South-Carolina

‘Very uncomfortable’: Scott-Haley 2024 divide sparks GOP tensions in S.C.

Published

2 years ago

May 20, 2023

‘Very uncomfortable’: Scott-Haley 2024 divide sparks GOP tensions in S.C.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Shortly after she announced her presidential bid, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley called her high school classmate and longtime GOP donor Mikee Johnson. He cut straight to the chase in what he described as a difficult chat: He would back Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), if he ran.

“Her last comment to me was: ‘I’ll still be here when you see a different direction,’” Johnson, who is national finance co-chair for Scott’s campaign, said in an interview, adding that Haley handled the news well. “I’ve just been with her a long time. And it was a hard, hard conversation. And it was very uncomfortable for me. But I was very certain of what I wanted to do, it just still wasn’t easy to tell a friend that.”

Chad Walldorf, whom Haley named as chair to the Board of Economic Advisors when she was governor, was in a similar situation. After praising Scott in an interview with a reporter, he sent an email to Haley informing her of his plans to back him. Haley offered the same response, he recalled, saying she would welcome the support of Walldorf and his wife “any time if we changed our minds.”

Warner Peacock, a former donor to both candidates, told an assistant to Scott that this election is not one where he wants to back multiple candidates, and that he was picking Haley. “I frankly don’t know what Tim did [before being elected] other than I think he played college football, but I know he does not have the breadth of experience that she does,” said Peacock in an interview. He called both “high quality people” and said the Scott team was understanding of his decision.

As Scott prepares to formally kick off his campaign Monday in North Charleston, roughly 20 miles from where Haley launched her bid in February, the long-overlapping circles of the two Republicans are coming sharply into focus — and stoking tensions in this early state where everyone knows everyone in local politics. The two barrier-breaking Republicans climbed the state’s political ladder on parallel timelines but never had to compete for the same job — until now.

While allies insist they maintain a cordial relationship, and neither has said a bad word publicly about the other, some on both sides of the divide privately view the other with increasing wariness and see a heated competition for home state support, according to Republicans in the state. Both are considered long shots on their home turf against former president Donald Trump, and many doubt both will make it as far as the first-in-the-South GOP primary, making the scramble for support even more intense.

Katon Dawson, the former chairman of the state Republican Party who is backing Haley, said Scott has “got a clear shot at governor if he wants it” but that Haley is more battle-tested. He added that there is a “huge difference” between being a governor and senator.

“Tim hasn’t had as contentious or tough races as Nikki has,” Dawson said. “He just hasn’t. Tim’s hardest race was his race for Congress. The rest of them have been cake. Nikki’s, every one of them, just disastrously hard.”

Neither Haley nor Scott will be at the state GOP convention Saturday, a striking absence from an event that typically draws presidential candidates, but where intraparty fighting is expected amid an attempt by Jeff Davis and Zoe Warren to unseat the party chairman, and some Republicans said it would be risky to enter such volatile terrain.

The Scott and Haley campaigns declined to comment for this story.

Haley has gained little traction since launching her bid and now must contend with a new opponent with a hefty $22 million war chest. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is polling second to Trump in state and national surveys of the GOP race, is expected to officially enter the race in coming days, posing an additional challenge to those such as Haley and Scott, who are polling in the single digits.

Interviews with South Carolina donors and consultants show a sense of state pride that both Scott and Haley are running for the White House and a hope that they represent where the GOP should be, politically. But they also revealed how personal the competition has become.

“In a small state like South Carolina there will absolutely be overlap among supporters and donors of two people who are as popular and whose careers have spanned the same trajectory,” said Rob Godfrey, a South Carolina-based consultant and a former Haley deputy chief of staff, who is neutral. “There’s likely some anxiety among those common donors and supporters about choosing sides so I would anticipate a bit of reluctance for those people to jump into the race immediately but for those who do I’m sure they won’t be forgotten by either candidate.”

‘Two very different personalities’

Haley, 51, and Scott, 57, overlapped for one session in the South Carolina State House in the 2009-2010 session. In his book, “Opportunity Knocks,” Scott wrote that as members they maintained a “healthy respect for one another” but wrote that their “circles never really came together those two years in Columbia.”

Garry Smith, a Republican who served in the State House with both of them and suggested he’d be happy to support whichever one makes it through in the primary, said they took different approaches.

“She was not afraid to rock the boat when necessary … and was successful in many ways in that regard,” Smith recalled, referring to Haley’s clashes with leadership during her time in the State House, which included her push for legislation that required lawmakers to vote on the record, rather than voice vote. “Tim was someone who knew the system, knew how to work within the system, two very different personalities in that regard at how they actually operated.”

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), who served alongside both Haley and Scott in the State House, said he gave Trump a heads-up before he endorsed Haley and introduced her at her campaign launch in Charleston in February, but not Scott. “Had he announced I would have,” Norman said of Scott, whom he called a good friend.

Haley and Scott both ran for higher office in 2010, with Haley winning the governorship and becoming the first female Asian American governor and Scott winning his House seat. He became the first Black Republican who was elected to the U.S. House from South Carolina in more than a century.

“It was a big night for me, but it was a bigger night for South Carolina. On the same runoff night, Tim Scott, a fellow member of the State House, beat South Carolina icon Strom Thurmond’s son for the chance to become South Carolina’s first black Republican congressman in over a century,” Haley wrote in her memoir “Can’t Is Not an Option.”

“Tim Scott’s and my victories generated a lot of national attention,” she continued. “The stories were all about how South Carolina was changing and how the Republican Party was changing, and those are good things.”

Haley played a direct role in Scott’s next step, when then-Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) announced in 2012 that he’d leave Congress to become president of the Heritage Foundation. DeMint made clear privately and publicly that he wanted Scott as his replacement, according to a former DeMint senior adviser. DeMint could not be reached for comment.

“It was important to Jim, Tim was Black that was an important part of it, he’s got a great story to tell about conservatism, growing up poor that you’re not just inherently going to be a Democrat,” the former adviser said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Haley ultimately appointed Scott to the Senate, stressing at the time that she picked Scott because of his accomplishments, not his race. “It is important to me, as a minority female, that Congressman Scott earned this seat,” Haley said. “He earned this seat for the person that he is. He earned this seat with the results he has shown.”

The 2015 mass killing by a white supremacist at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston was also a seminal moment for Haley and Scott. Scott in his book recalls delivering a tearful speech on the Senate floor, reading the names of the victims at the predominantly Black church and attending eight funerals and a wake.

Shortly before Haley’s news conference announcing her decision to take down the Confederate flag from the state grounds, she summoned members of the congressional delegation, including Scott, to inform them of her decision.

“I told my colleagues that if they chose to stand with me, I would be forever grateful. If they decided not to join me, I said, I would never let anyone know we had discussed it,” she wrote of the exchange in her book, “With All Due Respect.”

During the news conference later that day, Scott stood next to her as she announced the flag would come down.

“I stand in front of you, a minority female governor twice elected by the people of South Carolina,” Haley said at the conference. “Behind me stands my friend Sen. Tim Scott, elected by those same people as one of just two African American members of the United States Senate.”

In 2016 the two joined forces to campaign for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in South Carolina. The three were seen by some in the party as rising stars with the ability to chart a new course for the GOP. “You’re going to look at what the new conservative movement looks like — because it looks like a Benetton commercial,” Haley said at one rally.

Trump defeated Rubio by 10 percentage points in the South Carolina primary, en route to winning the nomination and the presidency.

The GOP divisions that flared in that primary have in many ways intensified in the state and beyond, leaving Haley and Scott to navigate the turmoil around them, on top of running against each other. And nowhere is that turmoil more evident than at this weekend’s state party convention, which Haley and Scott are skipping.

“In any other year — every Republican convention I’ve ever been to in a year leading up to a primary — every speaker has been a presidential candidate,” said former South Carolina GOP executive director Alex Stroman, who is undecided in the race. “I think that it’s probably wise for folks just to kind of stay away from the convention.”

Some Haley allies have narrowed in on her experience as an executive and lack of D.C. service as an area of distinction from the other South Carolinian.

“She’s had executive leadership and she’s had, obviously, international experience as a U.N. ambassador, and Tim just hasn’t had that. I’m not saying he couldn’t do it if he had the opportunity,” said Peacock, a Haley appointee to the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority, who now resides in Florida and remains plugged into South Carolina politics.

Scott’s allies, however, say that he has an inspirational personal story that embodies conservative values and are betting that running on a message of optimism and his Christian faith will distinguish him from the field. He is expected to also tout his work in the Senate on opportunity zones, which gave tax breaks to wealthy individuals to encourage investment in low-income areas, as well as on tax and criminal justice issues. Over the last two years, Scott has raised millions and campaigned for his GOP colleagues.

“There’s a time and place for everybody, predicated on their style and it’s my belief there’s probably a great time and place for Nikki and her style of management,” Johnson said. “Then there’s Tim’s style and right now I’m just of the belief that the country’s in need of his style.”

Former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, who hasn’t yet endorsed, suggested the publicly polite dynamic between Haley and Scott could shift as the race heats up.

“It’s been a cordial relationship over the years but all of that can certainly change when you compete for a vote,” he said.

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South-Carolina

Staff Picks: South Carolina at Clemson, other Week 14 rivalry matchups

Published

18 mins ago

November 29, 2024

Press Room

Staff Picks: South Carolina at Clemson, other Week 14 rivalry matchups

The wait is almost over. At long last, rivalry weekend is upon us.

In what will be one of the biggest games of the weekend, No. 15 South Carolina will travel to the upstate to face No. 12 Clemson for the Palmetto Bowl. Kickoff is at noon on ESPN on Saturday.

The GamecockCentral and 107.5 The Game staffs shared their predictions for the game between the Gamecocks and Tigers as well as other Week 14 matchups from around the country.

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George Bagwell: I think this is a bad matchup for Clemson. They’re not working with a great offensive line while they face an elite defensive front. They just gave up 288 rushing yards to The Citadel, the most against a Clemson defense since Georgia in 2014, and now they’re facing a highly efficient run-based offense in South Carolina. South Carolina 38, Clemson 20.

Peyton Butt: This could honestly go either way so making a prediction was a challenge. Clemson has struggled with some injuries thus far but the two are pretty evenly matched. I think the game being at Clemson will be a huge advantage and boost for the Tigers. Gamecock defense will have to put pressure on Cade Klubnik fast but I think Klubnik’s accuracy and consistency will be a problem for the Gamecocks. Clemson 45, South Carolina 28.

Elijah Campbell: It’s one of the most highly anticipated games in the history of this great rivalry and for the first time since I was in high school, I really feel like this Gamecocks team will go into Clemson and win. Shane Beamer said that forcing turnovers is a must and I agree. I also see the Kennard and Stewart edge rushing combo working perfectly to force one of the key turnovers as well as keeping Clemson’s rushing attack at bay. Give me the Gamecocks in a thriller! South Carolina 21, Clemson 17.

Chris Clark: I think this South Carolina team is battle-tested and will have an advantage at the line of scrimmage on defense. I expect a competitive game, but I’m taking the Gamecocks to get it done on the road. South Carolina 27, Clemson 20.

Terry Ford: USC wins a tight one on the road. The way the Gamecocks offense has come on to go along with one of the best defenses in America make Carolina tough to beat. Plus, USC has been real good on the road all year. Stat to file away…ESPN SP+ Special Teams Rankings Nationally: Gamecocks 42^nd…Tigers 109^th. South Carolina 23, Clemson 20.

Griffin Goodwyn: Recent history would say that the Gamecocks are expected to struggle when they head to Memorial Stadium on Saturday. South Carolina has lost three of its last four road matchups against Clemson, and those three defeats were by a combined 88 points. But the Gamecocks’ last trip to the Tigers’ home stadium was a different story, as they claimed a 31-30 victory facing long odds as an unranked team looking to take down a top-10 squad with College Football Playoff aspirations. The postseason stakes are higher for both teams in this year’s Palmetto Bowl, and so is the possibility of an upset. South Carolina is in the midst of a five-game win streak — and is in prime position for a sixth-straight victory. South Carolina 28, Clemson 27.

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Tyler Head: High stakes game. Gamecocks have to slow down the Tigers rushing attack. I think Sellers has another star making performance. South Carolina 34, Clemson 31.

Wes Mitchell: South Carolina’s defensive line has carried it all season long and I don’t think that will stop this week, especially against a Clemson offensive line that has been banged up. The key will be can the Gamecocks protect the football, not let the moment be too big, and just do what they do otherwise. South Carolina 31, Clemson 21.

Jay Philips: Here we are, a Carolina/Clemson game that really matters for both teams beyond the daily rivalry. The Gamecocks are playing some of the best football in the country and will feel no fear in traveling to Memorial Stadium this weekend. Based on their form I think Carolina is the slightly better team, and if they continue on their current path they should win this game. In a tense contest give me South Carolina 30, Clemson 23.

Kendall Smith: I could write a long paragraph about why I am going with this final score, but all I’m going to say is I think this game belongs to the Gamecocks if they play to their potential. South Carolina 27, Clemson 23.

Mike Uva: Two teams with strong defenses who have QBs who have improved throughout the year. This should be an instant classic, especially with the college football playoff hopes hovering both these teams. South Carolina 20, Clemson 17.

Jack Veltri: I’ve said it since the summer that South Carolina would beat Clemson this year, and that was before any of us knew the Gamecocks would be where they are today. I still feel they’re going to get the job done. They’ve faced all kinds of adversity this season and handled it well. The key here will be to take care of the football on offense and the defense creates takeaways. South Carolina 34, Clemson 28.

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Chris Wellbaum: Which quarterback do you trust against which defense? Both teams will try to lean on their run game, and the defense that can force some turnovers will win the game. Clemson 31, South Carolina 16.

Kevin Miller: In one of the most anticipated matchups in recent rivalry history, South Carolina and Clemson are both ranked and holding on to slight hope for the College Football Playoff. The Gamecocks have played better than the Tigers in recent weeks, but the game is in the Upstate. In classic rivalry fashion, this game could come down to the football cliches: turnovers, 3rd-down conversions, and explosive plays. Give me the Gamecocks in a tight one: South Carolina 27, Clemson 24.

	Tennessee at Vanderbilt	Michigan at Ohio State (The Game)	Auburn at Alabama (Iron Bowl)	Notre Dame at Southern Cal (The Battle for the Jeweled Shilleagh)	Oklahoma at LSU	Texas at Texas A&M (Lonestar Showdown)	Marshall at James Madison	Virginia at Virginia Tech (The Commonwealth Clash)
George Bagwell (63-54)	Vanderbilt	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Peyton Butt (63-54)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	Oklahoma	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Elijah Campbell (76-41)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas A&M	Marshall	Virginia Tech
Chris Clark (66-51)	Vanderbilt	Ohio State	Alabama	Southern Cal	Oklahoma	Texas A&M	Marshall	Virginia Tech
Terry Ford (83-33)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas A&M	James Madison	Virginia
Griffin Goodwyn (81-36)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Tyler Head (66-51)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas A&M	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Wes Mitchell (78-39)	Vanderbilt	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Jay Philips (75-42)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Kendall Smith (68-49)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Mike Uva (76-41)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Jack Veltri (78-39)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	Marshall	Virginia Tech
Chris Wellbaum (63-54)	Vanderbilt	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech
Kevin Miller (50-22)	Tennessee	Ohio State	Alabama	Notre Dame	LSU	Texas	James Madison	Virginia Tech

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South-Carolina

College Football Picks: Expert Predictions For Texas-Texas A&M, South Carolina-Clemson, Kansas State-Iowa St.

Published

8 hours ago

November 29, 2024

Press Room

College Football Picks: Expert Predictions For Texas-Texas A&M, South Carolina-Clemson, Kansas State-Iowa St.

Rivalry week is upon us, and all eyes will be on College Station, Texas, as No. 3 Texas and No. 20 Texas A&M for the first time since 2011. This one is even bigger than expected as the winner will move on to play Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. The Longhorns will likely stay in the College Football Playoff bracket if they lose, but the Aggies almost certainly are in a CFP do-or-die situation.

Kansas State and Iowa State will tee it up in Ames, and South Carolina will head upstate to take on Clemson in games that, very quietly, can still impact the CFP race.

Here are the picks from Outkick writers Trey Wallace and Barrett Sallee, who are tied in straight up and against the spread heading into the biggest weekend of the season. Keep in mind, winners against the spread in the wild card games are worth two points in our completely made-up game.

Trey: 38-14 straight up, 27-25 against the spread (29 points)

Barrett: 38-14 straight up, 27-25 against the spread (29 points)

Texas (-5.5) at Texas A&M

Wallace: Thank goodness this rivalry has returned after 13 years. I don’t know what type of wakeup call Texas A&M needed last week in Auburn, but they got it. Now, the Aggies still control their destiny, but so do the Longhorns, and I expect their offense to cause the opposing defense some problems. I think this one comes down to the fourth quarter, and Texas A&M finds a way to win this game late, something they couldn’t do last week against the Tigers.

Texas and Texas A&M will play for the first time in 13 years on Saturday (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Sallee: Give me the Longhorns to win – and do it by double digits. I don’t care that their quarterback situation is in flux because both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning are capable of getting the job done against an Aggies bunch that has to be down in the dumps after last week’s quadruple overtime loss at Auburn. Expect Texas’ defense to have its best performance of the season.

Kansas State at Iowa State (-2.5)

Wallace: Another wild game in the Big 12 awaits, as both teams still fight for a spot in the championship game, thanks to some wild tiebreaker rules. While this feels like a game for Avery Johnson to flourish at quarterback for Kansas State, I think Iowa State’s Rocco Becht could be the one that comes out on top. Even though the Wildcats have only given up more than 20 points just once in the last 5 games, this is the Cyclones day.

Iowa State wins, and covers.

Kansas State vs. Iowa State play on Saturday

MANHATTAN, KS – NOVEMBER 23: Quarterback Avery Johnson #2 of the Kansas State Wildcats runs to the outside against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

Sallee: I’m a big Avery Johnson fan, and he will show you why in what will be a win for the Wildcats en route to the Big 12 Championship Game. He’s healthy again, which means that they will unleash a punishing rushing attack against a Cyclones defense that hasn’t fared well stopping the run.

South Carolina at Clemson (-3)

Wallace: This one should be a lot of fun. Both offenses have been playing well, but its the Gamecocks defense that continues to amaze me at times. I would argue that South Carolina is playing some of the best football in the SEC right now/ For Clemson, they are fighting for a spot in the college football playoff as well, which adds so much more fuel to this game. This one comes down to Tocket Sanders running the ball for the Gamecocks, and Clemson QB Cade Klubnik tossing a few interceptions.

I’m going with the Gamecocks to win the game.

Can Dabo Swinney lead the Clemson Tigers to the College Football Playoffs? . (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Sallee: The Gamecocks are one of the hottest teams in the country, and still have an outside chance at making the CFP. However, it needs to win and have several dominoes fall around the country. Expect coach Shane Beamer to unleash a monster rushing attack with quarterback LaNorris Sellars and running back Rocket Sanders, and the defensive front to rattle Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik.

Wild Card Games

Notre Dame (-7.5) at USC

Honestly, I have no idea why this is a single-digit spread. I call Notre Dame the “best, most boring team in the country” because the Fighting Irish casually go about their business bludgeoning their opponents until they say “mercy.” That will happen on Saturday against a broken Trojans team that has been a massive disappointment.

Can Alabama QB Jalen Milroe have a bounceback game against Auburn in the Iron Bowl (Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)

Auburn @ Alabama (-11.5)

The Tigers have the momentum entering this game, but Alabama is still playing for a potential spot in the college football playoff. So, what gives on Saturday afternoon? If Auburn can follow the same defensive plan as Oklahoma, who upset Alabama last week, then maybe they can cause Jalen Milroe to give up the ball a few times. If not, and they let Jalen make plays outside the pocket, it could be a long day for Auburn.

I don’t know if I trust Payton Thorne to win this game for Auburn, but I do trust Jarquez Hunter to run the ball. I think Alabama wins, but the Tigers cover.

Alright, that will do it for this week’s picks. Email your thoughts about the weekend to Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com

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South-Carolina

Dawn Staley shares how South Carolina has responded since loss

Published

16 hours ago

November 29, 2024

Press Room

Dawn Staley shares how South Carolina has responded since loss

South Carolina had its run of 43 straight wins come to an end this past Sunday as Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks suffered a 77-62 loss at UCLA.

Staley said after the loss and ahead of the matchup with Iowa State on Thursday that she thought her team would respond the right way. Needless to say the Gamecocks did against Iowa State, pounding the Cyclones 76-36 on Thanksgiving Day.

“That’s what a team does. This is a resilient group,” Dawn Staley said. “This is a team that obviously hasn’t dealt with a whole lot of losing. It’ll shake you for a moment.

“We’ve got a 24-hour rule. Bask in the glory of a defeat and you handle a defeat. And you handle it with grace, but you handle it with learning lessons. Things were exposed and hopefully we can fill some of those holes and get back to happier times.”

It was certainly a happier time for South Carolina on Thursday. The Gamecocks led Iowa State 19-3 at the end of the first quarter and 35-9 at halftime.

South Carolina went on a 32-0 run at one point in the first half and easily handled an Iowa State team that was ranked No. 15 nationally.

Dawn Staley said ahead of the game that she wanted her team to play better offensively and it did. South Carolina shot 45.3 percent from the floor against Iowa State after connecting on only 36.4 percent of its attempts against UCLA.

“Our offense, just getting better looks and getting better ball movement,” Dawn Staley said of where South Carolina needed to improve. “The ball has been sticking too much to individual players and it’s stagnant.

“We need to get our bigs involved, so we’re going to look to get them involved in positions they can score, whether that’s two feet in the paint or hitting mid-range shots. If you’ve got 3-point range, you can take good, fluid, rhythm 3s.”

South Carolina relied on a balanced scoring attack against Iowa State as senior forward Sania Feagin and freshman forward Joyce Edwards led the way with 13 points each.

The Gamecocks will be back in action on Saturday when they face Purdue in Fort Meyers, Florida. Tip off is set for 11 a.m.

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