Government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people; it wasn't intended to be all things to all people.
— Nikki Haley
I fight for the things that I care about, which are jobs and the economy. I fight for the things I think are important, which are reducing the debt and getting more companies to come to South Carolina.
I've always felt like there are certain politicians that wear their religion on their sleeve in a way that you almost feel is disingenuous. I think that your faith has to be first personal. I struggle with those people that preach something and go back behind closed doors and live differently.
Ultimately, my connection to my Indian-ness comes back to my mom and dad. They would all tell me and my siblings stories about their life in India, so it was very close to my two brothers and my sister and I.
Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter, you can actually hear what someone else is saying. And that can make a world of difference.
No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country. At the same time, that does not mean we just flat out open our borders. We can't do that.
Soon, the Obama presidency will end, and America will have the chance to turn in a new direction.
American businesses deserve a federal government that doesn't stand in their way, not one that tries to chase them overseas.
Unfortunately, these past few years, you can work hard, try to be as successful as possible, follow the rules, and President Barack Obama will do everything he can to stand in your way.
My parents started a business out of the living room of our home and, 30-plus years later, it was a multimillion dollar company. So, President Obama, with all due respect, don't tell me that my parents didn't build their business.
I'm very proud of the way that I was raised, I'm very proud of the way that my parents raised me.
The people of South Carolina support conservatives who are trying to push real change, and the people of South Carolina expect their presidential candidates to back them up when they show courage.
I don't think we should focus on what church that person walks into .. I think we need to focus on what they do when they walk out of church.
I encourage people to find and use the power of their voices just as much when I do not agree with those voices as when I do agree with them.
I'm a huge fan of women; I think we're great.
I had a white senator call me a rag head, and I had an African-American legislator call me a conservative with a tan.
I'm not going to stop beating up on the Democrats for wasteful spending.
Everything that has happened to me in my life has defined who I am, and all of the things leading up to being governor, that all came from overcoming challenges in childhood and overcoming challenges as I got older. When you have God, you quickly understand there's nothing you can't overcome.
Republicans need to stay strong on the fact that marriage is between a man and a woman. Those are values that are true to the party and true to who we are. They could focus on jobs and the economy, but we all know that keeping the family structure intact is very important in our country.
My brother and I have converted to Christianity, and my other brother and sister are still Sikh. So for me, it's not something that I ever want to be judgmental on. I know my parents are two people of a very strong faith. I respect all that they've done in raising their four kids and in the opportunities that they've given us.
I was raised by the Indian community, and those families are still very close to us. We used to go to each others' houses one Sunday a month, so we got to know everyone well. Also, we love Indian food and can't get enough of it.
We must fix our broken immigration system. That means stopping illegal immigration. And it means welcoming properly vetted legal immigrants, regardless of their race or religion. Just like we have for centuries.
Growing up in the rural south, my family didn't look like our neighbors, and we didn't have much. There were times that were tough, but we had each other, and we had the opportunity to do anything, to be anything, as long as we were willing to work for it.
I think it's very important to get ego out of the room. I think it's important to realize it takes two hands to clap - stop the pointing, stop the blame game. I think we've seen enough of that, I think the country is tired of it. I think they want to see Washington function, they want to see action.
Boeing started a new line for their 787 Dreamliner, creating 1,000 new jobs in South Carolina, giving our state a shot in the arm when we truly needed it.
As I said, my parents loved that when they came to America, if you worked hard, the only things that could stop you were the limits you placed on yourself.
Contraception doesn't define a woman.
I've never been a planner. I didn't know I was going to run for the State House. I didn't know I was going to run for governor. I don't know what's next, and I love not thinking about it because the doors open at a certain time.
You don't go to the people that are just like you. You go to the people that you have to earn their credit.
I think that we are at a point in our country where we're trying to decide what role should religion play in the political arena.
This is America. Anyone is free to protest about anything they want.
All of my policy is not based on a label. It's based on what I lived and what I know.
South Carolinians are strong, independently-minded people. At the end of the day, they make their own decisions. And I respect them for that. And I welcome that.
I'm not going to stop beating up on the unions.
The reason I actually ran for office is because of Hillary Clinton. Everybody was telling me why I shouldn't run: I was too young, I had small children, I should start at the school board level.
My husband was adopted, and we had difficulty having both of my children, so we know the gift that life is. We do believe marriage is between a man and a woman. It's how you stand on that kind of thing or how you vote that really makes a difference.
I did read Indian scriptures when we could get the English versions, but the problem was I never took the time to learn the language. Really, what it comes down to is that I knew the emotion of faith; I knew what my parents were trying to teach me, but we always said 'No' when my mom was trying to teach us Punjabi.
My parents always used to tell us not to complain about things but do something about them, so 'Can't is not an option' was almost a way of life.
We cannot continue to allow immigrants to come here illegally. And in this age of terrorism, we must not let in refugees whose intentions cannot be determined.
The foundation that has made America that last, best hope on earth hasn't gone anywhere. It still exists. It is up to us to return to it.
Ann Romney makes all women proud by the way she has conducted her life as a strong woman of faith, as a mother, as a wife and as a true patriot.
In 2009, South Carolina was blessed to welcome a great American company that chose to stay in our country to continue to do business. That company was Boeing.
Almost forty-five years after my parents first became Americans, I stand before you and them tonight as the proud governor of the state of South Carolina.
The public likes to think that women only care about contraception.
For a bill to become law, it truly has to be the will of the people, and for a president to stop the will of the people and stop what you're trying to do in your state is not the role of Washington.
There is no war on women. Women are doing well. But women are thoughtful. And what we in the Republican Party and across the country, Republican, Independents and Democrat women say is we're more thoughtful than a label. We care about jobs and the economy and healthcare and education. We care about a lot of different things.
Protests are fine. But in South Carolina we believe in the rule of law, and the people of this state should never doubt that as governor, I will enforce it.
I think the media's a little frightened of women.
I think any label is bad. I'm more than a label.
People ask the question, 'If you're offered VP, would you take it?' No, I won't take it.
