South Carolina governor Nikki Haley easily gave the most successful GOP State of the Union response in years. So, why do so many in her own party seem to hate her for it?
There’s no denying it. The GOP responses to the State of the Union address during Barack Obama’s presidency have been abysmal. Granted, he’s is a pretty tough act to follow, even on one of his off nights. When he’s at his best, few contemporary orators can hold a candle to Barack Obama. There’s a reason why the SOTU rebuttal has been dubbed “the worst job in Washington.”
At best, the GOP’s SOTU responses over the past seven years have been forgettable. Does anyone still talk about Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ moment in the spotlight? Does anyone remember what she said? At worst, the most memorable — Bobby Jindal’s fumbling, Marco Rubio’s cottonmouth, or Michele Bachmann’s camera confusion — are noteworthy for being abysmally bad.
So when House Speaker Paul Ryan tapped Haley for the spot, expectations were already pretty low. Haley’s speech would be counted as a success if she just got through it without falling on her face. But the stakes were high, even a halfway decent speech could help boost Haley into national politics.
As far as delivery is concerned, Haley pulled it off. She crisply rattled off the GOP’s official talking points, and smilingly delivered the expected swipes at the president, and the Black Lives Matter movement. But Haley saved her sharpest barbs for her own party and the frontrunner in the Republican presidential primaries, when she tool Republicans to task for their part in breaking our politics, and warned against falling for the “siren song” of the "angriest voices.
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If there was any doubt who she was talking about, Haley confirmed that she was talking about Donald Trump, the bombastic billionaire with fascist leanings, who’s the darling of white nationalists, and leader of the GOP presidential pack.
Then, for good measure, she topped it off with a defense of immigrants; legal immigrants, that is.
That’s why conservatives hated the best State of the Union response in years.
Conservative Twitter was ablaze.
Nikki Haley's speech would've been good except for the GOP self-loathing.
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) January 13, 2016
Too bad @NikkiHaley missed her oppty to stand w/ working ppl who want borders enforced, American workers put first, govt shrunk.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) January 13, 2016
Everything wrong with GOP #SOTU response in 4 words: Nikki Haley tells Americans tired of being ignored to "turn down the volume."
— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) January 13, 2016
I for one am shocked Nimrata Randhawa Haley has no clue about America’s heritage & dissed it for political points. https://t.co/1OMsb4VpyJ
— Katie McHugh (@k_mcq) January 13, 2016
Right-wing Pundit Ann Coulter tweeted:
Trump should deport Nikki Haley.
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 13, 2016
Nikki Haley says "welcoming properly vetted legal immigrants, regardless of religion." Translation: let in all the Muslims.
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 13, 2016
The only way to keep out Muslims terrorists, is to keep out Muslim immigrants.
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 13, 2016
Never mind that Haley is an American citizen, born in Bamberg, South Carolina, and thus can’t be deported. To conservatives like Coulter, Haley can’t really be an American. Because, just look at her! Right?
@AnnCoulter I love you Annie but STFU. Saying stupid shit to sell books and get in green rooms is pro forma but on this is vile.
— AngryRichRadio (@AngryRichRadio) January 13, 2016
@AnnCoulter Wait, let me guess...she dared take a crack at your precious Fake Hair Raging Clown?
— Brian Cates (@drawandstrike) January 13, 2016
@AnnCoulter pic.twitter.com/bDAGf5p9Bx
— Ryan (@alwaysonoffense) January 13, 2016
Looks like @AnnCoulter is begging for attention again. Gotta keep selling books. pic.twitter.com/bvGK5oryhk
— el Sooper ن (@SooperMexican) January 13, 2016
*Dcks In a Box**
The wannabe cowboys holed up in the Oregon’s Masher National Wildlife Refuge got a surprise this week. When they realized that they’d brought more guns that food, the issued a desperate plea for snacks.
This band of bozos was hoping that people would be inspired by their quest and send them care packages. They got packages alright, but not the kind they were expecting.
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Give’s a whole new meaning to that old SNL skit.
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These guys just don’t get it. Nobody likes them. According to a HuffPost/YouGov poll, only 17 percent of Americans believe these guys are justified in their actions. Even out west, according to a bipartisan Conservation in the West poll by Colorado College, 57 percent of people in seven western states oppose giving state governments control over federal lands, and 60 percent oppose selling off “significant holdings” of federal lands.
The locals sure don’t want them. Having a bunch of armed yahoos roaming around makes it hard for anyone to feel safe going about their business. So, local and federal government facilities are closed, and public employees can’t do their jobs. School have closed, so nobody’s learning. Extra police have been called in to protect citizens from gun-slinging nutcase who have threatened law enforcement and local government officials.
Meanwhile, these guys are having a winter vacation at just about everyone else’s expense. All of this is costing Harney County up to $70,000 per day. Federal taxpayers are paying up $23,400 per day to pay employees who can’t work due to the standoff. Local businesses are losing about $40,000 per day in lost tourism income. It’s adds up to a cost of $133,400 per day.
And then there’s antics of the self-styled “militiamen.”
- They’ve threatened to “arrest” county officials for “mocking them” by threatening to send them a bill for their $70,000-per-day vacation. Because having enough guns makes them a law unto themselves.
- They’ve caused an uptick in crime, as the sheriff reports an increase in reports of intimidation and harassment since the standoff began.
- They’ve drawn even more heavily-armed nutcases to their “cause,” as more “militia” arrive from Idaho to offer security, and then acted surprise that anyone answered their call for others to come join them.
- They’ve started destroying property that’s not theirs, destroying fences on the wildlife refuge, to allow cattle to graze on public land.
- They’re desecrating a sacred site, as the refuge includes ancestral property belonging to the Paiute, and used as a wintering ground prior to the arrival of white settlers.
The “Nightly Show’s” Larry Wilmore nailed it, when he explained to the Oregon “militia” why they got a box of dildos in the mail.
Here’s the best of the rest of the worst in wingnuttery this week:
- Yet another Trump rally degenerated into a xenophobic mob, as a Muslim woman in a hijab was kicked out after staging a silent protest, while Trump supporters yelled “You have a bomb” and “Get out!”
- Trump shared his admiration for North Korean communist dictator Kim Jong-un, at an Iowa rally.
- Fox News contributors Dr. Marc Siegel suggested on “Fox & Friends” that President Obama should not push to cure cancer, because he was the “wrong commander-in-chief” for the job. Only Fox would be opposed to curing cancer if Obama does it.
- Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) told American Family Radio’s Sandy Rios that Democrats shouldn’t cite the Bible because conservatives “own” the whole Christian tradition.
- Extremist anti-gay activist Theodore Shoebat posted a video calling for SWAT teams to raid the homes of gay couples and seize their children.
- She’s back, again. Michele Bachmann argued during an appearance on Trinity Broadcasting that protecting LGBT people against hate crimes is “tyranny” in “God’s form of government.”
- Radio host Bryan Fischer ripped South Carolina governor Nikki Haley for embracing “sodomy-based marriage and the entire homosexual agenda” in her SOTU response.
- Virginia state Republican Del. Mark Cole filed a bill that would require schools to be certain students are using the restroom corresponding to their “correct anatomical sex.” Who will be responsible for looking down students’ pants at school remains to be seen.
- Maine governor Republican Paul LePage said the out-of-state drug dealers “with names like D-Money” often “impregnate a young white girl” while visiting the state to sell heroin.
- Fox News contributor Greg Gutfeld suggested “we return to the days of the wild west,” and promoted more guns to stop violence. Gutfeld also claimed that liberals don’t want to enforce gun laws because “that means there will be more blacks in jail.”
- Anti-Obama march coordinator Vincent Smith apparently shot and killed fellow right-winger Charles carter in a drunken argument over a gun.
- Glenn Beck now has “incontrovertible proof that World War III is coming.”
- Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones claimed that his critics just want a spot in the “off-world colonies” the global elites are creating; for when they destroy the world, apparently.
- Televangelist Jim Bakker claimed that extreme weather patterns are just the “spirit of ISIS” in the U.S.
- Pat Robertson warned a “700 Club” caller that her teenagers rock music could be used to “summon demons.”
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