Will Folks’ Stunt Backfires; Nikki Haley Still Leads in South Carolina Governor’s Poll

Nikki Haley and Will Folks

There you go again.

It seems that the Will Folks/Nikki Haley Saga did not die, it just took the Memorial Day Weekend off.

It boggles the mind how on day one of this drama, Folks can say…

“I will not be discussing the details of that relationship, nor will I be granting any additional interviews about it to members of the media beyond what I have already been compelled to confirm.”

…and then not shut up about the matter, except for the aforementioned holiday weekend.

Even when Folks is discussing another primary race, Sic Willie just has to bring up the Nikki Haley Matter;

Forget Haley v. Folks, the most acrimonious (and personal) battle in Palmetto state politics this year has been the race between “incumbent” State Treasurer Converse Chellis and challenger Curtis Loftis.  Seriously … what other race can you think of (for now, at least) in which the “herpes” card has been played?

His latest claim: big money backers are asking him not to release the details of the affair.  Built in excuse for when the chips never do fall, or another delaying tactic?  Who knows.  Who cares anymore.

Alas poor Willie, even the best laid plans are sometimes foiled by reality.  More than any other candidate, South Carolinians still like Nikki Haley; over 31% of voters say that they will choose Haley in the 4 candidate race.  And, in fact, only 25% think that the “he said/she said” details of an “alleged affair” even matter in the race.

The only real casualty in this “affair” (pardon the pun) so far is Erick Erickson over at RedSate.com who promised juicy details and then had to apologetically back away from that claim.

It does not take too much dot connecting to figure out that Erickson’s connections withing the Haley campaign are not going to let him run with the off the record information they  gave him as background material both last year, when rumors first sprung up, and now, as the story has broken.

All I know, is the last thing that I would want is a pro like Erick Erickson pissed off at me, a bloodhound like Stacy McCain on my trail, or a pitbull like Dan Riehl out to prove me wrong.

Sic Willie, the wolves are surrounding you, it is time for you to either prove your claim, or to apologetically cower your way back to your hole with your tail between your legs.

Which will it be Mr. Folks?

UPDATE: 6/1 5:45 – Even Will’s old boss, the notorious Argentine lover Mark Sanford thinks Sic Willie is full of doo doo.  (AP)

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford says an allegation against a Republican gubernatorial candidate by a Columbia blogger who also was his first press secretary is an evil brand of politics as usual.

Sanford said Tuesday he doesn’t believe blogger Will Folks’s claim that he had an inappropriate physical relationship with Nikki Haley.

Sanford, who saw his political prospects destroyed after disappearing for days last year and admitting to an affair with an Argentine woman, says it’s the silly season in politics with primaries next Tuesday.

In rebuttal, Folks claims to have “presented just enough evidence” to “hint at a cover-up”.  But the question remains, who is covering up, Haley or Folks?

UPDATE II: 6/1 10:25 – As Usual, The Other McCain has an interesting take on Folks’ recent post.

Douchebag Blogger Will Folks Claims That He’s a Victim of ‘Smear Campaign’

The guy who has spent two years spreading salacious rumors about his former employer has taken to recording private phone conversations and claiming that supporters of Nikki Haley are waging a “smear campaign” against him.

A Sullivanesque irony-deficient lack of self-awareness? Whatever.

Dan Riehl interprets Will Folks’ latest eruption to mean that the douchebag has run out of “evidence” and lacks the courage to admit it.

UPDATE III: 6/1 11:30 – Of course the affair was an issue in the Republican candidate’s debate this evening, although none of Haley’s opponents brought the issue up.

Allegations of a claimed affair that has rocked the SC GOV race spilled into a debate tonight as state Rep. Nikki Haley (R), the surprise front-runner, denied inappropriate relations with a former campaign ally.

When asked by WBTW News13 anchor/debate moderator Bob Juback about whether rumors of her personal life would affect her ability to govern, Haley said, “Not at all, because the questions raised about my personal life aren’t true.” She said the allegations came up when she became a “double digit leader in the polls.”

She added, “My husband and I have been proud and faithful for 13 years. I think it’s sad that it’s South Carolina politics at its worse.”

UPDATE IV: 6/2 3:00 pm – Once again, Stacy McCain over at The Other McCain is on top of things, confirming the reason why Erickson backed off his story:

Oh, and speaking of stories that didn’t pan out, Pappas interviewed Erick Erickson at Red State, who explained that his”we know who paid Will Folks” non-story fizzled because South Carolina sources stopped returning his phone calls.

UPDATE V: 6/7 1:25 pm – Nearly a week later and Folks is still fishing through his text messages looking for something that might appear incriminating. The latest;

In June 2009, Folks’ wife Katrina (a.k.a. Mrs. Sic) responded to what she described as inappropriate ”emotional exchanges” sent via text message late at night between Folks and Haley by sending her own message to the gubernatorial candidate from her husband’s phone.

“This is Katrina,” Mrs. Sic’s message to Haley read. ”Keep it business only.”

Interestingly, Folks released the response, but not the Haley text.  You would think if he had something even slightly incriminating, he would have included it in the post.

Another dead end from Folks.

New Post: New Nikki Haley Commercial, With Her Husband by Her Side.