‘I’m a woman of my word,’ said Nikki Haley after another humiliating defeat last night. ‘I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.’
But what, really, is the point? South Carolina is Haley’s home state and she lost by more than 20 percentage points. She lost New Hampshire by 11 points, she came third in Iowa, and, much to Trump’s delight, she lost to ‘none of these candidates’ in Nevada.
Without Trump, Republican voters distrust and detest their party. They haven’t for some time
The Republican nomination snoozefest – it’s not a race – will now move to Super Tuesday, on 4 March, and Haley will almost certainly lose in all 15 states she’s contesting there. The only feasible path to the nomination for Haley now is Trump to drop dead or drop out because of his manifold criminal trials, in which case she could present her small number of delegates – she currently has 17 to Trump’s 107 – to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July as evidence of her claim to the nomination.
But that’s almost certainly not going to happen. Even if Trump did suddenly vanish from the race, it would be almost impossible for Haley to claim to be the obvious alternative, given the fact she doesn’t seem to be able to win anywhere.
Haley’s candidacy has instead become what it was perhaps always destined to be – the old Republican party’s last stand against its new master, Trumpism. Haley tried not be a Never Trump candidate, but she’s had to become one because that’s the only lane open to those who oppose him.
There’s currently an interesting row brewing between the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC). Henry Barbour, a senior member of the committee, has proposed a resolution which would prohibit the party from co-ordinating or fundraising with Trump until he has fully secured the nomination.
Nikki Haley’s candidacy is Never Trumpism’s last stand
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25.02.2024
‘I’m a woman of my word,’ said Nikki Haley after another humiliating defeat last night. ‘I’m not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.’
But what, really, is the point? South Carolina is Haley’s home state and she lost by more than 20 percentage points. She lost New Hampshire by 11 points, she came third in Iowa, and, much to Trump’s delight, she lost to ‘none of these candidates’ in Nevada.
Without........
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