From Governor to Presidential Candidate: The Woman in Red
By: Kylie Adams
Will there be a woman president?
Haley’s Political Path:
Nikki Haley is an American politician and diplomat with a notable background. In 1972, Nimarata Nikki Haley was born in Bamberg, S.C., destined to be the 116th governor of the state. During her tenure as governor, she started to come by national recognition for her leadership and immediate action, specifically after the mass shooting at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston (https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charleston-ame-church-shooting), S.C., where on June 17, 2015, nine African Americans were shot and killed by a racially motivated attack during a bible study. This brought the evil of the Confederate flag and the oppression that it stood for to the forefront, leading Haley to sign an executive order removing the flag from the state capitol.
As a U.N. Ambassador, Haley pressed for a strong stance by the United States on international affairs, consistently expressing colorful views on situations like North Korea and Iran (https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/nikki-haley-addresses-iran-protests-live-stream-updates/). Not only is she the first Indian American to hold a federal cabinet position, but has played a significant role in how American diplomacy and politics is now viewed.
Is This Someone We Want as President?
Nikki Haley is currently running for the GOP (Grand Old Party) also known as the Republican primary presidential spot. Since Ron DeSantis has dropped out of the primary election, it is now between President Donald Trump (51%) and Haley (39%) as the electors. However, is she truly someone we want as the president of the United States?
Haley was appointed by Trump under his administration as the U.N. Ambassador, but why is it now that her campaign is based on her opposition toward her competitor, Trump?
Haley has made it clear that some of her viewpoints are held not because her “party tells her to do so,” but because they are truly what she believes. For example, as a woman, one might think she would come together for abortion, be “pro-choice” and all for advocating for women’s bodily rights, but she is completely the opposite. She has fought for some of the strictest rights on abortion (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna130579). Even as governor, she made a requirement for police officers to check the immigration status of certain people. Her own parents migrated from India; would she be okay with police checking their status every time they were out on the road?
I interviewed a local Virginian man (who would like to remain anonymous) and asked him, “How do you feel about the current run with Nikki Haley as president of the United States?” He said, “I am disappointed with her and her campaign. She recently said America is not a racist country, but when she was governor, one of her running points was how racism fueled her because she’s Indian American.” I was intrigued by his answer as I had never heard about this, so I did some research, and he was right. During her time campaigning and term as Governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, she was focused on racial issues within the state, but on Jan. 16, 2024, she had an interview with Fox News where she explained that “[America] We are not a racist country, and we have never been a racist country.” Well, how do you truly feel, Haley?
The Question: Will There be a Woman President?
As someone who believes in picking the best candidate based on their values rather than their party, I do not know if I agree with Trump, Biden, or even Haley’s values. I have taken a firm stance on having an age cutoff for our presidential candidates and think it will be in our best interests to STOP voting for these people with outdated views. As the next upcoming generations, it is up to us to change the story in politics, start to accept people based on their beliefs and stop focusing on parties. Will it be Haley? Or will it be 2020 all over again?