South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's remarks on Monday calling for the Confederate battle flag to be removed from the state capitol might be going over well in some political circles, but conservatives online are taking her decision as a betrayal of the Republican Party.
Within minutes of Haley's statement, speculation began on whether she joined the call for the flag's removal out of a need to score political points, or as a way to angle for higher office:
Nikki Haley is just making sure she gets to be whoever's VP nominee. This isn't profiles in courage #tlot #tcot— Dude Love's Love Child (@Dude Love's Love Child)1435006160.0
Meanwhile, Pat Dollard, who identified himself as a contributor to conservative news site Breitbart.com -- until the site distanced itself from him -- took the occasion to bash Haley and her fellow Republican, Sen. Tim Scott.
He was also one of several users threatening to hold Monday's remarks against her in the voting booth:
Just remember what happened to #RoyBarnes down here in #Georgia when he changed our state flag #Governor Haley #NikkiHaley #ConfederateFlag— Jim Mize (@Jim Mize)1435007622.0
Barnes, a Democrat, has been open about the fact that his efforts to change the Georgia state flag and minimize the presence of the Confederate symbol on it cost him a second term as that state's governor. It also won him the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation Profile in Courage Award in 2003.
Meanwhile, other users minimized the effort on Monday to take down the "stars and bars," or attempted to liken it to symbols that might personally offend them:
Such a shame! If only they would have taken the #ConfederateFlag down sooner those 9 folks in the #CharlestonShooting would still be alive.— Jay Bird (@Jay Bird)1435007091.0
If the #ConfederateFlag must come down why not the Gay Rainbow Flag.— Demetri ❌ (@Demetri ❌)1435007239.0
Now that #NikkiHaley gave in to pseudo security for the sake of optics will we begin removing all "upsetting" articles?Cross? Star of David?— Chef Michael Perry (@Chef Michael Perry)1435008001.0
South Carolina caved to the #SJW mob. Will said mob move into Georgia and Mississippi to censure the #ConfederateFlag? I doubt it.— Sorin Ionescu (@Sorin Ionescu)1435007516.0
And at least one expressed hope it would spur a protest of its own, in response to the demonstrations over the weekend calling for the Confederate flag's removal: