Tuesday in Charleston, after touting her ethics reform proposals with Attorney General Alan Wilson, Gov. Nikki Haley refused to answer a question from Gina Smith, a writer at The State. WIS-TV has video of the incident here.
The response across social media was abrupt, particularly on Twitter. Here's a sample courtesy of the aggregation site Storify.
Haley responded to criticism of the incident via her Facebook page:
"In response to my refusal to answer Gina Smith's question today: she is the same reporter that 1) wrote a Front Page, Above the Fold story about me being indicted, with no truth what so ever. 2) She went on to write a story about my 14 year old daughter without having the facts, against the urging of SLED Chief Keel that said it was unprecedented to write about a governor's child knowing the safety concerns. Respect is a two way street."
This is not the first time Haley has clashed with the media. She referred to a writer from the Charleston Post and Courier as a "little girl," a comment for which she later apologized. In December of 2011, Haley ignored media inquiries about deleted e-mails.
What's your take on the latest incident? Vote in the poll and weigh-in in the comments section.
Robert Kelly
10:10 am on Thursday, August 23, 2012
The article about the governor's daughter was actually about how the governor gave her daughter a government job. Patronage. Once the daughter takes the job, she is a state employee and it is certainly legitimate to question how a 14 year old qualified for a state job, and to ask if this was a new position created, or was someone else let go?
Ken
10:15 am on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Once again "our" governor shows us what an arrogant, low class b!%@# she really is. She is only interested in her shameless self promotion and cares nothing about the people of this state.
Right Here
10:49 am on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Maybe the reporter wanted to ask her what magical power she wished she had, or what her favorite color is, or what's her favorite song; you know, the kind of tough questions Obama gets asked.
Robert Kelly
7:18 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? I can't remember who was asked that question by Barbara Walters, but it was no worse than "boxers or briefs?". Politicians get asked weird things, but it is a sure bet that the question at this press conference was something Nikki didn't want to have to answer. It is not a press conference if the politician who called for it gets to decide what to answer.
stanley seigler
9:28 am on Friday, August 24, 2012
@Right Here: '...the kind of tough questions Obama gets asked.'
then you think...the gov may have been asked to show her birth certificate...or what was her relationship to flt 182 bomber...was she born in bamberg germany...
or maybe asked to show her tax returns...course she could have refused like mitt... she could have been asked if her understanding of the reproductive system is the same as todd akin's
Laura
11:03 am on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Haley should of addressed the reporter immediately after the event instead of acting like a child. As far as her daughter is concerned: she used her kids to get into office showing how much of a family minded woman she was. Then used our money to place her daughter in a state job that was not advertised to the public. So Haley has put herself in the position that we would expect answers about her daughter, then cries that they are off limits! Shame on you Haley! Don't cry off limits for YOUR actions! You wouldn't have anything to worry about if you did things the right way! Stop using your position for your and your family's financial gains with out expecting the people who pay you to question it. So your daughter who is 14 and a state worker is no longer off limits! Because of YOUR actions!
Michael Jones
1:43 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
the reporter is nothing but a Liberal. it ain't Haley acting like a "Baby" but the reporter sure is.
Robert Kelly
7:15 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Liberal or conservative? I don't know the answer because the State is a lot more conservative than I am. But the issue was simply a reporter asking a question at a news conference (PR event) called for by the politician. To not answer a question posed by a legitimate journalist at a news conference is simply arrogant and petty.
Theresa Dillon
1:05 pm on Friday, August 24, 2012
Haley was acting very immature, not like the "national" politician she is hoping to be. Apparently she's not ready for prime time--or even up to the job of governor for this state if she can't handle herself any better than this.
Stephanie
3:08 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
I want to clarify first. I am a Republican that did not vote for Governor Haley. That being said, regardless of whether her daughter works for the state or McDonald's, the Governor's children have ALWAYS been off limits to the media unless they were of age out of respect for the office. What I find interesting is that it has always been honored until there was a female governor and a most disliked one at that. Whether you have any respect for her at all does not mean that a minor child of 14 should be paraded in the press when their parent is a government official. They shouldn't be paraded in the press no matter who they are. I do believe the press conference could have been handled better, but when someone is fed up, they are fed up. I can tell you had that been my daughter, a public chewing out would have been the least of her worries. Regardless of how you feel about her mother, the child is that, just a child.
Robert Kelly
7:12 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Children should be off limits, unless the politician involved wants them to be part of the narrative. Haley put her daughter in the spotlight by giving her a state job.
reg
10:15 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
I agree w/ Robert. Children should be off limits, but if the parent of that child is an official who gets the child a job via patronage and political favors, the topic itself is public property - just like that job is public. I don't think any media was parading the child around, either - it was the parent Nikki Haley who was getting all the attention. (And she acted like a child herself in response....)
Rick Eades
3:10 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
The State newspaper is the worst newspaper anyway.
Robert Kelly
7:22 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
Agree with that even if I don't know what papers you are comparing it to. That they charge for Gamecock coverage (gamecock.com) which is free in USA Today or any other sports news source tells you something about their "community spirit".
Mike Buddin
4:53 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012
She is an employee of the state and how she got her job is the question. I know there are a lot of other Teenagers who would like that job but didn't get the chance to interview for the position. The head of our State decided to give her daughter the position, did she have to interview for the position I bet not.
RyanH
8:11 am on Friday, August 24, 2012
Once again Ms. Haley shows how childish and petty she is when it comes to being held accountable by a free press. She has consistently shown herself to be an embarrassment to this state.