Nikki Haley Makes It Official
[guest post by Dana]
She’s in:
Get excited! Time for a new generation.
Let’s do this! 👊 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/BD5k4WY1CP
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 14, 2023
She concludes her announcement with what could easily be seen as a shot across Donald Trump’s bow, given how well he deals with women who challenge him:
You should know this about me: I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels.
Since Haley is the only other Republican who has made an official announcement, it stands to reason that Trump will focus his attention on her. But I don’t think he sees her as any great threat, not like he would Ron DeSantis if he runs.
Anyway, a few interesting observations over at FiveThirtyEight:
Haley’s presidential bid isn’t just significant because she’s the first candidate to openly challenge Trump. As a child of Indian immigrants, she’s also the first woman of color — and the fifth woman ever — to run for the Republican presidential nomination. Haley’s race and gender are particularly noteworthy because Republican women of color are rare in elected office, although their numbers did grow after the 2020 election. The fact that she’s going up against Trump will sharpen the contrast, particularly if he uses the racist and sexist attacks he’s employed against past challengers. Haley’s candidacy will be a high-profile test of how a woman of color is received by Republican primary voters…As we’ve written for the site, the dearth of women among Republican politicians’ ranks is due to two self-reinforcing problems: They’re less likely to run for office, and when they do run, they face significant barriers in the form of voter stereotypes and a lack of institutional support.
The chair of the DNC responded to Haley’s announcement:
.@DNC Chair @harrisonjaime has issued a statement in response to @NikkiHaley’s announcement: pic.twitter.com/erRsoVTLgw
— Averi Harper (@AveriHarper) February 14, 2023
–Dana
Good morning.
Dana (1225fc) — 2/14/2023 @ 8:04 amShe’s got looks, class, and brains. And the entire 2020 Democratic primary lineup beat, for a fact. We’ll see.
nk (bb1548) — 2/14/2023 @ 8:38 amShe can bring nk and DCSCA together. That’s big tent right there.
Appalled (3a5b45) — 2/14/2023 @ 8:45 amI would eagerly vote for her should she wins the primary over any Democrat.
whembly (d116f3) — 2/14/2023 @ 8:45 amBased on everything I know about her so far she’s ok. I think she’s been wishing washy on the Jan 6 thing. But right now I’d vote for her over Trump or Ron in a primary and over Biden in the general.
Time123 (31d31e) — 2/14/2023 @ 8:57 amI think we may see a DeSantis / Haley ticket.
Mattsky (7036b7) — 2/14/2023 @ 9:10 amTrump to call Haley “disloyal” in 5, 4, 3, 2…
Paul Montagu (8f0dc7) — 2/14/2023 @ 9:31 amI guess the DNC is going to wait for their media friends to do a deep dive into how rape kits were handled by local police when she was Governor (I forget exactly how this happened in this Alaska, but evidently cash poor municipalities Police Depts around the state including Wasilla billed the kits to the victims insurance. This was spun into “Sarah Palin makes rape victims pay for their rape kit”) Here is CA there is a backlog of 14,000 rape kits that have not been processed, so CA under Newsom created a tracking website. That’ll do it. We just had a budget surplus, so it wasn’t about money…
steveg (9b6a62) — 2/14/2023 @ 9:54 amShe’s obviously a Big Tent candidate. My concern is whether there are too many Little Tent voters (on both sides of the Trump divide).
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:07 amMy guess is that the correct candidate will allow both Trump and anti-Trump voters to look to the future. The real question is how badly Trump himself plays Samson-in-the-Temple.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:09 amThat the DNC has the temerity to accuse the GOP of wanting to “end Medicare as we know it” is risible. The changes that are being forced onto Medicare in the next few years — done entirely without a GOP vote — are gutting W’s Medicare Part D.
Already this year, drug formularies have been slashed, with many drugs only available on higher-priced plans so that insulin and a few other drugs can be price-fixed.
Next year maximum out-of-pocket is halved and deductibles are cut, while premiums are capped. This will drive a number of insurers out of the market. Many seniors who need drug plans will be forced into Medicare Advantage HMOs with narrow doctor networks and little patient control.
And the Democrats will blame the GOP, and the press will let them.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:16 amTrump to call Haley “disloyal” in 5, 4, 3, 2…
I have not given up the idea that Trump put her in to divide the anti-Trump vote, or that her goal is really to be Vice President, Trump’s or somebody else’s.
nk (bb1548) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:27 amThis is the problem with our fractured media. Too many people—on both sides—only get their news from their respective echo chambers.
It’s always been that way, to some extent, but it seems bizarre: we believe something about someone we do not know, because someone else we do not know told us so…
Kevin and others: where do you go for your news that isn’t self reinforcing?
Simon Jester (ff9c91) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:28 amAnd I have always liked Nikki Haley’s interviews. We shall see.
Simon Jester (ff9c91) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:28 amI expect that the civility police will be on break when it comes to Nikki Haley’s opponents.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:31 amKevin and others: where do you go for your news that isn’t self reinforcing?
I subscribe (at deep discounts) to NYT, WaPo, LAT, WSJ and the local ABQ paper. $1/week is my limit. There is also CNN, RCP and Drudge (for serendipity). Plus blogs like Scotusblog and this one here. Occasionally I drop in on Instapundit and Reason, but not so much lately.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:35 amI think that the WaPo to Instapundit spectrum gives me a broad exposure.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:36 amIt’s more than just 1/6. She has completely flipped her position regarding Trump. Political expediency tops everything.
That’s why I call her The Waffler.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:45 amI think Nikki Haley already did the “work for Trump thing” and doubt she’d take a VP slot. She could also just Google “Mike Pence” and “news” and see how that’s gone. If I was politically ambitious and was offered VP slot by Trump, I’d scream “wrong number, wrong number” into the phone and immediately, publicly hire a dominatrix to beat the idea out of me. My political future would be better off with photos of me wearing a ball gag with a giant trans beating me than as Trumps VP
steveg (9b6a62) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:48 amNYT, WaPo, LAT, WSJ, RCP, Volokoh Conspiracy, here, Free Republic (when I need a laugh), Lawfare, 538, CNN, Memeorandum (a news/blog aggregator, which sometimes includes PP), Google News, MSN and Yahoo News, etc.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:51 amAnother South Carolinian will be running for President.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:58 amNikki Haley is slammed by Rip and the WaPo (birm) for working with Trump and for not going full Liz Cheney after J6, but that’s because the WaPo is a DNC outlet and Rip is apparently a small-tent Republican.
The fact is that Haley managed to work as UN Ambassador without 1) disgracing herself with some Trumpian nonsense, and 2) getting fired by Trump. Both of those required consummate political skill. Her leaving after the midterms was probably a good move as that balancing act wasn’t sustainable, but she also managed to leave on good terms, again a wonder in the Trump years.
She said what she said after J6, and was informed that the Party (and especially its donors) didn’t feel the same way. So she stifled herself and waited. IF you note she was generally unwilling to speak out on the Trump issue, either way, afterwards.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 11:28 amShe may not get the nomination this time (although I think she’s a contender), but if not she’ll be the heir apparent if DeSantis loses, or 8 years later, if he wins.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 11:30 amTim Scott IS running for VP. Can’t be Nikki’s though.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 11:33 amIt will be interesting to see her on the trail and to see her carve out her message. I don’t think this will end up being a referendum on her Trump comments. It will be more of what is your vision moving forward. If she tells a compelling story that can expand the number of voters that will consider the GOP, then that’s important. But we should probably listen to a few more speeches before anointing her or rejecting her.
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 2/14/2023 @ 11:33 amFirst of all, I am not a registered Republican (registered decline to state) and no, it’s just that she is a hypocrite, first condemning Trump then whitewashing him. The only reason Darling Nikki stayed out the Trump drama is that the UN is located in New York.
Yes he can, the South Carolina electoral college delegates just couldn’t vote for him. The 12th Amendment says
Right now she’s a box checker. She’s not a white male, she has immigrant parents, and she isn’t Trump. That’s the best you say about her. Darling Nikki needs a rationale to be President beyond checking the boxes. She has also be doing pretty much nothing since she left the Trump Administration, while DeSantis has been stealing the show.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 11:57 amTrumpWorld hasn’t forgotten her Politico interview, and they blame her for starting the movement to remove Confederate statues and place names when she backed the removal of the Stars and Bars from the state flag. They are adamantly against her.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:02 pmYes he can, the South Carolina electoral college delegates just couldn’t vote for him
Obviously. But it is never done.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:13 pmTrumpWorld
Trumpworld is not the tens of millions who voted for him, but rather the bottom-feeding mom’s-basement-dwelling incels who populate Free Republic. They’d never vote for any woman. This is just their excuse.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:16 pmStill, we see just how toxic Trump remains, and will until the day he dies.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:17 pmit’s just that she is a hypocrite, first condemning Trump then whitewashing him.
No, she’s a politician. At best you can say she’s ambivalent towards Trump. As is the GOP. If the GOP’s voters divide into Trump and notTrump camps, and will not vote for a member of the other camp, then say hello to President AOC.
People need to get over themselves. It’s not about you.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:21 pmNYT, WaPo, LAT, WSJ and the local ABQ paper. $1/week is my limit. There is also CNN, RCP and Drudge .
This runs the gamut from A to B.
kaf (6fa9cd) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:31 pmKevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:13 pm
In 2000, Dick Cheney had moved to Texas to run Haliburton -as a figurehead, really. (he later divested himself and substituted fixed payments, but Democrats would not stop intimating he had a conflict of interest and that Haliburton would profit from Iraq being taken off the sanctions list)
He moved his address to the vacation home he still had in Jackson Hole, Wyoming – maybe it was his official residence while he was in Congress.
You can get as close as 30 days before an election for purposes of voting and this goes for residency for purposes of federal elections
Tim Scott can’t change his official state of residence without resigning from the Senate, and similarly DeSantis can’t move from Florida without resigning as Governor. Trump could “move” (most likely to Bedford, New Jersey) but he’d have to pay more taxes. Nikki Haley could move maybe.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:35 pmRip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 11:57 am
Isn’t it enough that she’s not Trump, not a Trump imitator, and not a Democrat and there’s nobody else so far who checks those three boxes??
By doing things like lying about getting the College Board to change its curriculum on African American history. He never offered any specific objection! (they changed some, and maybe announced that because of him, unless his threat to do something were times to when they were about to announce something. He’s still fighting them)
DeSantis never communicated any detailed objections, and they’d been getting pushback for some time. DeSantis piggybacked on that.
The College Board put a lot of radical ideas into their test, and excerpts from bad ideas. Saying they were covering what colleges did.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:38 pmHence my nickname for : The Waffler.
Rip Murdock (d19d0a) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:39 pmBreaking: Senator Dianne Feinstein announces she will not run for re-election. It was more or less expected sooner or later.
She may now be less capable than John Fetterman, who mainly only has trouble understanding speech. Fetterman is concentrating on the farm bill, where he feels he may accomplish something, and not trying to make waves. Captioning has been set up at his desk on the floor, at the podium (junior Senators often preside) and at his committee seats.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:43 pmThat’s a pretty low bar. At best she is Trump adjacent. I don’t think someone who is only box checker should be President. Otherwise you have a Republican Obama.
Rip Murdock (d19d0a) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:43 pmKari Lake
Rip Murdock (d19d0a) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:45 pmAnd Elise Stefanik.
Rip Murdock (d19d0a) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:46 pmThis runs the gamut from A to B.
1) you edited my comment to falsify your reply. You are dishonest.
2) At least I get to B. You are no doubt stuck at Z.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:48 pmKari Lake
I stand corrected. They’d never vote for a sane woman.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:49 pmAnd Elise Stefanik.
Elsie has fewer principles than KEvin McCarthy. She’d be Liz Cheney’s VP if it was on offer.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:50 pmDeSantis is trying to take over for Trump. He’s smarter and saner, but he still is leading by hate and resentment, not by hope or vision. It’s the Dark Side, and I want better.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:53 pmSo, kaf, what do you read regularly? Besides Free Republic and Gateway Pundit?
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 12:55 pm43, Trump’s crew might be crazy but at least it seems demographic boxes are checked within that menagerie. No Brandon Strakas or Kathy Barnettes in the DeSantis crew. Trump might scour for votes in “unfriendly” places if RDS is the clear clubhouse leader on the cusp of Super Tuesday.
urbanleftbehind (1be510) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:04 pmNikki Haley Makes It Official
Liftoff!!!!
“Go, baby, GO!!” – Walter Cronkite, CBS News
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:04 pmBTW, I just sent Nikki some money.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:27 pmMore about The Waffler:
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:35 pmAs I noted elsewhere, I only donate money to 501(c)(4) organizations, which do not need to disclose their donors. And I wait until at least the candidate wins a primary or two.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:41 pmRip,
A Republican who makes a full throated denunciation of Trump and January 6 will not be nominated in 2024. Their honor is intact but they will be of no use in getting the GOP past its toltalitarian ex-President.
So, unless you really want a Democrat or a bombastic Florida Man populist in 2024, you may need to consider Haley.
Appalled (595429) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:45 pmSpeaking of Boeing, they just landed a 220 aircraft order from Air India, worth $45.9 billion, including options, though airlines typically receive deep discounts.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:49 pmOnce governor, she signed legislation that gave subsidies to Boeing Co., a move in conflict with the Tea Party movement.
Her main gift to Boeing was being a right-to-work state. Boeing’s unions were unhappy.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:54 pmI am waiting for the Grandfather Clause folks to show up and claim that she’s not native-born because her parents weren’t born here.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 1:57 pmMs. Haley praised the former president in an interview with the Journal in the fall of 2021 and said he had left a “strong legacy” from his administration.
Well, he did. So did Nixon and Jimmy Carter.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:03 pmThat’s too bad. Given the fact that Darling Nikki will be running with other candidates (Gov. Kirsti Noem, Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin), she will one among many. In fact, there is some polling shows that Trump will win with a crowded field but lose with only one opponent:
The GOP’s problem with their totalitarian ex-President is their problem.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:03 pmYou won’t get it from me (it’s an idiotic argument), but some in TrumpWorld believe it.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:05 pmAs FWO said in Weekend post, hope is not strategy, or something to run a Republican campaign on.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:09 pmPerhaps. Hate isn’t all that great either, and Trumpworld runs on it.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:10 pmAnd it’s the Natural Born Citizen Clause (Section 1, Article 2), and the 14th Amendment, of the Constitution.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:12 pmAnd Trump won on it in 2016.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:13 pmAnd hate is a much more powerful, visceral emotion than hope or love.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:14 pmRip #55,
“Darling” Nikki has a Trumpy sound to it.
I am curious about your disdain — it’s pretty strong and I can’t believe it’s just 1/6.
Appalled (595429) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:18 pmTo each his own, but beggars can’t be choosers. Beat Trump; change the narrative. Even with Biden and his record, this will be a tough election to win given residual foulness. I’m only reserving “never” for one GOP person
AJ_Liberty (5f05c3) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:18 pmIn fact, there is some polling shows that Trump will win with a crowded field but lose with only one opponent:
In mid-Feb 2015, CNN polls had it:
Mike Huckabee 17%
Jeb Bush 12%
Rand Paul 11%
Scott Walker 11%
Ben Carson 9%
Chris Christie 7%
Marco Rubio 6%
Later in Feb, PPP had it
Scott Walker 25%
Ben Carson 18%
Jeb Bush 17%
Mike Huckabee 10%
Shorter: polls at this point mean almost nothing.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:20 pmLink for above
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationwide_opinion_polling_for_the_2016_Republican_Party_presidential_primaries
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:20 pmNo candidate won a modern day political campaign based on loving their enemies, blessing those that curse them, doing good to persons that hate them, and praying for those that despitefully use them. It would be a sign of weakness.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:21 pmWe’ll see.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:22 pm#61
hate is a much more powerful, visceral emotion than hope or love.
Happy Valentine’s day!!
Seriously, Rip, hate is not more powerful than love. For those that it is — that’s a reflection on them.
Appalled (595429) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:25 pmOT: “Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist, but that’s just peanuts to space.”
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:40 pmI’m surprised no one has figured it out. As I said above and elsewhere, DN is an empty skirt (as opposed to an empty suit). People seem to be attracted to her for no other reason than she’s a woman, she has an immigrant background, and she’s not Trump (but still Trump-adjacent). She has also been AWOL since leaving the SC statehouse, not leading any organization to articulate her views (which are still unknown), so people have instead filled in their hopes and dreams because she isn’t Trump. I get it, but it’s no reason to nominate her for President. This happened before, with Obama. The Republicans shouldn’t make the same mistake.
Compelling personal histories are not a reason to vote for someone (this also applies to Tim Scott). Her announcement referencing “kicking in high heels” brought to mind Elaine Benes’ dancing.
In the end I won’t need to worry. She (and most of the other putative candidates) will be long gone before the Republican primary circus arrives in California, whose Republican voters are “very Trumpy”.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:51 pmTry running a political campaign on love. It won’t get you anywhere-except last. For example:
Not much love there.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 2:53 pmI include election deniers to my “never” list. I don’t believe that anyone who denied the legitimacy of the 2020 election has any business in elected office, let alone the most powerful position on earth. Full stop.
Dana (1225fc) — 2/14/2023 @ 3:05 pmA number of likely, yet still unannounced candidates won’t change the narrative. It’ll be the same narrative in a different wrapping. I think that includes DeSantis.
Dana (1225fc) — 2/14/2023 @ 3:16 pmWhich is why when aliens visit us from billions of light years away, we could be more considerate of how long they’ve been traveling, and maybe not be so quick to shoot down their space balloons.
lurker (cd7cd4) — 2/14/2023 @ 4:43 pmI would include candidates who attempt to thwart investigations into January 6th.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 5:06 pmIt’S fear not hate, that is supposed to be more of motivating factor than love. (Machiavelli)
Sammy Finkelman (0ac4d7) — 2/14/2023 @ 5:17 pm“I include election deniers to my “never” list.”
That’s a given….I guess I was figuring none of them would enter with the chief denier already announced.
AJ_Liberty (e66fdd) — 2/14/2023 @ 5:39 pmI am making a point not to toss anyone out of the tent. You cannot simultaneously argue for a Big Tent and then start listing groups that you won’t work with. I don’t think I’d vote for Trump, but the conditions where I might would be such that we’re already pretty fracked (e.g. AOC and re-education camps).
As for election denial, I might have voted not to accept the Pennsylvania election, as their state courts have indicated that it was conducted unlawfully (but no remedy). Would not have changed a damn thing about the actual election, but it would have made the point that elections should be conducted lawfully.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 5:41 pmRip may be an independent, but he still wants a little tent.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 5:41 pm“It’ll be the same narrative in a different wrapping.”
I think I needed a “then” in my sentence. The primary will certainly be more of the same, but I think a DeSantis or Haley win will start to switch GOP messaging. It won’t roll it back, but a positive non-personality driven theme will be good. Let’s hope we get it.
AJ_Liberty (e66fdd) — 2/14/2023 @ 5:50 pmNot a bad start off. She’s got legislative and Executive experience in S. Carolina. She’s got international experience as UN ambassador. She’s done a pretty skilled job of walking some narrow lines during her career. The commercial was good, well produced, happy warrior type and touched more on what I think are the practical issues, which is what I tend to look for in a candidate. I’m willing to wait and see.
Nic (896fdf) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:02 pmThere is no way back to 2012. An international trade regime with all the advantage to Capital, with Labor going begging, just won’t work in a country were Labor has all the votes. While there’s a lot to be said for spreading the economy worldwide, the flow was all one way for 30 years and people who live and vote here were badly hurt.
Now we have a period of consolidation and redress. The challenge will be to avoid a statist nightmare, but that does not suggest going back to the status quo ante.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:04 pmWhat I want is not important. What is important that the Republican Party rejects the Trump personality cult, which it clearly hasn’t.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:06 pmNic,
I hope we get more targeted ads and it doesn’t get all sappy and happy. We have real problems and candidates need to address them. Hopefully it can be done with civility, if not humor, like this ad from 1984
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:08 pmWhat is important that the Republican Party rejects the Trump personality cult, which it clearly hasn’t.
I have to agree with that.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:09 pm@Kevin@84 I’m sure we will, but as a kickoff ad it was pretty good and I like that she acknowledged the need to appeal to more than just the base. I think she has the potential to appeal to kitchen table issues, which could very much benefit her in an election.
Nic (896fdf) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:14 pmHopefully it can be done with civility, if not humor, like this ad from 1984
Easy for Reagan. He grew up fighting off bears with a stone-tipped spear.
No, he did not say that, not that I heard him at least, but it was something he would have said. And he was not yet 70 when he was sworn in. Now ….
nk (bb1548) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:33 pmBut I’ve come to Nic’s way of thinking. Even 70 is too old. The future belongs to people forty years younger than I am and they should pick the leaders for their next forty years. We had our chances.
nk (bb1548) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:38 pmHer third rail: a pants suit.
Memo to my Darlin’ Nikki:
NEVER, EVER where one.
You’re no fireplug. Stay w/a dress and heels. You project plenty of strength and confidence dressed as a woman without dressing down to look like a man a la Hillary and Kamala.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 2/14/2023 @ 6:40 pmkabuki theater
the democrats and their nevertrump fellow travelers know it doesn’t matter who wins the nomination
what matters is if they can keep the Green Party off the ballot in swing states
JF (e56881) — 2/14/2023 @ 7:19 pm@DCSCA@89 Skirts are annoying. See how you feel if you are forced to wear a skirt for years at a time. Let her choose her own lower body clothing. Hose SUCK!
Nic (896fdf) — 2/14/2023 @ 7:32 pm“Which is why when aliens visit us from billions of light years away, we could be more considerate”
Yes, but if they’re coming to America, they have to do it the right way…and get in line like everybody else. Otherwise Uncle Sam will introduce them to his little sidewinder friend (said in his best Tony Montana voice).
AJ_Liberty (e66fdd) — 2/14/2023 @ 7:59 pm“Skirts are annoying. See how you feel if you are forced to wear a skirt for years at a time.”
If it’s any comfort, I always picture DCCCP in a skirt. So when I pass by one of his rants, I can say, pfffft, there goes skirt boy again.
AJ_Liberty (e66fdd) — 2/14/2023 @ 8:03 pmAnyone who focuses on how a candidate is dressed is a small-minded person.
norcal (7345e5) — 2/14/2023 @ 8:19 pm@94: Even if the candidate is this guy?
lurker (cd7cd4) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:37 pmSee how you feel if you are forced to wear a skirt for years at a time.
You really have to have the legs for it, that’s a fact.
/chauvinism
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/14/2023 @ 10:57 pmThat’s your thinking, JF, not any decent, patriotic American’s. People who love their country want the best possible candidates, across the board and across all party lines, so our country will be in the best possible condition no matter who wins.
And, yeah, I’ve seen the pictures of Jill Stein, Mike Flynn, and Vladimir Putin at dinner in Moscow in 2015. But there was no Russian collusion, right? No way Putin wanted the Green Party to steal the fringe Left vote from Hillary in swing states so Trump could win. Nooo! Not our Vladimir.
nk (bb1548) — 2/15/2023 @ 6:17 amRip:
As I said above and elsewhere, DN is an empty skirt (as opposed to an empty suit).
It seems like your main demonstration of that is how she has handled the Trump thing. Is that correct, or do you have anything else?
People seem to be attracted to her for no other reason than she’s a woman, she has an immigrant background, and she’s not Trump (but still Trump-adjacent).
That’s true. She has to prove she is more than that — through touting her record in South Carolina and UN. Her background is a plus. Don’t lose sight of that. She used it well in defusing the whole South Carolina church shooting situation. It just can’t be everything.
She has also been AWOL since leaving the SC statehouse, not leading any organization to articulate her views (which are still unknown), so people have instead filled in their hopes and dreams because she isn’t Trump.
Until Trump demonstrated he was vulnerable in November 2022, someone like Haley risked her future announcing herself to have not-Trump views. I don’t think anyone in the GOP gets nominated by using the Lynn Cheney approach. Instead, its going to have to be the Brian Kemp method — which is basically to ignore the old fool and say nice things about him. It’s not very satifying.
I get it, but it’s no reason to nominate her for President. This happened before, with Obama. The Republicans shouldn’t make the same mistake.
Governor and UN representative are decent stepping stones for someone wanting the Presidency. These do give you something to assess. Obama was a state senator, a senator and a Presidential candidate. Also, her ad addressed culture war issues and national healing and subtly referenced her somewhat hawkinsh foreign policy years at the UN. The suit is not entirely empty, even now.
Compelling personal histories are not a reason to vote for someone (this also applies to Tim Scott).
To quote DCSCA, “but they are”. It’s not the only reason, but this history is definitely a reason, particularly when Trump sprayed the GOP with the stink of racism for the past eight years. Also, she has actually directly addressed a racism crisis in her year at South Carolina. A useful thing, given where we are.
All this said, I don’t know if Haley’s my candidate. She has to actually campaign and fully articulate a governing philosophy for 2025 and beyond. I might not like it. But I certainly prefer her to the orange guy and do believe she is offering an alternative to GOP grievance politics. What that amounts to? We’ll find out.
Appalled (1c55bb) — 2/15/2023 @ 6:56 amShe has also been AWOL
In the post-J6 world, “AWOL” is a better strategy than most employed. Mostly she’s been fundraising for others.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 7:47 amNot everyone wants a non-Anglo female of immigrant stock who has at least a foot in Eastern religion.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 7:51 amAll this said, I don’t know if Haley’s my candidate. She has to actually campaign and fully articulate a governing philosophy for 2025 and beyond. I might not like it. But I certainly prefer her to the orange guy and do believe she is offering an alternative to GOP grievance politics.
Indeed. I remember when 2016 was supposed to be Scott Walker’s year.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 7:52 amCalifornia, whose Republican voters are “very Trumpy”
Well, the GOP is a third party in CA, so they can afford to let it all hang out. Still, their ineffectiveness does not argue for emulation. Or attention.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 7:55 amTrump has created “a drowning man will clutch at a straw” environment which affects everything. That’s how Biden was elected, and it may be that’s how Darjeeling [that’s what you really mean, isn’t it, Rip?]Nikki will be elected.
If the election were held today, I’d vote for her over DeSantis, but that’s because DeSantis makes my skin crawl almost as much as Trump does, not because I’m enthusiastic about her.
nk (bb1548) — 2/15/2023 @ 8:16 amI don’t see a potential candidate that I would prefer over Nikki. I also like Darjeeling (excellent black tea). I need to see what she’s for though — too many candidates just talk about what they’re against.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 8:33 amAgain it helps she is Sikh…they are less intertwined with Big Tech H1B and tend to have a lot more experiences in ground level retail/hospitality and warehousing than other Indian American cohorts giving them a less effete perspective on issues.
urbanleftbehind (6fd15a) — 2/15/2023 @ 8:56 amWell, she’s saner than the current entrant, and, unlike him, has not attempted a coup.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 9:27 am@105: She has a background in the family clothing business, and a BA from Clemson in accounting (which seems a rarity in Washington). Both her parents are PhDs.
Wikipedia’s summary of her past political positions.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 9:35 amWikipedia:
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 9:37 amAppalled (1c55bb) — 2/15/2023 @ 6:56 am
When I say she is an empty skirt, it means that she has not articulated any governing philosophy that guides her political positions (except to get elected) What she has said so far is guaranteed not to offend anyone voting in the Republican primaries.
As governor (which apparently is a politically weak position relative to the legislature) she flipped-flopped on the Confederate flag issue, opposing the “stars and bars” in 2015 when it became politically untenable after the Charleston massacre, but defending the “stars and bars” in 2019, saying
She served as UN ambassador for less than 2 two years, hardly enough time to make an impact. She was no Daniel Patrick Moynihan or John Negroponte. She had no foreign policy background to justify her appointment.
Trump isn’t the only economic, social, or political issue facing the country, so she certainly could have created a 501(c)(4) organization to put forward her views on any number of issues, but she chose to remain silent. She criticized Trump in 2016; then joined his Administration (presumably as a supporter); endorsed his reelection in 2020; criticized him after January 6th in 2021; uncriticized him later in 2021; and endorsed his fraud claims, though saying “There was fraud in the election, but I don’t think that the numbers were so big that it swayed the vote in the wrong direction.” She has been all over the map. By saying “someone like Haley risked her future announcing herself to have not-Trump views” you are saying she is lying to herself. Who knows what she believes.
See above. Her hawkish views at the UN represented the Administration’s position, not necessarily her personal views.
“Compelling personal history” is another checked box. As noted above, she has waffled on the flag issue when it is politically expedient. I expect to hear more waffling on any number of issues.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:03 amThat bar is so low it’s underground.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:04 amQ. Why do you want to be President?
A. Indoor work, no heavy lifting.
It’s a stupid question. Ted Kennedy fizzled in the 1980 primary … yeah, so what?
The reason they all want to be President is for the power and the glory, and everybody knows it and understands it. The question the voters should ask is “What’s in it for us?”
nk (bb1548) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:25 amCorrection, she did create a 501(c)(4) organization, Stand for America.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:25 amExactly
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:26 amAnd you already donated to her?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:28 amBut Rip, as you’ve said, NO ONE in the GOP gets your nod beyond maybe Larry Hogan or Chris Sununu. I think they’re both fine choices, along with Liz Cheney, but in the current GOP, they only represent a protest vote. We would literally need that alien invasion to make them relevant in the early primaries to enable them to play in the rest. We can’t will them into relevancy and neither shares your interest in pushing the ball further right in the abortion arena.
This primary is about Trump or someone else. The someone else must run a compelling campaign…which means we have to wait for them to actually make their case. Unless you’re pushing for DeSantis, I see no value in knee-capping other challengers in hopes of elevating a Hogan. It will just instantiate DeSantis as “the other”. Personally, we need another less-angry option. Tim Scott, however, takes less-angry to the extreme and will likely appear to wither if Trump senses him to be any threat. He’s probably too decent for the current GOP (how painful was that to write and read).
The transformation of the GOP will be slow and painful. First, is to wrestle the nomination from Trump. There is no express path to normalcy and Reaganesque politics. We’ve just gone through 8 years of wish-casting otherwise. The bar is indeed low….in my estimation, right above the gutter. Nothing noble or inspiring about that, but if you’re climbing up, it’s best to not be too ambitious with your next fingertip hold….
AJ_Liberty (5c3884) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:35 amI’m easy Rip. Of all the potential candidates that I can abide (small group), she’s the only one who I can see winning. Intersectionality is not a bad thing. I don’t see an empty skirt, though, unlike her Democrat Doppelganger.
I don’t view “flip-flopping” (pejorative term for changing one’s view) as a problem if events make the change reasonable, as it did with the flag in 2015. I see that as not being able to go along with the party’s view any longer. I suggest that she was not the only one to come to the same conclusion. The real coward is the one who is not willing to buck the mob when it’s needed.
I’m not looking for a robot, or someone who agrees with all my views. What I’m looking for is intelligence, the ability to listen and learn, good judgement and a level head. Needless to say, Mr Trump does not meet up with this. Within these boundaries there are policy preferences but nothing I’ve heard is a show-stopper.
Her stated gun rights position: “As a CWP holder, I am pro 2nd amendment and pro 10th amendment and will defend both. I would support open carry and reciprocity with any other state. “
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:47 amI still believe that Bill Clinton has to pinch himself when he thinks about the damage that Donald Trump did to the GOP at his urging.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:51 amI agree that she needs to state her views clearly and concisely. If she doesn’t, others will happily do it for her.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 10:54 amI don’t expect to be able to vote for either, even if they run. By the time the 2024 Republican Primary Circus hits California, they will be gone.
That’s the dilemma. Do you vote for the candidate that represents your views, or someone you think is unqualified and shallow just because she isn’t Trump? BTW, I don’t think Darling Nikki will make it to California, and if she does, she will lose. In 2020 Trump received 92% of the vote and all 172 delegates. It’s winner take all.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/15/2023 @ 11:01 amDo you agree with her characterization of the flag in 2019?
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/15/2023 @ 11:03 amApparently there will be plenty of choices.
Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 2/15/2023 @ 11:04 amRip:
In 2015, Haley had the Confederate Flag removed from the SC Capitol grounds. This was a BIG deal — SC Governors lost their job over messing with the Confederate flag in years previous. What happened was the removal of the flag as an official flag of the state of South CArolina.
In 2019, Haley is talking about what the stars and bars would mean to a South Carolinian. It’s the difference between government endorsement and privately expressing yourself by flying the flag.
Appalled (03e88a) — 2/15/2023 @ 11:57 amR.I.P. Raquel Welch
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:02 pm“Compelling personal history” is another checked box. As noted above, she has waffled on the flag issue when it is politically expedient. I expect to hear more waffling on any number of issues. Rip Murdock — 2/15/2023 @ 10:03 am
Except it’s not. It’s a reaffirmation of relatable character experience; among the so-called ‘values’ Righties repeatedly bloviate as American aspirations to emulate. And given the changing demographics of 21st century USA, a helluva lot more citizens can relate to Haley’s experiences than, say, a half century of farts outgassing from an old Washington swamp shuffler… or the rehearsed lines read off 3X5 index cards from a Warnber Bros., B-list movie actor.
DCSCA (f4c5e5) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:14 pm#125
Glad to see I anticipated your reaction. 🙂
Appalled (03e88a) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:22 pmThe way people talk about the Governor who has been a rousing success, turned a swing state solidly red and won blue counties that haven’t gone red in 30 years is very telling.
They don’t want success. They want purity of their ideology.
NJRob (99cdb6) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:27 pmLOL Rip isn’t going to vote for a Republican, under any circumstances
but of course there are commenters here who will play this game with him
JF (ac5ea2) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:28 pmThe problem Rip is that Sununu has served less time as governor than Haley, supported Trump’s re-election in 2020, has no foreign policy credential, and is a moderate on abortion. He’s safe in New Hampshire with no term limits for governor (2yr terms). It’s not at all clear he will even run and what his focus on the campaign trail would be.
As to the flag. It went down from the capitol under her watch. I’m not sure I care beyond that. It’s south carolina…it’s there thing.
AJ_Liberty (5c3884) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:31 pmDo you agree with her characterization of the flag in 2019?
It seems more a characterization of the people who supported the flag. Different thing entirely. Sorry you cannot see that.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:34 pmNo one is going to vote for Sununu — sounds like “Souter.” Unfair? Probably, but I don’t care.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:36 pmJF,
I don’t think that Rip is one of those “life-long Republicans” who always finds a reason he has to vote for the Democrat. His views on abortion would prevent that.
With Haley we have a candidate who is acceptable to almost everyone here, which is in itself a wonder.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:39 pmAnd guns. I am pretty much a Second Amendment absolutist. I need to store many of the weapons I own in Nevada because of California’s draconian gun laws.
Rip Murdock (98f93d) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:51 pmI expect to see CA’s crazy laws fall soon. The allowed list for one, the microstamping crap for another.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:53 pmGiven that her remarks were on Glenn Beck’s show I’ll bet her target audience was broader than South Carolinians.
Rip Murdock (d19d0a) — 2/15/2023 @ 12:55 pmI’ve never voted for a Democrat in my life. If I can’t support the Republican, I just don’t vote.
Rip Murdock (d19d0a) — 2/15/2023 @ 1:00 pmOf course, voting for a Republican in a gubernatorial or presidential election in California is pretty much a waste of time.
Rip Murdock (d19d0a) — 2/15/2023 @ 1:02 pmRIP Rachel Welch.
urbanleftbehind (79d1c9) — 2/15/2023 @ 1:08 pmThe US Senate races in CA are an even bigger waste as only 1 R has advanced to round 2 in the past 3 elections (Meuser, 2022).
urbanleftbehind (79d1c9) — 2/15/2023 @ 1:12 pmHere’s a fun development: The state of Illinois just passed a law banning a long list of guns. The list is so long and so convoluted, banning guns that can be converted to banned types, that one of the complaints made is that no one knows what is actually banned.
A lawsuit has been filed in federal court asking for an injunction against enforcement. THe judge in the case issued the following order to the state:
Details at the truth about guns
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 7:45 pmAnd, since CA is a initiative state, all those disgruntled Republicans who stay home make the outcome of the ballot measures a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/15/2023 @ 7:47 pmYou can always just vote on the initiatives and skip the legislative races.
Rip Murdock (5aec8e) — 2/15/2023 @ 8:21 pmYou can always just vote on the initiatives and skip the legislative races.
You always stay home and drink beer.
Kevin M (1ea396) — 2/16/2023 @ 12:34 pmSomebody (well, as you might have guessed, it was a South Carolina based Democratic strategist named Tyler Jones) has released into a circulation a tape of Nikki Haley speaking before a group called Sons of Confederate Veterans in 2010, in which she says that states have a constitutional right to secede (that, and chattel slavery, was given up even by the Ku Klux Klan after the war!) ; expresses support for a Confederate History Month in schools, on analogy to “Black History Month” (“as long as it’s done in a positive way and not in a negative way, and doesn’t harm anyone” she said) and said the Civil War was fought between one side that was fighting for tradition and one side that was fighting for change.
Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 2/16/2023 @ 1:53 pm