NOWHERE TO GO … AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT
S.C. governor Nikki Haley has a dilemma …
After badly miscalculating the mood of her own party during her broadly-panned response to Barack Obama‘s final State of the Union address, the second-term South Carolina governor (and erstwhile Tea Party diva) must now decide how to exert her influence in advance of this month’s “First in the South” presidential primary election.
Will she endorse a presidential candidate? And if so, who?
And most importantly given the advancing calendar … “when?”
Four years ago, Haley endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney – which proved to be a “kiss of death” to the establishment politician’s South Carolina candidacy. At the time she backed Romney, Haley was at her nadir – polling at just over 52 percent among “Republican” voters. She has since rehabilitated her standing with the GOP electorate – although in a cruel twist of fate all of the status quo candidates she’s rumored to be considering are struggling in national and early-state polling.
Why are they struggling? Because people are no longer buying what Haley and the “Republican” establishment are selling. In fact Haley acknowledged as much when she tried to walk things back in the aftermath of her speech … but her vacillation only made things worse (for her).
The most likely “Republican” to receive Haley’s support? U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. In fact it was widely believed Haley’s selection by the GOP “leadership” in Washington, D.C. to give the State of the Union response was a quid pro quo for her eventual support of Rubio’s establishment candidacy.
Of course the latest polls show Rubio slipping in New Hampshire – and he was pummeled by New Jersey governor Chris Christie during a recent debate. Rubio is currently in a four-way fight for second place in the Granite State – along with Iowa caucus winner Ted Cruz, former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Ohio governor John Kasich.
“First in the South” polling has him running a distant third behind Cruz and frontrunner Donald Trump – who is poised to receive a big South Carolina bump assuming he wins New Hampshire.
What happens if Haley endorses Rubio – and it fails to move the needle?
Also, wouldn’t endorsing Rubio put Haley on the hook for his crony capitalism, his conflicted views on amnesty, his contempt for liberty, his support for energy tax hikes, his mindless imperialism and his casting of the deciding vote for Barack Obama‘s trade bill, for starters.
Oh … and what if one of the many Rubio rumors blows up immediately after Haley endorses him?
Ideological and political calculations aside, there’s also a lot of drama between Haley and some of Rubio’s top operatives. Of course it is worth noting that Haley’s top political strategist – former Mark Sanford advisor Jon Lerner – is working for the political action committee that’s backing Rubio’s candidacy.
And Lerner has tremendous sway with Haley …
Practically speaking, Haley’s options are also limited. And the clock is ticking.
“Haley really has nowhere else to go,” we wrote last month. “None of the other status quo ‘Republican’ candidates are even remotely viable in South Carolina – making Rubio the equivalent of the last guy standing at the dance.”
89 comments
Boy, she better be careful. It could cost her re-election. Duh!!!!
Yep Haley has a dilemma, kinda like FITS…do I or do I not mention the football game played last night?
Chris Christie went all WWF Rikishi on the Rubio Fem Bot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAGGS4pHFFI
Convict Bobby Harrell endorsed Newt, and gleefully pranced around when Gingrich won. How did that turn out for the then all mighty, Supreme Court, Queen making, Low-Country road building, pocket lining, crony capitalist, (kind of like Trump) Speaker of the House?
At least she has several options on which loser to eventually get behind.
or ride
An endorsement from Haley, while desired by some candidates will not be a game-changer in SC politics for Haley.
Ten day days after the primary in SC, no one except political insiders will remember or care about her endorsement. As far as Haley’s political future is concerned, an endorsement for the “right” candidate may ensure they she will be given consideration in a future administration. If she endorsed no candidate, she would lessen her chances for consideration in a future administration.
To Haley, inside political circles, this could lead to political nirvana for her with a well-chosen endorsement, or put an apocalyptic end to her future political career.
I think the average citizen really gives a shit.
“…. put an apocalyptic end to her future political career.”
Wasn’t the same thing said after her endorsement of Romney?
Yeah, but it is different this time. For Haley to continue with a political career she must garner interest and support on a nation-wide stage, not a state-wide stage.
For her to advance in the national political arena, she has to move into an arena where a more diverse appeal is required.
She’s been on the national stage and look what happened. She rose to another level of incompetence..
I would not vote for anyone she endorses. Ohaley, like Obama, has been a complete disaster and everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie. Both Ohaley and Obama should have NEVER been elected in the first place, much less re-elected.
People in this Country need to wake up and it may already be too late 19 trillion in National debt, Military reduced alarmingly, porous borders for terrorist and criminal illegals, sanctuary cities, disastrous VA, IRS, and other Federal agencies and SC schools, roads are those of a third world Country.
But, you can bet Ohaley, Obama, Congress and the Gen. Ass. will take care of their salaries, benefits, retirements and contributors!!!
Electing all these Irish folks to office is a big mistake.
Yeah, but did you guys know that Obama knows exactly what he’s doing?
lulz- that’s a good one! +10 for you if I could
first I’ve heard that said ……
Rush in pathetic damage control for his boy Marco as we speak.
Sure he does.He has tried to take this nation down as payback for the perceived sins of this country as ingrained in him by his marxist parents,college professors and Rev.Wright.
Someone didn’t get the joke. This is the kind of idiot Rubio was playing to the other night.
What about Rafael Cruz’s Marxist dad? Would it be payback for him as well?
So is Cruz a Canadian socialist or a Cuban communist?
We know he is NOT an American hating,radical Islamic sympathizing,ISIS appeasing ‘closet’ Muslim like the current Mohammed -like dictator occupying the wHite House as pResident.
They will have to bring in HAZMAT to fumigate the stench out of that place when that family leaves.
Obama loves God and Jesus and America, Cruz loves Castro and Karl Marx. You are not fooling anyone racist pogo. http://i.imgur.com/qdNtc0e.jpg GOD BLESS BARACK OBAMA
No fair.You have the IP addresses. :)
Can’t he be both?
Oh it is! It is!
It took Msrco to clue me in to that…over, and over, and over, and over, and over.
Bad endorsements hasn’t hurt Fitsnews.
LMAO!!!Give him credit however.He picked Trump and he wins.
Trump, the abortion-loving universal health care supporter? LMAO!!!
Go stuff your papers with the ads for Sunday, nutjob.
Oh my! Touched a nerve! I just exposed you for who, and what, you are, an abortion-loving freeloader! LMAO!!!
lol…I am honored that FitsNews has two full timers(you and Rocky) chasing me around this blog.
I am the ONE that apparently touched a nerve at HQ! ha ha ha!!!!
Stalking with posts at 2:00 A.M. ya drunk bastard!!!! LMAO!!!!
You are pretty funny for a homeless guy. At least Trump will make sure you get health care. I’ll let you get back to reading your abortion porn. Toodles!
‘toodles’? faggot!
“The insurance companies are getting rich on Obamacare. The insurance companies are getting rich on health care and health services and everything having to do with health. We are going to end that.”
“What I do say is there will be a certain number of people that will be on the street dying, and as a Republican, I don’t want that to happen. We’re going to take care of people that are dying on the street because there will be a group of people that are not going to be able to even think in terms of private or anything else and we’re going to take care of those people.”
That’s your boy Trump!!! You are a socialist after all!
Nothin’ wrong with being a drunk bastads – some of the greatest Americans have been drunk bastads.
yeah, Rocky is the Edgar Allen Poe of fitsnews
Exposed more than that buddy. Inserts? Papers?
Rocky you sure appear nervous.Terry serve ya yet? You can’t have it both ways.He is no longer anonymous (his identity exposed) and you been libeling him since he left-even involving his employment.
Terry served me last Thursday. He handed me the wrong order though, I had ordered chalupas but the bag he gave me had burritos in it.
Libeling how? Ever read his stuff – it’s pretty good. I bet he’s won awards.
Libel is what he comments daily about everyone here and even FITS itself.
Funny Flip how you associated my comments immediately with weekly fish wrappers.
That’s a very interesting comment, Flip from Ohio.
Be in South Carolina Wednesday, stalker.
I will be here. I’ll be sure to hand you a dollar if I see you panhandling on Main Street.
Save it.Your turn to buy donuts this week at HQ.
You’re the new FITS intern, I’m just a commenter here. You shouldn’t be getting other people to do your job. Maybe that’s why you are homeless?
I know it’s not kind to make fun of people based on their looks, but God, Will, were you on something?
Nikki is not aging well, besides I seem to remember that most of those bonding sessions were late at night in a vehicle with tinted windows. I also remember that hard liquor was involved….
Alcohol would make the fugliest woman you ever saw do-able …, until about .75 seconds after you blow your load.
If you came to sooner, you probably wouldn’t make it.
True, Rocky! I can’t imagine getting there if you lose your hard before you get there.
Fugly not good for hard. Fugly bad!!!!! Fugly make big man fall down!!!!
LMAO!!!!! You’re on a roll today!!!!
you just reminded me of a true story I may relate about a prominent woman in Columbia and our slipping around ……
C’mon Shifty, out with it…
(see reply to Rocky)
Do tell. Do tell.
Thinking about it just now it may get any one of you guys in trouble because it is a lesson in a way to hide an affair (both of us were single but she was a public figure) — right now I’m fighting off what I hope is just a 24 hour bug.
THE CLICHÉ EXPERT TAKES THE STAND (partial segment)
—————————————
Q – Mr. Arbuthnot, as an expert in the use of the cliché, are you prepared to testify here today regarding its
application topics of love, sex, matrimony and the like?
A – I am.
Q – Very good. Now, Mr. Arbuthnot, what’s love?
A – Love is blind.
Q – Good. What does love do?
A – Love makes the world go round.
Q – Whom does a young man fall in love with?
A – With the Only Girl In The World.
Q – They are then said to be?
A – Victims of Cupid’s darts.
Q – And he?
A – Whispers sweet nothings in her ear.
Q – Describe the Only Girl In The World.
A – Her eyes are like stars. Her teeth are like pearls. Her lips are ruby. Her cheek is damask, and her form divine.
Q – Haven’t you forgotten something?
A – Eyes, teeth, lips, cheek, form – no sir, I don’t think so.
Q – Her hair?
A – Oh, certainly. How stupid of me. She has hair like spun gold.
Q – Very good, Mr. Arbuthnot. Now will you describe the Only Man?
A – He is a blond Viking, a he-man, and a square –shooter
who plays the game. There is something about him that rings true, and he has kept himself pure and clean so that when he meets the girl of his choice, the future mother of his children, he can look her in the eye.
(end of first segment)
The Cliché Expert ( another segment)
Q–There is? What side?
A–The seamy side. There are, you know, men who are wolves in sheep’s clothing and
there are, alas, lovely women who stoop to folly.
Q–My goodness! Describe these men you speak of, please.
A–They are snakes in the grass who do not place woman upon a pedestal. They are cads who kiss and tell, who trifle with a girl’s affec tions and betray her innocent trust. They are cynics who think that
a woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke. Their mottoes are “Love ’em and leave ’em” and “Catch ’em young, treat ’em rough, tell ’em nothing” These cads speak of “the light that lies in woman’s eyes, and lies–and lies–and lies.” In olden days they wore black, curling mustachios, which they twirled, and they invited innocent Gibson girls to midnight suppers, with champagne, at their bachelor
apartments, and said, “Little girl, why do you fear me?” Nowadays they have black, patent-leather hair, and roadsters, and they drive up
to the curb and say, “Girlie, can I give you a lift?” They are fiends in human form, who would rob a woman of her most priceless possession.
Q–What is that?
A–Her honor.
Nikki returns to her car after her date with Will and has had far too much to drink. She phones
the police to report that thieves have been in her car. ‘They’ve stolen the dashboard, the steering wheel, the brake pedal, even the accelerator,’ she cries out… ‘Oh hang on. I’m in the back seat.’
No, Nikki was the one that was on something. LMAO!!!
hey he might have been taking one for the team, you never know
That’s debatable, but he says NIMRATA wuz!
Her endorsement will go to Rubio — he needs a “Mother-Image” …
She can be the Princess Leya to his R2D2.
—– or Princess Lay-Me
You can bet she will endorse the candidate that will do her the most good. Which ever one comes out of New Hampshire looking the best will get her “wholehearted” endorsement. LOL
Another finger in the wind Rino politician.
Still enough time for her to do the right thing – like she did with the confederate flag – and endorse Bernie Sanders!
I’m thinking her last and probably only options once Trump gets the nomination is to endorse Bernie or Hitlery. She seems to have more in common ethically with Clinton. No doubt, she would make a worthy apprentice under Hitlery’s guidance.
She can be Hillary’s veep! Hillary does need more diversity!
HEY THERE, WILL —– ARE YOU WORKING ON ELIMINATING THIS HOP-SCOTCH ARTICLE JUMPING? IT MAY FORCE ME TO START DRINKING HOT RUM WHEN I OPEN UP ……
I thought it was just me: trying to read a thread, then it jumps back to what you were reading before that. Especially annoying when it happens in the middle of a reply!
I think it raises the number of hits his site is credited with.
the last guy standing at the dance. You mean that he’s bisexual? That’s a definite plus with Nikki (spouse of “diversity officer”), Adjutant General Livingston (a supposed man of integrity), Attorney General Wilson (let SLED take care of it), IG, Solicitor, CCSO, GCPD, etc. etc.
Likely will endorse Ted “Eddie Munster” Cruz.
He resembles (very closely) one of my favorite old time actors Ted de Corsia who made a career out of portraying villains and gangsters.
I am of the opinion he is a dead ringer for “Grandpa Munster”.
The fact that he looks like both Eddie Munster and Grandpa Muster is troubling. Could it be that Herman was not Eddie’s father, and … well that would monstrous. Um. Much like Cruz himself.
you are the winner – I forgot about him …100+
Best she can hope far after elections is a down town 7-11!
YOU BETCHA!
I CAN NIMRATA RUNNIN’ A SLURPEE CONCESSION!
LOOK MA—NO CUPS!!!!!!!!!
Will she be invited to a post-election celebration party? Will she sit in front of the fireplace and read her biography again? Will her phone be ringing asking for her endorsement?
NIMRATA’s phone will ringing,ifin’ NIMRATA writes the number in all the Welcome Center bathrooms!
YOU BETCHA!!
the number will be on the rubber mats and also the little round ones in the urinals?
I would vote for Nikki Haley on the VP ticket–any day–any time. #ILOVENIKKI
I suspect she’d endorse Kasich if she followed her own views without political calculation. She doesn’t seem to like Trump at all, nor Cruz (but then again nobody does). Endorsing a fellow sitting governor that has done well makes sense too, while endorsing Bush or Rubio would be like tying yourself to a sinking ship- not that Kasich is a sure-thing by any means. Better to endorse someone you like but doesn’t win, rather than be forced to campaign for someone you don’t like in the fall.