Politics
Nikki Haley: The White House Contest Comes Down to Florida
Around the State
Gov. Nikki Haley
“We can’t win this without you,” Haley told the delegates during the “Fresh From Florida” steak-and-egg breakfast at the Innisbrook Resort and Spa in Palm Harbor.
Republican National Convention delegates from Florida and South Carolina have been assigned to the lush, out-of-the-way resort, as a penalty by the Republican National Committee for their state’s moving forward on the calendar presidential preference primaries.
“Florida, this comes down to you,” Haley continued. “We will have your back but we need you to go out and change five voters from last time -- five people that voted for Obama; we need them voting for Mitt Romney this time.”
Asked about Haley’s analysis of the pending contest, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry quickly agreed.
“Mitt Romney cannot win the presidency without winning Florida,” Curry said.
Curry added that the platform that will be adopted, and for many in the media has been a source of exclusion toward women and Hispanics, won’t be supported by all party members and that Romney will be running on his own message and vision.
“We’ re going to have to communicate our message of opportunity, whether you’re Hispanic, whether you’re Caucasian, whether you’re African-American, you can get a job so you can take care of your family, and that you can also dream big dreams and pursue opportunities and your kids can get an education and do the exact same thing.”
Curry said party members are more closely in agreement on job creation and spending and entitlement problems, the “big issues.”
The latest poll from CNN, released Monday, shows Romney lagging slightly behind President Obama on the eve of the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Democrats hold their convention the following week.
Florida remains a key swing state, along with Ohio, Virginia and even Colorado. But some other states, such as Michigan, have shown signs of a shrinking advantage for Obama, according to Fox News.
While the state is expected to remain blue, the Obama campaign could be forced to spend more to retain Michigan -- requiring Obama to divert campaign cash from key swing states.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
Comments (1)
By Paul Gable
Gov. Nikki Haley’s run around the state this week promoting ethics reform was a perfect example of disingenuous political posturing.
Haley must be given credit for several things. She knows how to define the message and present herself in the best possible political light. After this week’s demonstration, one could almost think Haley supports real ethics reform.
Nothing could be further from the truth. She supposedly supports transparency in government while her administration continuously refuses to follow the guidelines of the state’s weak freedom of information act.
“Actions speak louder than words, except in politics, where b__s__ political rhetoric is often mistaken for action. Haley’s actions show her to be an extremely ethically challenged politician (that’s probably an oxymoron).”
Haley wants to do away with the House and Senate ethics committees even though it was the House Ethics Committee’s lack of will that saved her from a real ethics investigation into her past actions.
She is now calling for total disclosure of all income by candidates and incumbents in office, even though she hid tens of thousands of income while a ‘consultant’ to a business that was in danger of losing a state contract.
Haley’s call for mandatory recusal on conflicts of interest has no substance. Read state ethics laws and you discover it is almost impossible to have a conflict of interest in this state.
Just a few weeks after being saved by what passes for ethics inquiries in South Carolina, Haley is now trying to take on the role of reformer. Where were your personal ethics, governor, when you were a House member?
Actions speak louder than words, except in politics, where b__s__ political rhetoric is often mistaken for action. Haley’s actions show her to be an extremely ethically challenged politician (that’s probably an oxymoron).
However, her state ethics tour this week is designed to play well in Tampa at the Republican Convention, not to lead to any attempt at real ethics reform in South Carolina.
Nikki the reformer on prime time television addressing the Republican conventioneers. Who woulda thunk it?
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