The State of the Union Rebuttal has to be the worst task given to a Republican in the Obama Presidency. No matter what a person does during the rebuttal, that person will be criticized to the fullest extent by both the conservative and liberal media. Everything to the tone of the speech, the posture of the speaker, even the speaker’s thirst will be torn to shreds by both sides of the media establishment.
However, the GOP rebuttal from South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was like a breath of fresh air. In the season of Trump insults, Governor Haley stood up to not only the Democrats, but she also stood up to the nativists in a way that should make everyone proud to be a Republican. There was no insults, just ideas. In the spirit of Speaker Ryan, Mrs. Haley expressed the need of the GOP to be inclusive while following the rule of law.
“My story is really not much different from millions of other Americans. Immigrants have been coming to our shores for generations to live the dream that is America. They wanted better for their children than for themselves. That remains the dream of all of us, and in this country we have seen time and again that that dream is achievable.”
“At the same time, that does not mean we just flat out open our borders. We can’t do that. We cannot continue to allow immigrants to come here illegally. And in this age of terrorism, we must not let in refugees whose intentions cannot be determined.”
Mrs. Haley continued:
“Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter, you can actually hear what someone else is saying. And that can make a world of difference.”
Finally, there was a denouncement of the demagoguery! Finally, the Republican Party stood for free markets and free people without insulting someone because of their faith or nationality. Finally, there was a movement by the party to attack the ugly nativism that exists within our ranks. There was a Republican leader being inclusive, talking about growing the party, and talking about how to make the Republican Party a proposition party. It was like a choir of angels sounded in the background of Governor Haley’s speech. For a brief minute, the nastiness of the 2016 campaign season faded away to the sweet sounds of Republicans standing for actual conservative principles.
Mrs. Haley continued with an emotional moment about South Carolina and how in the face of adversity, South Carolinians chose love over hatred.
“This past summer, South Carolina was dealt a tragic blow. On an otherwise ordinary Wednesday evening in June, at the historic Mother Emanuel church in Charleston, twelve faithful men and women, young and old, went to Bible study.
“That night, someone new joined them. He didn’t look like them, didn’t act like them, didn’t sound like them. They didn’t throw him out. They didn’t call the police. Instead, they pulled up a chair and prayed with him. For an hour.
“We lost nine incredible souls that night.
“What happened after the tragedy is worth pausing to think about.
“Our state was struck with shock, pain, and fear. But our people would not allow hate to win. We didn’t have violence, we had vigils. We didn’t have riots, we had hugs.
“We didn’t turn against each other’s race or religion. We turned toward God, and to the values that have long made our country the freest and greatest in the world.
Mrs. Haley’s ability to lead her state in a time of turmoil and tragedy submits herself not only into the spotlight of the Republican Party, but a leader whose name who will soon not be forgotten. Mrs. Haley’s ability to show strength while being compassionate will make her a star in the Republican Party for many years to come.
However, there were some that were not impressed. Links to theses media shock jocks will not be provided (don’t want to increase their click rates), but one can easily type them into google.
Laura Ingraham- “The country is lit up w/ a populist fever & the GOP responds by digging in, criticizing the GOP candidates dominating polls?! NOT SMART.”
Rush Limbaugh- “We learned last night that the Republican establishment is very comfortable identifying themselves as elites and members of a club — and that you can’t get in just by being who you are and doing what you want to do as a Republican and pursuing what you believe in.”
There is no problem with Mr. Limbaugh’s or Ms. Ingraham’s rhetoric per se. It’s above reproach, it’s legitimate concerns. However, the worst tweet of the night was this:
Ann Coulter- “Donald Trump should deport Nikki Haley.”
ANN DO US ALL A FAVOR. DEPORT YOURSELF OUT OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT!
Ann Coulter’s sad and pathetic tweet should lead to her removal from the conservative media establishment. The backlash should be swift, similar to the denouncement of this site and other conservative media outlets over Donald Trump’s comments on Muslim Immigrants.
There for a while, the American public forgot Ann Coulter existed. Occasionally, Ann showed up on Fox News to yell at a Republican. She became irrelevant to the body politic, until suddenly Donald Trump showed up. Ann attached on early, sucking media attention similar to the way a parasite feeds on a host. She found her ticket back into the spotlight, like one of the Kardashians who starts dating Justin Bieber. Ann Coulter could spout racist nonsense and get back on television. A star was reborn, in Ann Coulter’s mind at least.
Joke’s over, Ann.
How many times will the Republican Party allow this deplorable nativist garbage to be spouted in their name? How much longer until the Republican Party does what is right and drive racists like Coulter out of the party like the pestilence they are?
Make no mistake, there is nothing wrong with disagreeing with Governor Haley. However, it is dead wrong to insult Mrs. Haley because she is an Indian-American. People like Ann Coulter will destroy the Republican Party if they are allowed to continue with their detestable rhetoric.
The Republican Party needs to heed the words of Governor Haley by turning down the volume on Ann Coulter.The Republican Party of the 21st century is the Party of Senator Marco Rubio, Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Tim Scott, and Congresswoman Barbara Comstock. Leaders who come from all ethnicities, backgrounds, faiths, and geographic areas. The Republican Party should praise these leaders who break the typical mold of Republican, not denounce them with loathsome nativism. If Republicans want to build the party, they must purge themselves of racist voices that only add hate to the body politic.
