Washington, DC – South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley 43, a self-declared conservative Republican, called her party to “change our approach” to blacks and other minorities and instead act on their concerns after listening carefully.
Addressing a select audience at National Press Club luncheon, the youngest Governor Haley said the Republican party approach appears, “cold and unwelcoming” to minorities even though the policies on jobs, education, and healthcare are aimed at “lifting up all people.”
“That is shameful,” she continued, adding, “It’s on us to communicate … in ways that wipe away the clutter of prejudices.”
Emphasizing the fact that she is the daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley said she would not have been elected governor if South Carolina was “a racially intolerant place” and “if (Republicans) were a racially intolerant party.”
“Today there truly is a New South,” she declared. “It is different in many ways, perhaps most especially in its attitudes toward race.”
She said she has emphasized attracting jobs and improving education but has also been concerned with “the unfinished goals of the civil rights movement,” in particular, that “every person, regardless of their skin color, is treated equally under the law.”
Haley responded to numerous questions about the running presidential candidates. On a question on the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Haley said it “accomplishes nothing to get mad at people who criticize you.” She said Americans “want to send someone to the White House who is calm.” She said voters don’t want a president who might “get so mad that we really might have a world war.”
On the question if she is willing to get on a presidential ticket, Haley said, “If there is a time where a presidential nominee wants to sit down and talk, of course I will sit down and talk. But you know, I am very aware you have 16 really great candidates, and that means you’re going to have 15 very potential good vice presidential candidates.”
Stressing that she did not want to waste her time thinking about this now, Haley said, “I really don’t think about that. I want to keep my promise to the people of South Carolina, which is to make every day better than the day before it. If a nominee asks me to sit down, of course I’ll talk to them, and then we’ll go from there.”
“I’m going to let all of this play out … If there’s a time and place to think about it, we’ll do it then. But I’m not going to waste any energy on that now,” Haley said.