Unforced Errors
Political candidates give a lot of speeches and answer a lot of questions in a given very-long day. So I tend to give them some slack for what is obviously a misstatement.
For example, we’ve talked here before about Donald Trump saying “Sioux Falls” when he was speaking to people in “Sioux City”…once it was subtly pointed out to him, he said “Sioux City” a zillion times to compensate. Happens.
Recently, Nikki Haley was asked about the causes of the Civil War, and in an attempt to show that there were many causes and subtleties, forgot to mention the most important one—slavery. Chalk that up to trying too hard to show how smart you are.
Haley again with, as the Gazette called it, a missed layup last weekend when she watched an Iowa Hawkeye women’s basketball game after a campaign event in the area. She told reporters she was looking forward to it, because Iowa player Kaitlan Collins was promising. Of course, the Iowa player is Caitlin Clark…Kaitlan Collins is an anchor on CNN. And while Caitlyn Clark can shoot from anyone on the floor, it appears Kaitlan Collins can only fire from the left. Again, could have been a nice touch, but a mistake.
But what I don’t think was a mistake was what Haley said in New Hampshire this week. In an effort to bolster support there, where she is already doing very well, she said, You know Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it. And then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home. That’s what we do,” she said.
First, that’s not a really smart thing to say the day before returning to Iowa, where if you finish second you dramatically change the narrative of the campaign…we Iowans take a lot of pride in the caucuses, and for her to suggest that we start it so New Hampshire can correct it is not only inaccurate, but bad politics.
But that statement, delivered during an event, does not sound to me like an ad-lib or shooting from the hip. That was a practiced and pre-written line, designed to pander to New Hampshire voters at the expense of Iowa caucus-goers. And that’s what makes it different from misnaming an Iowa basketball player.
If you are truly an undecided caucus-goer, are you still going to consider her after that comment? That was the type of slam I’d expect someone who has avoided Iowa, like Chris Christie to make…not someone in a statistical tie for second with days of on-the-ground campaigning in Iowa scheduled starting today.
And certainly something that can’t be dismissed as merely a misstatement.
