Sen. Susan Collins joins Murkowski in Haley endorsement

By
Suzanne Downing
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51

The ranked-choice voting presidential primary in Maine is a messy affair. On Tuesday, March 5, it’s still unclear if the U.S. Supreme Court will allow former President Donald Trump on the Republican ballot in Maine. As of Friday, there are five names on the ballot, although three of them have suspended their campaigns, leaving only Trump and Nikki Haley.

Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Maine says it will ignore the results of the ranked-choice vote on Tuesday. Maine law says the party has that right, because it’s the parties that choose the delegates, not the overall voters.

In November, the Maine Republican Party officials said the only result that will matter to the party is whomever wins the most votes on the first count.

On Friday, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she had cast her ballot for Haley, becoming the second GOP senator, after Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, to pick Haley. Murkowski slipped the announcement to select news agencies on Thursday. Like Murkowski, Collins was one of eight GOP senators who voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment, which took place after he left office in 2021.

Collins endorsement came after she received questions from the Bangor Daily News. She told the newspaper that Haley is “extremely well-qualified” to be the first female president. “She has the energy, intellect, and temperament that we need to lead our country in these very tumultuous times.”

Both Maine and Alaska have ranked-choice systems for statewide elections, although Alaska does not have an open primary or ranked-choice general election for president. The novel voting scheme is only for political seats down the ballot. That’s because it’s the parties themselves that get to decide how to divide up the delegates for the national conventions.

Maine is one of the 30 states where a challenge was made to prevent Trump from being on the ballot. A state court ruled against Trump, but he appealed that decision and the Supreme Court has not issued a decision.

The question is whether Trump’s effort to overturn his defeat in 2020 disqualify him from holding office based on a novel interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which was added after the Civil War to prohibit government officials who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding office.

The 14th Amendment argument was met with skepticism by the Supreme Court, but as Super Tuesday approaches, every state is, at this point, making it up as they go along, with no direction from the high court.

As for what to expect in Maine, it appears Collins is picking a loser. A University of New Hampshire Survey Poll shows Trump leading Haley among Republican voters in Maine by a large margin. In the Feb. 15-19 poll, Trump leads with 77% to Haley’s 19%, for a +58% margin.

Murkowski is first GOP senator to endorse Haley

51 COMMENTS

    • One thing is for sure, though. Collins, however liberal she is, has about four times the cranial power over Lisa Murkowski. Lisa embarrasses Alaska at it’s core.

  2. Supreme Court should go 9-0 on the ballot issue. Every Constitutional Scholar worth their salt have said this is ridiculous. It will be interesting to see just corrupt the Liberal Justices really are. An excellent barometer.

    I’ve said this many times. What if Killary had won! Dodged a huge bullet!

    Collins and Murk are on the wrong team, as usual. Murk is trying to hang onto the Native vote, which has gone woke more so than I think people realize. They’ve bit on the Orangeman Bad lure.

  3. Ever notice that Murkowski can’t do something on her own? She has to have a partner.

    • One thing I can assure to the MRA comment readers, the two Senators are definitely not extreme, radical right wingers 😉

    • Concerned Alaskan:

      An astute observation you have made. Lisa Murkowski has an artificial level of self-confidence. It is unusual for a woman in her mid-60’s and a US Senator for 22 years, and born into a family of career politicians, to not be able to stand on her own and make independent assertions without having to include the backbone of others at her side. This is the result of her being timid and unsure of her positions. Her own father put her into this role as senator, then bailed her out of trouble, at least twice (Joe Miller and Kelly Tshibaka would have otherwise beaten her). Lisa does not have a lot of confidence in her own abilities. That probably comes from being pampered and catered to as a young child. Her siblings are rarely mentioned, if ever. I’ve heard the stories of her taking the Bar Exam a half dozen times. That tends to be a career impediment standing on it’s own.
      If I had the opportunity to personally psychoanalyze Lisa Murkowski, I would probably find an immature young woman with many shortcomings, including an abundant fear of being alone. She has relied on her parents to come to her rescue time after time. She cannot express her fears publicly because that would put her into a terrible light as unqualified and incompetent in her capacity as senator. She can continue to appease certain factions through her political rhetoric, but her support is nominal. When one peels back the veneer of Senator Murkowski, she looks like an orphan who is screaming to be rescued again. One can see the “deer in the headlights” look she projects when on camera. It’s the same look I saw when she was introduced by her own father, Frank, 22 years ago.
      My overall impression: she remains very uncomfortable with herself and will be exceptionally afraid when Trump resumes the duties as US President.

      • Looking forward to Murcowski’s life-changing events when President Trump resumes his duties again!

      • Dr:
        “Exceptionally afraid when Trump returns.”
        How about “scared sh*tless?”
        Murkowski isn’t much of a Senator to begin with. But Trump will make mincemeat out of her when he gets back to DC. It’ll be so fun to watch.

        • Dr. Dan gave us an honest assessment about our girl. We had her in therapy often. Nothing resonated. Your viewpoint is worth so much more than the tens of thousands we spent on childhood therapy. Where do we send you the check, Dr. Dan?

  7. Two extraordinary political lightweights endorsing a loser who could not even win her own state despite being their governor. To them it’s all about TDS. They would rather Biden steal another election and degrade this country even further than Trump win. They think Trump is the problem and getting rid of him will ‘right the ship’. But they don’t care to understand that America will never be as we know it with the Biden regime in charge for another go at it. We are not dealing with intellectual giants with these two.

  8. RINO women in charge will see the security of our country go down the crapper. Then, it’s too late.

  9. A Republican running for office who gets an endorsement by these two is like the kiss of death. It would only positive if you were a fake and a liar like Murky who is more deceptive than Nikki herself. A Democrat running as a Republican.

    • Losers of a feather flock together. Haley is even losing to None of the Above and princess with her Maine twin are endorsing her based on a flawed belief, reasoning and BS justification. Just like her other picks based on temperament, political correctness and who is best dressed. As if I cared who they endorse, other than to vote for whoever they didn’t endorse. LMAO.

  10. Dropped by just to read the comments..Didn’t disappoint and I can’t really add anything except that y’all carried the ball like champs…carry on!! 👍👏✊💪🏈

  11. A nation led by women cannot raise a culture of strong men. Without strong men your nation is invaded (currently) and conquered. Women get to negotiate with their conquerors. Men don’t and it affects how they vote. The women of this country are going to find themselves with a very different kind of man if they keep this up.

    If you fear strong men, wait and see what weak men are capable of.

  14. Alarm bell should be ringing very loud if Murkowski is endorsing Nikie Haley. Haley as president not be beneficial to Alaska or The United States. The Rank Choice Voting pandemic need to go

  21. I’ll vote for the Republican nominee no matter who she or he happens to be. If Trump, with his amazing character flaws, is elected I have permission to stop saying black when Sam Clemens didn’t have to do so, and I will once again laugh at queers – even when they are Irish Catholic priests. If Trump wins we can return to the America that won WWII! That sure as Hell didn’t have blacks and it didn’t have queers. Shoot straight and speak the truth.

  22. She needs to call up Fauci and get a Trump Derangement Syndrome vaccine booster shot. She has TDS-19 bad.

  25. Haley’s latest is to do a full Murkowski and say she will support the Republican party nominee and then when it’s not her, say she isn’t obligated to support him just like princess did to Joe Miller. Gee, wonder where she got that one from. What else will she do that on?

  26. It’s fascinating Nikki has said she no longer feels bound to her RNC pledge to support Trump if he’s the nominee.

    Says the RNC has changed, or some stupid word salad.

    I knew given enough time she’d show her true colors. A political lady of the evening.

  27. Sad truth is, the GOP isn’t worth moose droppings anymore. It’s just Democrat lite.

    It needs to go the way of the Whig party.

  28. Nikki says she understands why people are leaving the GOP, then completely misses the boat.

    She, and people like her, are why the GOP is losing people.

    How clueless is this woman?

  30. Nikki is either storing donor bucks for her next campaign a La Cheney, or she heard she might be unopposed, later.
    “Ron DeSantis, please be ready if Trump dies—We don’t want Nikki..!!!”

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