By T.A. DEFEO | THE CENTER SQUARE
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, defeated by former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire on Tuesday, has vowed to continue her quest for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
The voters in the state she once led may be the last remaining hope. While Nevada is next for Republicans, Haley isn’t on the caucus ballot Feb. 8. That makes her home state of South Carolina next on Feb. 24.
“New Hampshire is first in the nation,” Haley said in remarks after Tuesday’s vote. “It’s not last in the nation. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go. And the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina.”
In New Hampshire, Trump picked up 54.4% of the vote to Haley’s 43.3%. Trump is the first Republican presidential candidate to win Iowa and New Hampshire since the states became the first two on the primary calendar in 1976.
In a statement, Americans for Prosperity Action Senior Advisor Emily Seidel said the “results in New Hampshire show that Nikki Haley is closing the gap and that she is the clear alternative for voters who are ready to close the book on the toxic Biden-Trump political era.” However, she acknowledges it “is still an uphill battle.”
“Now all eyes turn to South Carolina, where she has a steeper road ahead,” Seidel said. Americans for Prosperity Action endorsed Haley.
Keith Nahigian, president of Nahigian Strategies, a Republican and a veteran campaign strategist, noted that South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, U.S. Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham and many of the state’s U.S. House members, all Republicans, have endorsed Trump.
“South Carolina is Trump country, and Nikki Haley would need to take it back from him,” Nahigian told The Center Square via email. “Haley would need a win in New Hampshire and then a win in South Carolina in order to keep moving to other states like Michigan and Nevada where she has even fewer resources.
“Losing will put real pressure on her to drop out,” Nahigian added. “Most of the Trump opposition candidates are young and don’t want to damage a potential future run for POTUS because they looked so beatable. They could live to fight another day.”
Zee Cohen-Sanchez, founder and executive director of Sole Strategies, which promotes Democratic campaigns, said New Hampshire’s outcome will influence voting in the South Carolina primary. Before the New Hampshire vote was finalized, Cohen-Sanchez said if Haley comes within 8-10 points of Trump, she is still viable and “has a chance to win South Carolina.”
However, “she will be seriously debilitated by the fact independents who can vote in the New Hampshire primary are not afforded the same rights in South Carolina,” Cohen-Sanchez told The Center Square via email.
“It definitely hurts her that South Carolina Senator Tim Scott endorsed Trump as did other prominent lawmakers,” Cohen-Sanchez said. “Her campaign funds are adequate, and if she can pull off the upset, she will be able to raise significant money from all the Never Trump Republicans.
“Still, it’s almost impossible for her to find a path to victory unless Trump has major health issues or decides to pull out, which is highly unlikely but statistically possible.”
“Still, it’s almost impossible for her to find path to victory unless…” Unless she somehow starts inexplicably, impossibly winning every primary race, just like Joe Biden did in 2020….
Right. She’ll stay in as long as it takes to either get Trump convicted of some devious crime or get more votes counted than voters.
Obama just pulled the strings for Biden in 2020.
Obama never wanted Biden – his candidate was Kamala Harris. But Mommy Tulsi destroyed Kamala in one devastating debate exchange, aptly pointing out Kamala made a career out of jailing pot smokers.
Not good when you are trying to appeal to a crowd full of pot smokers. Obama never forgave her and has been painting Tulsi as a ‘Russian plant’ ever since.
After Kamala was put out to pasture, Obama settled on Biden because he was the only candidate that might stop populist Bernie Sanders. Sanders and Obama are both left wing creatures, however Obama is an elitist that likes to dictate to his subjects. Besides, he preferred someone that had already kissed the ring.
He made sure that ALL of the candidates that were competing for Biden-flavor Democrats dropped out right before Super Tuesday – while candidates competing for Sanders-flavored Democrats (Pocahantas) were left to split the vote. Once Biden won a single plurality, they used COVID to shut down the remaining primaries, and the rest is history.
Republicans need a rational alternative to the irrational Trump. Haley needs to stay in- she has the best chance against Biden in November. We MUST have critical independent voters, and traditional (Reagan) Republicans to win. Haley is pro life, pro gun, and supported lower taxes and regulations in her two terms as governor. She grew the economy of her state as a result.
It is possible that Trump will be convicted of a felony, or be dumped from different state ballots- that’s all up to SCOTUS.
Haley is not pro life. She is not for less goverment. She is a corporate shill. She is a war monger. She is the darling of the daubached and corrupt donor class. She will say or do anything for them. She is an almost perfect blend of Hilary Clinton and Bush 2. She is a repugnant politician and those that vote for her are leftists or ignorant or both.
Ted Cruz did the same thing in 2016 before finally suspending his campaign on May 3, 2016. She will probably suspend her campaign after the South Carolina primary. If for some crazy reason she wiggles her way into the chair at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave she would be another bought and paid for puppet just like Biden. Looking at her political career she is pro Niki Haley just like Joe Biden is pro Joe Biden…is that what you want M? I want some that is pro America and represents the words of Ronald Regan….Make America Great Again. Yes, Ronald Regan is credited with that pithy expression.
Wait until.she ends up in her home state. I don’t think there will be enough timber to keep the skeletons locked up in her closet. Can she explain how she is even running as a non natural born citizen?
What super secret knowledge do you have the rest of the world doesn’t?
Brown people with Indian names can and are natural born American citizens as much as white people with German names.
Dude, do some research. It is known her parents did not naturalize until 1978 and 2003 respectively. She was born in 1972. Thanks for playing now move back to the children’s table.
every heard of the term anchor baby?
Wow dude, way to red-herring a conversation. You truly have nothing to say, do you?
How is she gonna run against Biden when she has no chance of winning the primary race?
Reality street says she’s toast. The votes aren’t there.
If, by the Republican convention:
A. Trump has been convicted of any of the many felonies he has been charged with, or
B. Trump has lost at SCOTUS on the 14th amendment issues (and is not on the ballot in many states), or,
C. His health fails,
Then the convention will have to replace Trump with, most likely, the best vote getter so far- Nikki Haley.
A. He can be convicted and imprisoned and still became President. Imagine the votes he would get.
B. If SCOTUS rules against him then each party will nullify candidates going forward. There quickly will be no more national elections.
C. This is the one hope for his enemies isn’t it? That he dies. One way of another. Be careful what you wish for. Those unintended consequences…
Haley will never be President unless she runs as a democrat and the administrative state strongly “fortifies” the election for her.
Yes, Micah, I imagine the votes he’d get. Trump lost the popular vote twice- by millions of votes each time. Do you honestly think the critical independent and rational republicans are going to vote for a felon? Some of you MAGA cult members need to get out of your echo chambers and assess how liberal this country is. California, Illinois, New York, Maryland, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and another dozen other US states are full of Biden supporters and they are never going to vote for the angry orange guy. The hard left outnumbers us… never forget that.
The Convention does not have to replace with the next highest vote getter. The Convention could choose anyone they please.
Trump will remain eligible even if convicted.
The 14th amendment has virtually no chance.
You may want Haley, but the country doesn’t.
do you think trump supporters will fall in line and get behind neocon nikki, I don’t and if the GOP elite try to pull that the rabble will be roused or people will just stay home and bidden will have a chance at a legitamate win
I’d love more options of candidates that actually have morals and follow what’s best for America. The problem is Haley is not that. She’s a deep state hack that will continue whatever agenda people like McConnell and Graham would push. She’s a paid for politician who has no loyalty to us voters. Trump actually does what he says he’ll do. I don’t like his ego, but I like his drive to strengthen America.
This is why I’m so disappointed DeSantis fell flat.
We have no interest in your so called “rational alternatives”…. We want America first….forever.
Until 2016 it wasn’t a crime to be a proud American…..you didn’t used to have to hide yourself to feel like you were free to walk down the sidewalk. That all changed when the left went off the deep end.
Hayley is also pro never ending war and pro government censorship..
I guess you like keeping your head in the sand, but the rest of us want a President that will stand up for our country. You can leave whenever you want.
Never Nikki is an opportunist who will take advantage of whatever will benefit her personal agenda. Most of her supporters would rather vote for Biden than Trump. Billionaire Reid Hoffman contributed $250,000 to a pro-Haley super PAC last year, because he believed that she had the best chance of beating Trump in the Republican primary. That says it all. If the dems can get a Haley vs Biden presidential ballot, it’s a win win for them either way.
She’s kidding herself
It is for you, Nimarata.
You may now go back to being a lackey and paid shill for the military-industrial-complex corporation of your choosing.
Trump 2016/2020/2024
Any Never Trumpers are either weak, feckless, fearful, or corrupted.
I will add low information consumers and psuedo thinkers.
They would rather have a old GOP uni-party scum with wars, open border, and our enemies kicking our — than acknowledge what Trump policies did for 4yrs.
Their hubrus keeps them hysterically blind.
Haley would probably be more comfortable running as a Democrat. More her type of people…dishonest, flexible morals, weak ethics, Trump hater…she fits right in.
She’s being bankrolled by Reid Hoffman. Left wing mega donor.
Heck, she won’t win SC. That’s how bad she is.
Just a liberal’s fevered dream.
Hoffman just reported that he isn’t giving her any more money. The End!
Money is no object when it comes to the deep pockets of the globalist deep state.
Nikki, the race was over before you entered it.
I often say the reason Trump was elected wasn’t Trump himself, it was because most of us were fed up with the feckless GOP.
I had a faint hope the GOP would have learned that lesson. The fact that Nikki is the darling of the GOP establishment shows the GOP learned nothing.
The USA don’t want her. They want Trump who had positioned America in a better place than the reality we are facing today. Besides no woman will be taken seriously by the World leaders. USA needs a MAN whom the world leaders fear and respect. I can’t see Putin respecting her. Can you?
Sorry Nikki, time to go home. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians.
👏👏
Well said, Jose.
She must be nuts ! Oh wait a minute , the Murdoch’s and the super rich in America that pull all the right wing levers ( who are in the minority ) are still all in for this poor woman . She is absolutely delusional and now it’s just to make her super rich and shower her with cash . This is why most of America hates Mitch and the Uni-Party . Party is over Nikki , time to get out of the way of the Trump Train . It’s coming down the tracks full steam ahead .
Denali is correct. Nikki Haley was born to parents who were not U.S. citizens at the time of her birth. She is a “Citizen”, but not a “ Natural Born Citizen”. Thus not eligible to be President. Her skin is just fine.
I was mildly interested until she played the race card.
There was some sort of irregularity when she was in Europe near the time of the election. It escapes my memory and many others because the news does not provide details they would have to keep electorate informed and the republic. The military has all the secrets. Some folks are feeling desperate. I, too don’t believe she is someone the nation needs as President right now.
I won’t be waiting for Haley’s Vomit.
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