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I do not like Nikki Haley.
I have never like Nikki Haley.
I have disliked Nikki Haley since long before most of you had ever heard of her.
(Thread)
I have never like Nikki Haley.
I have disliked Nikki Haley since long before most of you had ever heard of her.
(Thread)
TO BE CLEAR, Haley is not fit to lead the country. She never will be.
But she is undeniably a leader of GOP and the conservative movement.
What Nikki Haley said today showed leadership. And it's important.
This is not a compliment. It's an observation.
Let me elaborate.
2/
But she is undeniably a leader of GOP and the conservative movement.
What Nikki Haley said today showed leadership. And it's important.
This is not a compliment. It's an observation.
Let me elaborate.
2/
You have to speak to people in a language they can hear.
We've been screaming at the top of our lungs about Trump for five years.
Never-Trumpers, Lincoln Project, Mitt Romney, Evangelical leaders, even former Qanons are all warning against Trump.
Trumpers don't care.
3/
We've been screaming at the top of our lungs about Trump for five years.
Never-Trumpers, Lincoln Project, Mitt Romney, Evangelical leaders, even former Qanons are all warning against Trump.
Trumpers don't care.
3/
Bui Nikki Haley is one of them.
We see her as an opportunist trying to build conservative cred and a national profile who no longer finds Trump useful.
But to the masses, she's a true believer. Like them.
And she's disillusioned. Like... maybe they should be.
4/
We see her as an opportunist trying to build conservative cred and a national profile who no longer finds Trump useful.
But to the masses, she's a true believer. Like them.
And she's disillusioned. Like... maybe they should be.
4/
Coming in guns blazing just makes people retreat.
Calling someone stupid just makes them cling more tightly to what they believe.
It's much easier to fool someone than to convince them they've been fooled.
But Nikki Haley is saying, "He fooled ME. And I'm one of you."
5/
Calling someone stupid just makes them cling more tightly to what they believe.
It's much easier to fool someone than to convince them they've been fooled.
But Nikki Haley is saying, "He fooled ME. And I'm one of you."
5/
She's not shaming them. She's expressing shame, or at least culpability, gullibility, remorse.
If she can forgive herself, maybe they can forgive themselves.
It's probably fake. But if THEY believe it, that's what matters.
And that's why it's important that she said it.
6/
If she can forgive herself, maybe they can forgive themselves.
It's probably fake. But if THEY believe it, that's what matters.
And that's why it's important that she said it.
6/
It's natural for us to view Trump-land, and Bernie-land, as conquered nations.
We won.
We want them to bend the knee.
We want them to cry uncle.
We want them to bow to our superiority.
Sadly, we do not have an army. And they kinda do.
7/
We won.
We want them to bend the knee.
We want them to cry uncle.
We want them to bow to our superiority.
Sadly, we do not have an army. And they kinda do.
7/
It's fun to taunt and tease the animals. Until they can't take it anymore and turn on you.
And we are poking a very dangerous bear.
"You can't teach a pig to dance. It doesn't work, and it annoys the pig"
We don't speak a language they can hear. We're just making them mad.
8/
And we are poking a very dangerous bear.
"You can't teach a pig to dance. It doesn't work, and it annoys the pig"
We don't speak a language they can hear. We're just making them mad.
8/
This is the paradox that we touched on after Parkland.
People said, "Be nicer to the outcasts. So they don't shoot you."
Emma Gonzalez basically said fuck off, they shouldn't have to put up with guys like that.
And she's right.
But he did shoot them.
9/
People said, "Be nicer to the outcasts. So they don't shoot you."
Emma Gonzalez basically said fuck off, they shouldn't have to put up with guys like that.
And she's right.
But he did shoot them.
9/
I don't know the answer.
But Nikki Haley just sat down at the lunch table and tried to convince them not to shoot up the school.
It might be the very least she could do, but so far she's the only one with standing/cred who's even tried to reach them.
10/
But Nikki Haley just sat down at the lunch table and tried to convince them not to shoot up the school.
It might be the very least she could do, but so far she's the only one with standing/cred who's even tried to reach them.
10/
She's one of the few people who might be able to reach them, even if she's full of shit.
We should recognize and appreciate that what she said today might help diffuse the volatile state we're in.
But that doesn't mean I have to like her.
11/11
We should recognize and appreciate that what she said today might help diffuse the volatile state we're in.
But that doesn't mean I have to like her.
11/11
