Good Morning America's George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday again highlighted
charges of adultery against Republican Nikki Haley. He pressed the South
Carolina gubernatorial candidate, demanding to know if she'd embarrass the state
with scandal.
After reading a quote from a voter, the former operative to scandal-plagued
Bill Clinton fretted, "
Can you assure South Carolina voters that they're not
going to be embarrassed if they elect you?" [Audio available
here .]
The ABC host referenced claims, touted by Republican primary opponents, that
she had been unfaithful. Stephanopoulos quoted, "And last night, the man you
face in the runoff, Congressman Barrett, said 'Character is not one of the
things that matters, it's the only thing that matters.'"
Perhaps previewing the media strategy against Haley, the journalist
challenged, "Do you expect more incoming during the runoff?"
This is the second time Stephanopoulos played up rumors against Haley.
On
Monday , he marveled, "And down in South Carolina, they can't just seem to
get enough of it. In the gubernatorial primary, the leading candidate embroiled
in a bit of a sex scandal."
Noting phone calls between the Republican and the man who accused her of
having an affair, Stephanopoulos gossiped, "Something like 600 phone
conversations. Boy, that state is going through a lot."
A transcript of the June 9 segment, which aired at 7:04am EDT, follows:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Yesterday on GMA, we unveiled
America's frustration index. It's at a whopping 67, the highest in 20 years. And
as Jon Karl said, voters made that clear. Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas
may have escaped that with the establishment and incumbents. But the
establishment took hits just about everywhere else, especially South Carolina,
where Nikki Haley, who wasn't well known when the governor's race began, has
beaten out the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, and a four-term member
of Congress to take a big lead in the runoff. And state Representative Nikki
Haley joins us now. Congratulations on last night, Representative Haley. Is that
what you saw last night? Voters venting their frustration?
NIKKI HALEY: You know, what I think what we saw was the fact was voters want
elected officials who remember who it is they work for. They want someone that
understands the value of the dollar. They are tired of back room deals. They
want to make sure there's more transparency and accountability. And it certainly
showed in South Carolina. I think we're going to show it across the country.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You did face a very, very tough campaign. I know South
Carolina has a reputation for that. As Jon Karl reported, two men, who had
some connections to rival campaigns, said they had affairs with you. And
last night, the man you face in the runoff, Congressman Barrett, said "Character
is not one of the things that matters, it's the only thing that matters." Do you
expect more incoming during the runoff?
HALEY: You know, I mean, the one thing we noticed was, we were "Nikki who"
about six weeks ago. And then, all of a sudden, it showed we had a double-digit
lead in the polls. We had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at us. Our
opponents got together. They threw as many distractions as they could. But, we
stayed very determined. All it did was made us more focused on making sure the
voice of the people were heard. And I think it proved last night. We got 49
percent of the vote. We won 42 out of 46 counties. I think the people said we've
had enough. This is about jobs. This is about, you know, the economy. This is
about making sure that elected officials know the value of a dollar. And this is
the fact they do not want dirty politics in South Carolina.
STEPHANOPOULOS: One of your voters, Martha Clarke of Mount Pleasant, South
Carolina, told USA Today, "Our state doesn't need any more attention in the
national press for ridiculous behavior." Can you assure South Carolina voters
that they're not going to be embarrassed if they elect you?
HALEY: You know, the thing is I can assure South Carolina voters, is, no,
they won't be embarrassed if they elect me. But someone who will get the voice
of the people out. We are long past electing someone because they look good in a
picture and hold a baby well. If they're not going to work for the people. If
they're not going to remember what it means to be an elected official, they
don't need to be there. This is a time when people are frustrated. They're tired
of the fact that unemployment is high. They're tired of the fact that the
economy is suffering. And they're tired of the fact there's too much intrusion
from Washington. And they want it all to stop. I'm guaranteed to do that. I'm
going to fight every step of the way.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Sarah Palin called you one of her momma grizzly bears. Did
she make the difference in this race?
HALEY: You know, what we saw is we were trending up in the polls. We had an
agenda and points that we wanted more accountability in government. We wanted
every legislator to vote on the record. We wanted term limits in South Carolina.
We wanted our legislators to disclose their incomes. And- So, we saw the message
was resonating. We saw that we were moving up in the polls. But, when Sarah
Palin showed up, it solidified and gave us credibility, that this was not
someone that was another elected official. This was someone that wanted to give
the voice back to the people and I'm very grateful to her for that.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We only have a few seconds left. You confident South
Carolina is ready for the first female governor in their history?
HALEY: I think South Carolina is ready for Nikki Haley. And I'm going to do
everything to make them proud.
-Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on
Twitter.
