.
And I’m not sure who you mean by “YOUR descendants” because, again, Haley is second generation Sikh.
You have REALLY got to get your own little racism under control. I don’t give a rat’s behind about your personal life. Not all Republicans are racist and calling Haley a “racist beatch” is WAAAY beyond the pale here. The MAGAts don’t want Haley no matter how much she tries to play at being a She-Trump; her skin is the wrong color. (Just like Clarence Thomas–you know, that BLACK guy sitting on the Supreme Court and who’s done more ill towards African-Americans than almost any white guy has done. Why aren’t you calling him a “racist?” Huh? I still want to drop Thomas off in a lily-white MAGA neighborhood, but put him in “street clothes” and let him see just how welcome he would be.)
What’s really bad about Haley’s little meeting is the fact that SHE TOOK DOWN THE CONFEDERATE FLAG from South Carolina’s government offices. But if she has any hope of getting the nomination, she’s got to play to the “base” that ALWAYS votes in the primaries–and those are the racists. Call her an enabler if you have to but until you can PROVE she’s a racist, chill with the rhetoric.
She’s the top of the racist party in South Carolina. I don’t give a rat’s ass where her family is from. We’re ALL from somewhere else originally. Her boys in south carolina DID get their asses handed to them. She’s exactly what I called her…a racist. As usual Mr fact checker ignores the fact THAT WAS A RACIST ANSWER TO APPEASE HER RACIST PARTY…to smugly correct EVERYONE who posts here. Good job defending a racist. If I’m a racist then convince my black family who does care about my personal life. Must be nice to be so correct all the time. I’m not going to ‘chill’ with anygoddamn thing when it comes to these nazi BASTARDS and BEATCHES. We see how playing nice worked out in Europe in the 30s and 40s. You play nice, although I don’t experience that from YOU. The view must be nice from the ivory tower.
When was born in America. She went to high school and college here. She should have heard,about slavery. She is aeither a moron or a. hypocritical GOP liar. Neither belongs in the White House.
Oh, and calling her a racist is ‘WAAAY beyond the pale’??? What planet do you live on? Last time I checked, she stood on a NATIONAL stage and supported Trump, and raised her goddamn hand saying SHE’D VOTE FOR HIM! Add in the fact HE WILL BE the gop nominee, and if asked, SHE WILL ACCEPT THE VP nod. Maybe you need to fact check yourself. So [the Germans who supported Hitler weren’t nazis? Sure Mr. Wizard. That’s the stupidist thing I’ve ever seen you post. All the sane Republicans I’ve watched and listened to disavow trump at every opportunity. Not her. When did Clarence Thomas enter this post? That was a weak weak attempt at whataboutism.
More proof: Haley said in 2015 the confederate flag was a symbol of “service, sacrifice and heritage” until the mass murderer Dylann Roof “hijacked it”. I’m surprised you didn’t check her record since you are excellent at correcting everyone else. Want to make the case she’s not a racist? Type away.
“Haley has had some problems with some basic American history. She’s asked a very simple question and responded with just really incomprehensible word salad about this and that, and she asked the voter, what do you want her to say about this or that ? And then now is taking different positions on this. And so I just think that this shows this is not a candidate that’s ready for prime time,”
and we needed more proof that haley was an ignoramus because..???
The real reason for the south’s secession from the U.S., the right to own other humans, does not scan well with most voters particularly in the 21st century. I seriously doubt you’re going to hear any of the ‘pube candidates for prez stating the actual reason for it. You know, the reason given by the south in the mid 1800’s.
And I am shocked !!! that the reply from the questioned after her second “Now what’s next?” wasn’t: “Gee, if freedom is so important, how come my wife’s reproductive and health care freedoms aren’t to you?”
Maybe it was the noted northern aggression! I seem to remember reading how them Yankees taking an airport from the British two generations before they started their war of aggression and conquest!! The poor south had no airports. Ergo ipso facto… the south had to defend its rights from yankee greed and sloth (and just plain ol’ villainany!!!) joe Rogan, noted scholar, almost credited Joe Biden for reminding his fellow citizens on the airport attack!!! When everybody knows it was 45!!!!!!!
you’ve never heard of the confederate air force 🙂