South Carolina GOP breaks ranks on Nikki Haley

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Politico:

While national Republicans are busy advancing state Rep. Nikki Haley’s bid for governor of South Carolina, much of the state GOP establishment is working furiously to torpedo her chances in the June 22 runoff.

Gresham Barrett, the GOP congressman backed by a high-priced team of veteran consultants, has launched a two-week, take-no-prisoners assault to defeat her. Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who came in a distant fourth in the Republican primary, has endorsed Barrett. So has the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. And some of her statehouse colleagues, after eight tumultuous years of Gov. Mark Sanford, are determined to stop Haley — a Sanford protégé — from taking the top job.

It’s an unusual spectacle: a rare instance in which state and national GOP interests are utterly divergent and at odds.

National Republicans — including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and the Republican Governors Association — have pushed hard for Haley, pointing to her as a rising star, a potential leader in a party that’s long struggled to bring diversity into its ranks.

Both Palin and Romney endorsed her during the primary, and Romney will campaign for her again on Friday. The RGA — which claimed on primary election night that voters made a “clear choice in Nikki Haley” in spite of the looming runoff — has assisted with money and messaging. Prominent national conservative voices have jumped in to defend her. Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol and Gary Bauer, a leading social conservative, have condemned Barrett’s campaign for advancing stories suggesting Haley is not a true Christian and still attends Sikh services, as do her Indian-American parents. Bauer has even called for Barrett to fire the campaign consultant responsible.

Barrett’s having none of it, attacking Haley as “the Sanford candidate,” which for many voters conjures up the outgoing South Carolina governor’s embarrassing jaunt to Argentina to visit his mistress.

The state’s political insiders are siding with Barrett for a different reason — they expect a Haley victory would result in another toxic legislative-executive relationship, with more statehouse gridlock.

“We have wasted eight years with Mark Sanford during which time we have accomplished almost nothing that is beneficial for this state, and in some instances we’ve gone backwards. And as legislators who love the state of South Carolina, one of our concerns is that anybody follow that same road,” said Republican state Rep. Bill Sandifer, who chairs the business committee on which Haley served for four years.
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The South Carolina Republicans continue to shoot themselves in the foot and make themselves national laughing stocks, which will make Haley's win all that much sweeter to watch.

[Argyle58]

The state’s political insiders are siding with Barrett for a different reason — they expect a Haley victory would result in another toxic legislative-executive relationship, with more statehouse gridlock.

 

Statehouse gridlock is exactly what is needed. When the legislature is stopped from enacting new laws, there is less infringement into the lives of the citizens.

[pollyannaish]

Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol and Gary Bauer, a leading social conservative, have condemned Barrett’s campaign for advancing stories suggesting Haley is not a true Christian and still attends Sikh services, as do her Indian-American parents. Bauer has even called for Barrett to fire the campaign consultant responsible.

 

Ok...let me be blunt: Who the **** cares? I don't care if she is Christian or not. What I care about is: Does she respect and support the free expression of religion? (Which means no one cow tows to another as well....) Is she a fiscal conservative? Is she a small government conservative? Does she understand what makes America special and why it is important for us to be STRONG in the world?

 

I'm sorry, but that "not a true Christian" thing makes me exceptionally angry. Shame on Barrett.

[Valin]

Same Article on A Certain Site

Nutters on parade

[NCTexan]

Same Article on A Certain Site

Nutters on parade

Scanned the comments and was surprised that I did not find a "Duncan Hunter for Governor of SC" posting by some of the more esteemed nutters.

[pollyannaish]

Same Article on A Certain Site

Nutters on parade

 

It's nice to see True Christian Conservatives all hang together in one accord.

[Valin]

Same Article on A Certain Site

Nutters on parade

 

It's nice to see True Christian Conservatives all hang together in one accord.

 

 

Why is it when I read the words "True/Real Conservative" alarm bells go off in my head?

 

As I've mentioned before, it appears to me that some people when choosing a candidate to support...review their record, their fund raising ability, where they stand on the issues, who else is supporting them...then pick the candidate most likely to lose.

 

 

I really like Duncan Hunter but when I heard him say on Hugh Hewitt's show that he didn't need to raise much money to run for President because he was the only "real" conservative in the race. Said to myself...He's toast.