South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s Response to the State of the Union

“She is the most extreme anti-union Governor that I have ever seen in my 21 years”, says Ken Riley, president of one of South Carolina’s largest unions, the International Longshore Association Local 1422.

What sets Haley apart from other US governors, the pollsters said, is her identity as a Republican who has measurable support among Democrats – a 40-percent approval rating, compared to 42-percent disapproval among members of the party of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) was widely mocked for his State of the Union response, which many people compared to Kenneth Parcell, a character from the Tina Fey comedy “30 Rock.” Sen.

The remark was widely seen as a veiled shot at a number of political figures, but particularly at Donald Trump, the outspoken front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.

‘And then we need to fix it, ‘ she added.

While some view Haley’s speech as an audition for a vice-presidential slot, or perhaps a cabinet post, it is also an opportunity to broaden the GOP base and reach out to minority voters.

“I plan to be a really sweet host to all”, Haley said as she was showing Bush around the state last May.

The comely, 43-year old Indian-American Republican commanded national attention last June when she led her state in mourning after a young white supremacist killed nine black parishioners at an historic Charleston church. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen.

Haley said a Republican in the Oval Office would have lowered taxes, slowed spending, stopped the health-care reform law and showed more strength overseas – refrains from the GOP presidential contenders on the campaign trail.

Governor Nikki Haley delivered the GOP response to the President’s final State of the Union address.

When she was sworn in on January 12, 2011, she declared, “Today is a great day in SC!” a line that has become somewhat of a catchphrase for her. But she and her team are under no illusions that her delivery should try to compete with the President’s.

Tuesday will not be Haley’s first time in the Washington spotlight. “At the same time“, she said, “that does not mean we just flat-out open our borders”. In April, a police shooting of an unarmed black man in North Charleston brought swift action by law enforcement to fire the officer and charge him with murder, which helped SC avoid the violent protests that played out in other states after police shootings. Kasich, who’s been hovering in the single digits in national polls, may not win the 2016 race, but he definitely scored some points with one of the best attack ads of the 2016 presidential election.

Late Tuesday evening, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will spell out the Republican Party’s vision for the future of America.

Haley called for the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of the State House – a move she had to know would prove controversial. Haley is the first woman and person of an ethnic minority to serve as the governor of SC. After a fight in the state legislature, the flag came down in July.

Haley also revealed she met her husband, Michael, her first weekend at Clemson, and he proposed in the campus’ botanical garden.

In addition to his federal service, Captain Haley was until 2015 in full-time service with the South Carolina National Guard, serving in several administrative capacities with the Department of Defense.

“Look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You’ll be pretty lonely”, said Obama, “because you’ll be debating our military, most of America’s business leaders, the majority of the American people, nearly the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it’s a problem and intend to solve it”.