19 Sep H is for Nikki Haley
South Carolina; Governor 2011-2017; U.S. Ambassador to United Nations 2017-2018; age 51.
Halley’s Comet is visible from Earth every 75 years or so, with the next appearance expected in 2061. Nikki Haley, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is not one to wait that long for the things she would like to see.
Change, not a comet, is what this Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, appears eager to view right now.
As we leap forward* to the letter H in our alphabetical analysis of the candidates, this post will take a look at what kind of changes Nikki Haley has in mind.
*Only those following the 2024 presidential race extremely closely may have noticed that we have not yet profiled GOP candidates Ryan Binkley or Larry Elder, whose surnames would have preceded Nikki Haley’s alphabetically in our analyses. If those two remain in the campaign after we profile the more prominent GOP candidates, we will come back to them, along with currently declared Republicans Perry Johnson, Will Hurd, and Corey Stapleton.
Positions of Haley
After serving in her state’s legislature, Governor Haley ran South Carolina from 2011 until 2017, at which time she resigned to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (a cabinet-level position). As is the case with the current presidential candidates we have profiled, Asa Hutchinson, Chris Christie, and Ron DeSantis, Haley’s record as a governor has provided some clues as to what she would emphasize in the White House.
First, Governor Haley was a fiscal conservative who opposed tax and spending increases. This fits with her background as an accountant and chief financial officer. Today, she continues to criticize the national debt, excessive covid-relief spending, and earmarks for “pork” projects, all of which she attributes both to Democrats and to her fellow Republicans. Given the problems with the U.S. budget and entitlement funding shortfalls, Haley also is the rare candidate who has called for increasing the retirement age for Social Security, as well as means-testing, in order to save the trust fund that supports that entitlement.
At the state level, Haley also opposed illegal immigration, signing a voter identification law and a bill requiring immigrants to carry papers documenting their status. The daughter of legal immigrants, Haley believes that immigration laws need to be enforced.
As U.N. Ambassador, Haley was a strong proponent for freedom and a strong America, points that she has continued to emphasize in her presidential campaign. She views China as the most dangerous threat to America and the free world since WWII. In part for that reason, she is openly in favor of America’s support for Ukraine. A victory for Russia in Ukraine would be a victory for China, Haley reasons, and thus America must lead the free world in standing up to Russia and, ultimately, China.
A link to the Ballotpedia page relating to Haley is provided here. That page includes further links to her website and other sources of information regarding her political positions.
Nikki’s Principles
Based on our research and what Principle Based Politics saw in the first GOP presidential debate, Nikki Haley’s policy positions and actions flow from several basic American leadership principles. For example, after a white racist shot and killed nine people gathered at a Bible study in Charleston, South Carolina, Haley, the state’s governor at the time, helped calm the situation and ultimately campaigned to remove the Confederate flag from the statehouse. This reflects the principles of peace and respect, as do her stands on foreign affairs and her position on Ukraine.
Haley’s recognition that America’s federal budget, entitlement requirements, and the national debt all must be changed — and that both main parties bear the blame for our current financial shortfalls – manifests principles of honesty and integrity. Those same positions also flow from the key governmental principles of limited government, transparency, and freedom and free enterprise.
Lastly, her position on immigration honors the principle of law and justice.
Written by Quentin R. Wittrock, founder of Principle Based Politics.
Look for his posts each week, as this blog will explore and promote the idea of principle in politics, both as to individual elected leaders and our federal government as an institution.
Principle Based Politics does not endorse or support any particular candidate or party.
Anonymous
Posted at 17:05h, 19 SeptemberBut she raised her hand vowing to support Trump as Republican nominee even if he is convicted.
Admin
Posted at 02:24h, 20 SeptemberI always wonder what “support” means (or would look like) in that context.