I was a little surprised to learn that South Carolina “tea party” organizers are torn between two gubernatorial candidates in the Palmetto State.

Fortunately, they’ve rejected the usual suspects – Andre Bauer, Henry McMaster and Gresham Barrett – and the Democrats.  It seems, though,  they can’t make up their minds between Nikki Haley and Larry Grooms.

Lemme help.

Larry Grooms is just another version of the aforementioned gentlemen.  There is even reason to believe that he IS one of the aforementioned gentlemen although (on paper) more conservative than the rest.  But there is great fear that Grooms is a right-of-center hedged bet for the Leatherman-Harrell empire in the General Assembly.  Possibly even a poisoned pill to take support away from Haley.

If the Tea Party movement is truly about snapping the state back to respectability, responsibility and reliability, than those organizers need to – must – endorse Nikki Haley.

Not only are Haley’s conservative credentials bona fide on paper, they are accentuated by her actions.  Under no circumstances can she be considered a pawn of the powers in the House and Senate.  Quite the contrary.  She’s been a thorn in the paw to those whose agenda is maintaining their own status quo at the expense of the people of South Carolina.

And the “Sanford candidate” tag won’t work on Haley.  She may well have been the governor’s “preferred” candidate, but what has that to do with anything relative to next year’s election?  Her refusal to demonize Sanford’s politics in the wake of his personal failings testify much more positively to her character than that of politicians who have considered everything Sanford to be toxic.

Supporting Nikki Haley isn’t supporting Mark Sanford any more than loyalty to your pastor equates to loyalty to Jimmy Swaggart or Jim Bakker.

So, to South Carolina’s tea party population, if your goal is truly intended to take back government, then your only choice in Nikki Haley.  Transparent,  not cloudy, not bitter or weak.

She’s your cup o’ tea.