Republican presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley appeared on FNC’s Fox News Sunday program this week. She did pretty well with the interview with host Shannon Bream but there were a couple of weak points that Haley will have to tune up going forward.
It gives me no pleasure to criticize Nikki Haley so early in her campaign to be the GOP’s nominee for president because I like her. I don’t know that she’ll be able to catch fire and hang in the primary season long enough to go up against the two presumed front runners, Trump and Ron DeSantis, for any length of time. Hope springs eternal.
The first weak spot was noticeable when Shannon Bream asked her rationale for deciding to run for president. “Why you?” Haley began with “Why not me?” That’s a catchy answer but it’s too flippant. She then launched into her bio, which is compelling but it’s not enough to convince a voter to support her. She needs more. Republicans don’t depend on checking identity boxes, we expect to elect the best fit for the job. Haley said she is the wife of a combat veteran, and the mother of two children – a daughter who is getting married and hopes to buy her first home, and a son who is a college student dealing with the woke environment there. She said she is the daughter of immigrants who are upset about the southern border. And, she said she is an accountant, not a lawyer. All of that is good. She did not, however, list off her professional accomplishments. She was a successful and popular governor and she was very good at being the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. She represented the America First agenda of Trump very well and didn’t back down from fights with brutal dictators or on human rights. She has a strong resume and it is filled with varied experiences that would serve her well as president.
One reason she gave was that we need more transparency in government and we need more options. That’s true, especially during the Biden administration days which are perhaps the least transparent days in recent history, but that’s not a reason voters are looking for a candidate to run on. Biden did and look what happened. He is caught in lies on a daily basis and keeps the press shut out. She said she wants to end socialism and defeatism in America but all Republican candidates will say that.
The second area of weakness came up when she was asked how she is different on policy from Trump, the only other announced candidate. She immediately said, “I don’t focus on President Trump.” Well, she may not but it’s guaranteed that every other Republican and Independent voter in the country will have some level of focus on Trump. She seems unwilling to point out any differences she may have with him and I’m not sure if it is because she wants to hold off a while or if she really doesn’t have a good answer to show a difference on any given subject. I would find the latter reason hard to believe but it may be true. She is otherwise giving off an air of confidence and competence, which serves her well.
Haley said she announced her candidacy in South Carolina before a few thousand people and she did town halls with packed rooms in New Hampshire. She said no one brought up Trump at any event. They all wanted to talk about Joe Biden and the problems facing American families today. I can believe that because New Hampshire voters want to make personal connections with candidates and get to know them before deciding whom to support. She, like the others who will run, will make many trips to New Hampshire before the state’s primary election.
It’s going to be a larger field of candidates than I want to see. I don’t want what happened in the 2016 election to happen in 2024. Donald Trump benefits from a large field of candidates and he won the nomination without breaking more than 30% of the vote in some primaries. Tim Scott is a potential rival. Haley appointed Scott to fill a vacant seat in the Senate and said he has been a good senator and is a friend. She said many of the Republicans who may enter the race are friends. That was a consistent theme for her. Nonetheless, if Senator Scott gets in, he has a substantial war chest and he can give her some stiff competition.
There is little doubt that Governor Ron DeSantis is going to run. He is doing all the things he should. He’s even playing Trump well. DeSantis is coming to Texas for two large, important fundraising dinners – the Lincoln-Reagan dinners in Houston and in Dallas. This is a big deal. He’s running. Is the Texas GOP ready to move on from Trump? I’m seeing signs the answer to that question is yes. I certainly hope so.
Liberals are nervous. DeSantis scares them and already Nikki Haley has seen an abundance of attacks from the left. Liberals don’t understand conservatives who are minorities and it makes them angry. She can attract independent voters, which Trump has lost, and the same is true for suburban women. Those two groups are necessary for any Republican candidate to be successful. Trump can’t beat Biden in 2024 but Nikki Haley can and so can Ron DeSantis.
She’s headed to Iowa. We’ll see who the next Republican is to enter the race. Is it Tim Scott?
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