SC

Haley Aides Under Fire For Failed “Rally”

Two of S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s top campaign aides are facing criticism for the pitifully small crowd that attended the governor’s 2014 reelection rally in Greenville, S.C. this week. Haley’s campaign manager (and former chief of staff) Tim Pearson is getting most of the grief over the sparse turnout at…

Two of S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s top campaign aides are facing criticism for the pitifully small crowd that attended the governor’s 2014 reelection rally in Greenville, S.C. this week.

Haley’s campaign manager (and former chief of staff) Tim Pearson is getting most of the grief over the sparse turnout at the “rally”- which featured appearances by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

“He’s already not well-liked by the RNC,” one national source tells FITS. “This debacle won’t help. It’s humiliating. You’ve got three governors – all of them national stars in their own right – standing next to you on a stage. And that’s the crowd you turn out?”

Pearson – who nearly blew a 21-point lead in Haley’s 2010 election – was an unmitigated disaster as the governor’s chief of staff. He’s also been thoroughly unimpressive since re-taking the reins of Haley’s political operation last fall.

Looks like the hits keep-a-coming …

Also singled out for his poor performance in “rallying” the troops on Haley’s behalf? Kurt Pickhardt, the governor’s political director.

According to several sources Pickhardt tried to “bully” many rank-and-file Republican operatives into attending this event – leaving a bad taste in more than a few mouths. Previously, Pickhardt has been accused of threatening Republican party activists for posting content to their Facebook pages from FITSNews and other critics of Haley.

“He’s just an ass,” one operative told us. “I heard they had sixty people there? I’m surprised they had that many with him making calls.”

Yikes …

Team Haley, everybody.

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29 comments

GreenvilleLwyr August 27, 2013 at 12:40 pm

Vincent, get your shit together, and get this bitch out of office.

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Smirks August 27, 2013 at 1:48 pm

It would be an improvement, but not likely to happen. Hopefully someone decent runs against her in the primary just for good measure. Here’s hoping.

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vicupstate August 27, 2013 at 2:10 pm

If anyone wants to run against her in the primary, they better get busy. No one is even rumored at this point. She would be hard to beat her in a primary, but she can sure be embarrassed (just as she was yesterday). If someone nobody got 35-38% or more against her in a primary, she would be toast in the general.

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9" August 27, 2013 at 7:19 pm

Write-in:9″:The Screw Politics Let’s Have A Sex Party.

“So Hard,A Cat Can’t Scratch It”

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Polyphemos August 29, 2013 at 9:50 pm

We already did that. Now, he’s in the Congress.

Nölff August 27, 2013 at 12:43 pm

Maybe her daughter can fill the position.

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lindsey g August 27, 2013 at 4:40 pm

Bet the nut don’t fall far from the tree.

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so sad August 27, 2013 at 1:06 pm

“You’ve got three governors – all of them national stars in their own right” National stars? They are national laughing stocks, at best. The republican party is doomed. The country needs, at least, a third political party immediately.

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Torch August 27, 2013 at 1:21 pm

We’ve got multiple parties. Libertarian, Green, Constitution and many even smaller parties like the tea party. Problem is, they won’t run in their on party and keep trying to run as Republicans thus rendering the party splintered.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States

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Proud August 27, 2013 at 1:23 pm

Laughing stocks? Can you give me a reason why Scott Walker is a laughing stock after standing his ground, and winning well in a recall election? Or why Rick Perry, who has been one the most successful governors in the nation is a laughing stock? (And please have a better reason than “he can’t speak well”) And how do you consider Bobby Jindal a laughing stock? The man is a rising star in national politics, regardless of party.

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Pride goeth before the fall August 27, 2013 at 1:37 pm

Any party that has willfully contributed to the nations immediate $17 trillion dollar debt (and long term 70 trillion plus) and several undeclared and unwinnable wars is deserving of the term “laughing stock”.

That includes both the Republicans and Democrats.

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vicupstate August 27, 2013 at 2:07 pm

Perry won last time with 38% of the vote. Most Texans did NOT want him to run again either. Jindal’s ratings are in the toilet, 2nd worse in the country right now. Walker survived narrowly after spending many millions of Koch Bros. money. He is the brightest of the three, but that ain’t saying much.

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Gubna August 27, 2013 at 2:50 pm

In 2010, Rick Perry won re-election over Houston Mayor Bill White 55-42 (38 percent?) Jindal’s numbers will rebound.

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vicupstate August 27, 2013 at 3:18 pm

My bad. That was 2006. It is true that polls showed TX residents did not want him to run again.

Scooter August 28, 2013 at 11:57 am

Well, they obviously, did not want his opponents.

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lawzoo August 28, 2013 at 3:29 pm

I’ll give you three reasons ! 1) They are dumb as stumps . 2) They either are bringing in minimum wage type jobs or none at all or 3) ……………………….Damn ! I can’t think of the third…I know I had it here
somewhere ….!

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Will Folks aka Sic August 27, 2013 at 2:27 pm

Yeah I didn’t necessarily agree w/ the quote but …

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Sailor August 27, 2013 at 1:18 pm

Well Will, if you’re ever going to write that book, now is the time to get off your ass and get it done!

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CNSYD August 27, 2013 at 1:31 pm

You mean it is not already on a news stand near you?

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A Casual Observer August 27, 2013 at 1:19 pm

The re-election “rally” was held across the street from my office in Greenville yesterday. I’m thinking that 60 people is stretching just how many were there, maybe if you include the staffers that were with her. From what I could see there were about as many people protesting her versus were supporting her. Security wouldn’t let them get anywhere close to the podium but they were so “present” even Haley couldn’t ignore them. I heard her hollering thru a microphone that her husband defending their freedom was the only reason they could be there to protest…..she seemed to have a really short fuse! I don’t think the other three “Gov Stars” spoke more than a few sentences. I mean this thing was over with in the matter of a few. The thing was also scheduled just in time to really screw up afternoon traffic around the BI-LO Center and downtown Greenville. I would say she p/o’ed more people than she “impressed”.

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Gubna August 27, 2013 at 2:44 pm

Can we please have any of the three governors on the stage with her instead?

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Vigilant Eye August 28, 2013 at 1:07 pm

Oh Jakie, your fans are calling.

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Polyphemos August 28, 2013 at 1:26 pm

Are those fans made of feathers, paper, or cotton cloth, like Towelie from South Park?

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Polyphemos August 28, 2013 at 1:09 pm

I called her people three times. Not one of them mentioned Jindal or Perry were going to be there. The local news stories said nothing about who was to be there. They did mention Walker, who is not a very popular dude in the Upstate, so that would have been a negative. So, I agree with Will on this one. If you will remember, I have been beating this “bad adviser” drum (not Tim, he’s the scapegoat) for some time. I wouldn’t have the job, but nobody’s even talking to my old rivals, to find out how to run a real SC campaign. Very, very disturbing. Ya lie down with dogs, ya get up with fleas.

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grannyj3 August 29, 2013 at 6:52 pm

I saw all three mentioned on several links from FB pages I visit. My only question was why she didn’t include McCrory from NC.

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Polyphemos August 29, 2013 at 9:49 pm

Haven’t checked into my FB account for three months. Your comment made me look. Nothing new. Facebook has its place, but my students text each other and tweet. People with money listen to talk radio and still watch the 11pm news. No mention at all, there.

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nitrat August 28, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Kurt Pickhardt, the governor’s political director….another carpetbagger?

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Andrew August 28, 2013 at 2:42 pm

Whatever Team Haley knew about grassroots involvement in the 2010 primary, they forgot in the general and have done next to nothing to maintain a grassroots presence since then.

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AndAwayWeGo August 28, 2013 at 4:27 pm

When you staff your campaign with half-assed rookies and hacks, you get half-assed results. A bungling of this magnitude is a fireable offense for a county council race, much less a governor. If someone doesn’t lose their job over this, you have to wonder about her ability to manage people. (cough)

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