OPINION: For Republicans, Nikki Haley is the obvious choice
Danny Murnin is a junior studying journalism and assistant opinion editor for The New Political.
Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.
While it may seem hard to believe, we are officially less than a year away from the 2024 Presidential Election. Very little about this upcoming election seems certain, as I mentioned in a separate article that was recently published. Several factors are at play that depending on outcomes, could easily flip the narrative about the upcoming election. The only thing that most political analysts and forecasters, as well as myself, seem to agree on is that the presidential contest next year will be a rematch of 2020.
Despite the warning signs being everywhere that President Joe Biden is in deep trouble, he will still be the Democratic nominee. Yes, he is too old. Yes he is unpopular. Yes voters are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with his handling of key issues. But unless Biden drops out sometime between now and the start of the Democratic Convention in August, which is very unlikely to say the least, he will be the party’s nominee. Devoting any time or resources toward toppling him in a primary is pointless. On the other side, former President Donald Trump, who Biden unseated in 2020, is in prime position for another chance at winning a general election. He holds a firm, commanding polling lead over his rivals in the lead-up to the start of Republican nominating contests that has yet to waver.
The prospect that Donald Trump could once again be elected President of the United States seems unthinkable, but it is a real possibility. If the election were held today, polls usually favorable to Democrats say Trump would win in critical swing states and even the popular vote.
However, supporters of Trump have many reasons to be worried. The election is still a year away, and a lot can happen in that time. The Biden campaign will likely pursue a strategy of making the election a referendum on Trump, and they will most likely succeed. Trump’s poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, despicable post-election activities, and rash, childish, and narcissistic personality will all be major stories again if he is the Republican nominee. Even if none of those things were going to be factors, there is still the matter of his four upcoming criminal trials. The same polls that show Trump in a strong position against Biden also suggest being convicted would lead to a collapse in his support.
This begs the question of why Republican voters would want to go down the path of selecting Trump as their nominee, with all the risks that come with doing so. Voters are not at all happy with the country's current state and don’t like the current President. This is the Republicans' election to lose, so why not nominate a formidable, younger candidate with wide appeal?
For me, this candidate is former South Carolina Governor and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. Haley polls far better against Biden than either Trump or Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and it isn’t hard to see why. Haley is nowhere near as bombastic and cruel as the embattled Trump or floundering DeSantis and could be the Republican who wins back the critical college-educated suburban voters who abandoned the party during Trump’s presidency.
She has performed exceptionally well in the three primary debates, and voters are taking notice. On the issue of abortion, for example, Haley seems to be one of the only Republicans willing to look in the mirror and be honest about the fact that voters are turned off by the strict, unforgiving way the party approaches the issue. So many Republican politicians seem incapable of recognizing that abortion access is broadly popular in America. Haley is of course very anti-abortion, but her more nuanced approach could stop the electoral bleeding Republicans have been suffering because of a refusal to moderate their stance on abortion.
As a Democrat myself, I take issue with many of Haley’s proposed domestic policies, but they are certainly less harmful than what we would see under a second Trump term or a DeSantis administration. On foreign policy however, Haley is constantly impressing me. All Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, should expect our leaders to stand up firmly and strongly against our enemies.
One of my few issues with Biden is his more passive strategy of countering our enemies. With Iran in particular, Biden needs to be far more aggressive, especially in light of the current situation in the Middle East. Haley has been clear that if necessary, she would use drastic measures to protect our interests and soldiers in the Middle East against the terrorist proxy groups that Iran directly supports and funds. Additionally, out of all the Republican candidates, Haley has easily been the strongest supporter of continuing to aid Ukraine in their war for survival against a brutal Russian invasion. She has also promised to be an ardent opponent of China, ahead of the possibility of them invading Taiwan within the next several years.
As a Democrat, I would feel very, very worried about the party’s chances at electoral success next November if Haley were to be the Republican nominee. Both for the presidency as well as Congress, which will be a tough battle for Democrats anyway. She would be likely to easily beat Biden and carry Republicans to victory in flipping the Senate and expanding their majority in the House. However, I doubt Republican voters will make this choice. While Haley continues to see positive movement in the polls, she remains far below Trump, and it is hard to see this changing. Trump could definitely still win a second term, but Republican voters should think carefully about the prospect of getting more favorable election results under a clearly better alternative before voting for him in the primary.
