South Carolina AFL-CIO Leader Donna Dewitt Smashes Nikki Haley Pinata (+Video)

Impact

A video of South Carolina AFL-CIO head Donna DeWitt's retirement party has hit the Internet, featuring DeWitt gleefully bashing a "wicked witch" piñata decorated with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley's face. This attack can't be put down to gender bias, as unions and Haley have been at odds for some time, but the juvenile-looking video won't win the union many new supporters either.

Nikki Haley has already taken advantage of DeWitt's judgment lapse, and posted a link to the offending video on her Facebook page saying, "I wonder if the unions think this kind of thing will make people take them seriously?" Probably not, especially if they know anything about parties and piñatas.

DeWitt wasn't really out of line, as union attacks on effigies are a time-honored tradition. International Labor Day celebrations frequently feature the burning of political figures. As to the relative clue factor of people who mix politics and Mexican party accessories, one advocate wanted a George W. Bush piñata, picked a "cowboy" as a substitute, and inadvertently went home with Woody from Toy Story

The most disturbing thing about Donna DeWitt's retirement party isn't the attack on Nikki Haley, it's the empty piñata and near-total lack of piñata knowledge. A proper piñata party involves lots of cheap candy and blindfolded partygoers, usually under age 10, who are turned around several times before taking a swing. DeWitt did none of this.

If you're inclined to blindfold, smash, and grab at your next get-together, many websites features several political-themed piñatas, including 24-inch Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton heads. If you want a contemporary politician, say Mitt Romney or Joe Biden, you'll have to order them custom-made. At over $100, maybe the lady who turned Woody from Toy Story into George W. Bush had the right idea after all. But, did DeWitt?