From the governor’s Facebook page.
The SC Democrats put out this release today:
SCDP Chair Statement on Nikki Haley Delivering GOP SOTU ResponseColumbia, SC – South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison issued the following statement on the announcement of Governor Nikki Haley delivering the GOP response to the President’s State of the Union.“Next Tuesday, America will see a poised and confident speaker in South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. But, what they won’t see, and what they certainly won’t hear about, is the despair that has plagued our state as a result of her leadership.”“What Gov. Haley doesn’t want you to know is that South Carolina is hurting. While she’s smiling in front of the cameras, normal people in our state are struggling just to get by.“The South Carolina we see is filled with roads and bridges in dire need of repair after recent flooding. Our schools, especially those in poor, rural communities, are without the funds they need to teach our children. Hard-working men and women are being forced to work two or three jobs to support their families because the wages they make at one job simply aren’t enough.“The stakes are high. While Gov. Haley and Republicans are focused on driving a wedge between us, South Carolina Democrats are working to find common ground and common sense solutions. Because we see what South Carolina can be.“Let’s make the game fair again—let’s take care of the many, not just the powerful and influential. Let’s create good paying jobs and make education affordable for the next generation of leaders. Let’s make healthcare accessible and repair our bridges and roads. And let’s do it together.“If you work hard and play by the rules, you should feel good about your future and the future of your loved ones. That’s what South Carolina Democrats believe, and that’s the American Dream we’re defending.###
I’d like to make a couple or three points about that:
First, a modest attaboy: The tone of this is noticeably better than that in many such communiques, and I want to give Jaime Harrison credit for that. Seldom do see a statement from either party regarding a leader of the opposing party that says anything like this: “America will see a poised and confident speaker in South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.” No, it’s not huge, but the bar is so very low when it comes to party rhetoric that I wanted to make positive note of that.- Next, as I’ve said many times before, I heartily disapprove of these “responses” from the party that does not occupy the White House. The president has a constitutional obligation to make these reports “from time to time” — not to the voters, but to Congress, although it is obviously a matter of concern to the whole country, and I applaud networks for airing it all these years now. The “response” has now become an informal institution, and an unfortunate one — it institutionalizes pure partisanship. There is no reason for it except to afford the opposition party a chance to say “Yeah? And your mama!” in response to the president’s performance of this constitutional duty, and to do so before a live television audience. It is one of the most visible expressions of pointless partisanship in a country in which many voters have forgotten that our founders despised parties (at least in theory; they were more fallible in practice).
- Finally, I want to praise Gov. Haley for calling it an “address” rather than a response. After all, it never is a response, is it? It’s prepared in advance, before the president has spoken. It’s a pro forma “Is not!” that is offered regardless of what the president actually just said. I appreciate her frankness about that.
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I now think of a somewhat hyperbolic article by Kevin Williamson, who really, really, hates the modern “State of the Union” address, every time the topic comes up. A sample:
The State of the Union has not always been a grotesque spectacle. George Washington delivered his briefing in person, but he was dealing with a self-respecting Congress that understood itself to be his equal in government. When he wanted the Senate’s advice and consent for an Indian treaty, he visited the chamber personally to seek it — and was so put off by the questioning and debate to which he was subjected that he vowed never to put himself through that again. It was an excellent idea. Thomas Jefferson, ever watchful against monarchical pretensions in the federal apparatus, discontinued the practice of delivering the State of the Union in person before Congress, instead submitting a written report. For a blessed century, Jefferson’s example was followed, and, despite civil war and the occasional financial panic, the nation thrived without an ersatz Caesar to rule over it.
Well, a certain amount of silliness does attach to the event (which as Mr. Williamson notes, doesn’t even have to be an event; it can be dealt with adequately with a letter).
But I don’t have his problem with a strong executive. Such flourishes as “ersatz Caesar” are indeed, as you say, hyperbolic. Mr. Williamson is guilty of some silliness of his own.
I do like the word “ersatz,” though, when applied correctly.
I think one reason Dennis Miller had me on his radio show after that John Edwards column of mine that so stirred folks up was that I had written of Edwards’ “ersatz-cracker bonhomie.” When we spoke on the phone, he mentioned that he was particularly tickled by that phrase. He admitted, though, he wasn’t certain how to pronounce “bonhomie.” I acknowledged that I wasn’t sure about it, either. The convenient thing about print is that you don’t have to know stuff like that.
Every time I want to give SC Democrats a chance, they do something like put out a really stupid statement like this one so they continue playing silly political games.
I guess I’ll have to wait yet again for them to wise up.
Of course getting their brains beat out every election cycle by South Carolina voters doesn’t seem to wise them up.
Consider Haley’s address as her audition for the second spot on the GOP ticket. Back in September after her address at the National Press Club, several articles appeared in the mainstream media mentioning her as a potential running mate for whoever turned out to be the GOP presidential nominee.
And they ask me why I drink.