Nikki Haley, Asshole of the Day for October 16, 2014
While Republicans like to demonize Democrats as prioritizing the wishes of lazy moochers, the stereotype that Democrats have of Republicans is that they are in the pocket of Wall Street and Big Business.
During the Tuesday night gubernatorial debate, Democratic candidate state Sen. Vincent Sheheen called for the state government to no longer display the Confederate flag, noting that many young people leave South Carolina "all too often."
Haley retorted by claiming that the Confederate flag has not kept companies from coming to the state.
"What I can tell you is over the last three and a half years, I spent a lot of my days on the phones with CEOs and recruiting jobs to this state. I can honestly say I have not had one conversation with a single CEO about the Confederate flag," she said.
She also said that she herself has helped combat the state's image problem.
"But we really kind of fixed all that when you elected the first Indian-American female governor," Haley said. "When we appointed the first African-American U.S. senator, that sent a huge message."
You want to point out that you aren't white and that you appointed an African American Senator? Fine. Go ahead. But if you say that sends "a huge message", then you have to account for the message that the State flying the Confederate Flag has.
The Confederate Flag has one and only one purpose-- to represent the country the Southern states created to continue black slavery. The Civil War was about slavery, and the flag was its symbol. That's what it means. Now individuals might have their own reasons for flying it, but the State of South Carolina flew that flag in its fight to preserve slavery, and keeping it flying now refers to that history.
And please don't tell me the Civil War was about states rights or something other than slavery. It started before Lincoln took office-- not based on Lincoln's actions but their fears of what he might do-- for the purpose of preserving slavery. It was fought over slavery. And it did not end until slavery was abolished. In fact at the end of the Civil War, with the South having unconditionally surrendered, the only change from before was the end of slavery. Those are facts. It's not like the South won and then gracefully freed all their slaves after forcing Lincoln to pass an amendment for states rights.
But I understand the flag is still controversial in South Carolina and that it has many supporters among the white voting public. So it's not odd that South Carolina politicians are still squishy on whether having the state fly a flag of treasonous slaveholders. What is odd is that Gov. Nikki Haley reveals that she doesn't care much about voters-- the people who really influence her are the CEOs. Her statement lays bare that she prioritizes the opinions and wishes of CEOs over the voters and people of her state. And for that, Nikki Haley is Asshole of the Day.
It is Nikki Haley's first time being named Asshole of the Day.
