Haley's Civil War Remarks Garner Bipartisan Criticism

During a town hall event this week, presidential candidate Nikki Haley was asked what caused the Civil War. Haley caught flak across the spectrum for not mentioning slavery in her answer. She later added, “Of course the Civil War was about slavery.” Why did she leave this out of her initial answer, and what does this reveal about her candidacy?

Contempt for Voters? Jeffrey Blehar (Lean Right bias) determined that Haley’s “gaffe” was not a result of racism or a desire to rewrite history but instead her “contempt for the intelligence of her voters.” Blehar argued that Haley opted to dodge the question because she did not think Republican voters could handle an honest answer. Blehar concluded, “we rarely get such accidental insight into how little politicians think of their own voters.”

Wishy-washy? Matt Lewis (Center bias) said Haley’s answer “reinforces some negative perceptions that many of us have long had about Haley’s character.” Lewis argued that Haley is “wishy-washy.” Addressing the possibility that Haley thought mentioning slavery wouldn’t play well with her Republican audience, Lewis determined she “would have been just fine by telling the truth.”

Contested History? A writer in the New York Times Opinion (Left bias) broke down how a decades-long disagreement over the institution of slavery divided the nation and culminated in the Civil War. The writer determined that an understanding of slavery’s role in American history is important because “The facts of our history are currently contested — especially that history.”