Houston Chronicle

Haley and Scott are too nice for an angry GOP

- By Robert A. George Robert A. George is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and member of the editorial board covering government and public policy.

Fittingly, the first shots in this year’s Republican Party civil war are coming from South Carolina. Former governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley officially declared her campaign for the Republican presidenti­al nomination last week, the first person not named Donald Trump to announce. And the state’s junior senator, Tim Scott, is expected to announce his candidacy soon.

They’re both talented politician­s ideally suited for delivering an optimistic view of the party and the conservati­ve movement. And that’s exactly the problem: Right now, Republican­s are in no mood for optimism.

The rise of Haley and Scott should be a welcome developmen­t for a party desperate to update itself for the 21st century. Both have lived versions of the American Dream — hopeful stories that the nation would do well to hear after years of pandemic and economic uncertaint­y. Haley is the daughter of Indian immigrants who rose to the highest levels of state and national government; Scott, the African American son of a single mother, joined Congress more than a decade ago after defeating the son of famed segregatio­nist Strom Thurmond.

Haley’s best moment came in 2015, after a white supremacis­t and Confederat­e sympathize­r killed nine parishione­rs in Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Succeeding where other Southern governors had failed, Haley led the effort to remove the Confederat­e flag from flying over the state capitol.

Scott, meanwhile, in his national appearance­s — addressing the 2020 Republican National Convention and responding to President Joe Biden’s 2021 economic address to Congress — has struck a respectful and collegial tone. In the last three years, he’s been the main Republican negotiator on police reform. He often chastises Democrats for walking away from talks, but usually in more in sorrow than in anger.

The problem is that, for the Republican base and their candidate, it’s all about anger. As president, Trump attacked and belittled everyone — Democrats, the media, the so-called “Deep State” and, when he felt it necessary, his fellow Republican­s. In his announceme­nt speech for the 2024 nomination, he declared that he’s still “angry and upset.”

This stance resonates with Americans wary of a well-connected elite — and Trump’s willingnes­s to criticize that elite is enough for the GOP base to embrace him. That base will not tolerate a candidate willing to compromise with Democrats, apologize when the mainstream media demands it or be steamrolle­d by allegedly “woke” corporate America.

Other Republican­s besides Trump realize this, too. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has risen in popularity among Republican­s because he goes out of his way to be combative — whether against federal health guidelines during COVID or tax breaks for Disney following a dispute over teaching sexuality in public schools. The base likes DeSantis because he picks the right enemies. The aggressive­ness is the point.

In this environmen­t, with outrage as the GOP’s animating emotion, Scott and Haley can’t afford to be Mr. Nice Guy and Ms. Normal. And there is a further complicati­on: Public displays of anger are fraught for both of them, owing to certain uncomforta­ble stereotype­s. Aggressive women are not often received well in politics, as a certain former Democratic presidenti­al candidate has noted. And an aggressive Black man? Well, even former President Barack Obama wrestled with how to show “appropriat­e” anger in public.

Given how traditiona­list the base of the Republican Party is, those voters are likely to be sensitive to any deviation from the expected from nontraditi­onal candidates. Haley’s line about the strategic use of her heels won’t be enough. She and Scott need to pick fights against specific targets the base hates. In that regard, Haley’s squabble with CNN’s Don Lemon over his sexist comments about women “in their prime” is a good start.

Still, the question remains: Can the aspiration­al son or daughter of South Carolina demonstrat­e that they have the aggressive­ness to win the coming war for the Republican Party?

Judging from their temperamen­ts and history, it seems unlikely. Which is too bad, because if Haley or Scott were the Republican presidenti­al nominee, it would stand as a rebuke to the standard progressiv­e view of conservati­ves. Most of us do not see ourselves as racist or advocates for white supremacy. To the contrary, many of us welcome a non-white candidate with conservati­ve values and policies. A sunnier, more positive attitude would be a nice change, too.

 ?? Win McNamee/TNS ?? Republican presidenti­al candidate Nikki Haley greets supporters last week following her first campaign event in Charleston, S.C. She is the first to challenge Donald Trump for the GOP nod.
Win McNamee/TNS Republican presidenti­al candidate Nikki Haley greets supporters last week following her first campaign event in Charleston, S.C. She is the first to challenge Donald Trump for the GOP nod.

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