Nikki Haley seeks to clarify cause of Civil War comments as backlash mounts

[essentialsaltes]

Nikki Haley on Thursday sought to clarify her comments about the Civil War one day after a voter in New Hampshire called her out for not mentioning slavery as a cause of the war.

“I mean, of course the Civil War was about slavery,” Haley told radio host Jack Heath Thursday morning.

[What a difference a day makes!]

Her comments come amid intense backlash inside and outside the GOP after Haley told a New Hampshire town hall crowd that the Civil War was about government interfering in people’s freedoms.

“I mean, I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run. The freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do,” Haley had said

“I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are,” Haley added. “I will always stand by the fact that I think government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people. It was never meant to be all things to all people,” she added.

The voter criticized her for not mentioning slavery in her answer.

[Later, the voter, speaking to reporters] said a video of Haley being asked “essentially” the same question when she was running for governor of South Carolina had prompted him to ask it again now that she’s running for president.

“The answer that she gave was very similar to the answer that she gave tonight,” he said

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

She is tryin straddle the fence imho.

 

[essentialsaltes]

She is tryin straddle the fence imho.

I think she belatedly hopped over the fence.

She was still stuck in South Carolina mode on that question, and now she has to shift to the whole USA mode.

 

[JustOneWay]

She responded saying the cause of the Civil war was "Basically how government was going to run - the freedoms of what people could or could not do"

Word salad.

Her clarification after the fact is irrelevant. She already showed she did not know the cause of the Civil War, or she just froze and out came whatever it was she said, or is trying to lose the black vote. Either way, it was not very good for her.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

I mean, I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run. The freedoms and what people could and couldn’t do,” Haley had said

Did she mean like the freedom to own Slaves?

 

[JustOneWay]

Did she mean like the freedom to own Slaves?

Probably both. The freedom for people in the south to own slaves, and what slaves could not do - like be free.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Did she mean like the freedom to own Slaves?

It was about state rights. It was not all about slaves. Moreover, it is not as if all white southerners owned slaves. In fact very few did. In addition, what is so ironic is that many slaves stayed even when freed why would they do that if abused. Is owning humans wrong? Yes, does it make sense that they were all or even mostly abused heck no. Why would you abuse your workers number one and why would be stay if they were being abused after they were freed no.

 

[Larniavc]

Did she mean like the freedom to own Slaves?

Or freedom from not being able to own slaves.

 

[Larniavc]

In addition, what is so ironic is that many slaves stayed even when freed why would they do that if abused.

Is this a genuine question? I’m shocked not shocked.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Is this a genuine question? I’m shocked not shocked.

no that was more pointing out that it makes no sense for someone to stay if they were being abused as people like to claim. It was not a question as such it was a statement that it would make NO sense to stay somewhere you were being abused as opposed to fed, clothed and housed if you had the right to leave.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Or freedom from not being able to own slaves.

Most people did not own slaves for the record, and most who did did not treat them as the movies love to show.

 

[Larniavc]

no that was more pointing out that it makes no sense for someone to stay if they were being abused as people like to claim. It was not a question as such it was a statement that it would make NO sense to stay somewhere you were being abused as opposed to fed, clothed and housed if you had the right to leave.

Sigh.

Do you really not understand how damaging being kept as a slave can have on human psychology?

It’s not even as if you need fancy book learning. Doesn’t your empathy tell you how an enslaved person might react in a different way to a non enslaved person?

How do you not get this?

 

[Larniavc]

and most who did did not treat them as the movies love to show.

Being a silvery apologist is a terrible look.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Sigh.

Do you really not understand how damaging being kept as a slave can have on human psychology?

It’s not even as if you need fancy book learning. Doesn’t your empathy tell you how an enslaved person might react in a different way to a non enslaved person?

How do you not get this?

It makes NO sense for someone to stay somewhere when they could easily leave and particularly when they did, in fact in most cases have a trade. Yes, they learned it as a slave they still had a skill that could make money.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Being a silvery apologist is a terrible look.

My point is that most of the things people see today relating to how slaves were treated is very inactuate if ANYTHING it was more likely to be the forman not the owner who was abusive

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

It’s not even as if you need fancy book learning. Doesn’t your empathy tell you how an enslaved person might react in a different way to a non enslaved pers

People who defend slavery do not, did not see the human beings they enslaved as human beings but as chattel to be bought and sold at will. There was no excuse for it. As far as states rights...states wanted the right to continue this oppressive practice even though "we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal" is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, they did not, do not believe it applies to anyone who is not white.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

It makes NO sense for someone to stay somewhere when they could easily leave and particularly when they did, in fact in most cases have a trade. Yes, they learned it as a slave they still had a skill that could make money.

You don't know anything.Blacks brought skills to this country. If you study African history (which I know you will not) you will find that Historic African civilization was rich in culture, architecture, arts, and mathematics.. But your supremist belief that blacks learned their skills from slavery is appalling.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Is the "what was the civil war about?" the latest version of a "trap question" that we should expect to see more often now?

Sort of like when people were getting asked "Do Black Lives Matter or Do All Lives Matter?" or "How do you define what a woman is?"

Where the recipient of the inquiry is basically forced to publicly answer a question in which they'll either make some people from one side upset or the other, no matter how they answer?

Even vague/dodging answers to those types of questions don't seem to help the person on the hot seat (as she found out here)

Her attempt at side-stepping/avoidance seems to have gone over about as well as "Well, All includes Black" or "I can't say, I'm not a biologist"


If any politician can crack the code of "how to respond to double-edged questions in which there's only razor thin margins between support for the 2 parties, so I literally can't afford to make anyone mad", they will have unlocked a unique political gift.

 

[durangodawood]

If being removed from family against your will, sold, having none of the rights we love, being owned as property by another person isnt "abuse", then abuse means nothing.

When someone does that to another person today, we would consider them a moral monster. If a state overtly permitted it we'd consider that state utterly contemptible.

Yes times have changed, and we often say that people in olden days (when we were more "morally upright" - [gag]) should be given a bit of a pass. But slave states held on way longer than moral ambiguity could possibly forgive them. Personally I think people should have known better during the entire course of colonial and American history.

 

[dogs4thewin]

You don't know anything.Blacks brought skills to this country. If you study African history (which I know you will not) you will find that Historic African civilization was rich in culture, architecture, arts, and mathematics.. But your supremist belief that blacks learned their skills from slavery is appalling.

The black people that came over here may have had skills, but the people that were actually freed would have learned their trades ( whether the same ones or not) learned them in slavery. Also who in fact sold them into slavery to start with. Who sold them to get over here not white people.