Somehow I had missed this.
I got a tweet from Nikki Haley today, and it linked to her Web site, which I was finally able to call up (I could never get if before, for some reason). Anyway, I saw that she had posted something on May 15 quoting Mark Sanford as follows:
Nikki Haley is a true conservative and one of our state’s leading voices for fiscal responsibility and government reform. It’s too early to endorse anyone, but I would say Nikki Haley would make a terrific and inspiring choice as governor, and she’s a great addition to the field of candidates.
In other words, It’s too early to endorse anyone… but he just did.
Or did I miss it, and he’s made similar statements gushing about Gresham Barrett or Henry McMaster or whomever?
And there’s no mistaking the fact that Mark Sanford did indeed say that. It’s got his odd, signature “I would say…” verbal tick and everything. (About the fifth time he says that in a speech, I always want to say, Well then why don’t you go ahead and SAY it!?!?)
Anyway, as y’all know, I like Nikki. And as you also know, I think the last thing the state of South Carolina needs in 2010 is an official Mark Sanford wannabe candidate (what this election needs to be about, more than anything else, is moving beyond the dead loss of the Sanford years).
But it looks like we’ve got us one.
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It appears that Haley has some legislative accomplishments which indicate a pragmatism which the Governor lacks. The fact that some pundits label her the new Sanford or even his (possible) endorsement of her does not mark her as his clone. She strikes me as an intelligent, capable public servant in her own right. Please do not write her off without examining her record and listening what she has to say. Dismissing her as simply more of the last eight years does not do her (or South Carolina) justice.
I like you, Greg!
I like what you’re saying, Greg, and I want to believe you’re right… ’cause I DO like Nikki, and we really, really, REALLY don’t need even the slightest chance of another four years of this… ennui…
I put my money where my mouth is and donated to her campaign. Keeping the light shining on the shenanigans in the State House is the only way we will ever see true reform.
Glad you mentioned the “verbal tic.” Similar tics often appear in his writing, and I have wondered about this. We both graduated from Furman but in different decades. During my time there you couldn’t get out of freshman English putting “in my opinion,” “I would say,” or other such phrases in your papers. Is this a new rule? Wonder what the governor was doing when the English professor discussed this? Maybe he was studying political science or something.
I’ve always hated the expression “in my opinion”. It’s almost like an appology for what follows. But that’s just my opinion.
On the other hand, I suppose we can nitpik over someone’s grammar or writing style. But that seems to miss the point about our governor. If he was a brilliant, competent leader would anyone really care if he had verbal tics. Sanford is a horrible governor, with or without the verbal tics.
I do appreciate a person who uses the language well, even when he’s a rascal like Bill Clinton.
When’s the last time we had a governor who was good with words? Fritz Hollings has always had a way with ’em, even made up some good ones (my favorite being “Gee-mo-NET-ti!”) But surely he wasn’t our last…
I too like Nikki…I am hoping she will be a conservative in the mold of Sanford but not as pig-headed as him/one who actively works to being the Legislature into the fold. A dynamic conservative leader with cross-appeal like she ma have could possibly do this, regardless of how powerful the Gov is.
Brad–I think you may have missed the quote from Sanford–it came out in the media the day she announced I believe. And no I don;t think he has said a similar thing about the other candidates.