South Carolina Democrats Attack Gov. Haley Over 2001 Claim She is 'White'

COMMENTARY | In South Carolina, Democrats have just about given quite a few of their number a reason to declare themselves independent, suggesting Gov. Nikki Haley's 10-year-old voter's registration form that indicates she is "white" is some form of misrepresentation, then going further and saying she only uses her Indian heritage as a prop for political convenience. But why should this lead to the possibility of Democrats becoming independent voters? Embarrassment by association.

There are a lot of reasons why voters choose to become non-affiliated members of the electorate -- in a word: independent. In recent elections, with American voters nearly halving themselves down the middle nationally as to being Democrats or Republicans, the independent voters have become increasingly important, especially in the swing states. Oddly enough, independent voters on the national level also are nearly evenly divided, with half leaning toward a Democratic view of politics and half toward the Republicans.

According to the Associated Press, Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian said Thursday the document revealed that Republican Gov. Nikki Haley had trouble with telling the truth. He also said that it appeared that Haley used her Indian heritage only when it suited her.

Haley made national headlines and history in November when she was elected as South Carolina's first female governor. She also became the nation's first female governor of Indian descent, although the second governor with Indian roots (Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana holds that distinction).

As FITS News pointed out after the news broke about the 2001 voter registration application, Haley did use her Indian background and minority status in her campaign for governor and whenever she had the attention of the national press. The South Carolina blog also noted that her parents and sister do not represent themselves as "white" (the father and sister list themselves as "Asian," while the mother checked the "other" box on the application).

It is just such petty incidents or non-issues that have caused a general outpouring of overall exasperation among the American electorate. It is why -- albeit one of the many small "whys" -- many voters have aligned themselves with neither party over the past couple decades. With each party losing their moderate voices as politicians steer closer to the base of each, the more extreme or polarized each party has become.

And if the Democrats and Republicans aren't couching their talking points from the far left or far right, respectively, they're usually nitpicking and being petty in their attacks against the opposing party. And no matter if one agrees with a party's platform, such juvenile behavior is an embarrassment, making the party member wish to become unattached.

Like in the case of attacking Gov. Haley because she designated herself as a "white" voter.

It is akin to the birther argument against President Barack Obama -- attempting to make a scandal out of nothing of substance.

The Democrats are embarrassing themselves for no good reason.

Gov. Haley's office has maintained that they will not comment on the subject.

Politics is a serious business, as the current fight over the federal deficit and the debt ceiling attests. In South Carolina, the very same people that want to talk about a 10-year-old application that seems to have been automatically filled out from driver's license records, are the same people deliberating over immigration reform, the appropriation of funds, and the legality or merit of proposed legislation. It does not seem to be but it should be something beneath a lawmaker's dignity.

Besides, according to South Carolina voter registration officials, people can list any race they wish on their application forms. (And with a nod to the U. S. Constitution, a person's race is irrelevant.)

If Democrats are worried about Nikki Haley's truthfulness, listing herself as "white" ten years ago is a petty aside. All they need to do is cite her recent statements made concerning the National Labor Board - Boeing lawsuit or the Governor's use of inflated statistics with regard to jobs created in South Carolina.

Simply put: It's a "who cares?" moment. As with many decisions, where it is the little things that are generally the pushes an individual to action, it could also be a "last straw" moment. This attack on Gov. Haley, in what amounts to petty sniping, is also a moment when some Democrats, fed up and embarrassed by their elected officials, will wish they were -- and might possibly take the step to become -- independent voters.