WILL “FIRST IN THE SOUTH” GOVERNOR PLAY BALL?
His may be one of the “angry voices” she criticized last month, but S.C. governor Nikki Haley‘s endorsement still matters to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
Sources close to both politicians tell us Cruz is making a feverish bid to get Haley to endorse his 2016 presidential campaign – which scored a win in Iowa, a “show” in New Hampshire and is comfortably ensconced in second place in the Palmetto State’s “First in the South” presidential primary behind frontrunner Donald Trump.
Cruz’s backers are telling Haley she has “nowhere else to go” after current GOP establishment favorite Marco Rubio stumbled to a disappointing fifth-place finish in New Hampshire.
Also, she’s clearly not going to endorse the guy at the top in the polls – especially not after she singled him out following a broadly-panned response to U.S. president Barack Obama‘s final State of the Union address last month.
“She hates Trump,” one Cruz backer told us, channeling Captain Obvious.
Self-evident arguments notwithstanding, another Cruz supporter told us Haley would be well-positioned to explain an endorsement of the Tea Party favorite – but much less equipped to rationalize a Rubio nod.
“It would be far easier for Haley to walk back the ‘angry voices’ comment in relation to Cruz than it would be to walk back what she said about Rubio supporting amnesty for illegal immigrations,” the Cruz supporter said.
Cruz backers are also said to be stressing another, more personal angle: Rubio’s links to the political operatives intimately involved in leaking details of extramarital affairs that broke in wide circulation during Haley’s successful 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
“She has a long memory,” one told us.
The biggest reason Cruz advisors say Haley should support their man, though?
“(It’s) a rebranding opportunity for her,” a consultant advising one of Cruz’s political action groups told us. “She went so far to the establishment side with her ‘State of the Union’ response this is a way to tack back to where her voters are moving.”
That’s true … Haley badly misread her own party with her ‘State of the Union’ response. And then made a fool of herself trying to walk it back.
Haley was widely expected to endorse Rubio if he emerged from the Granite State as the status quo’s consensus candidate. He didn’t do that, though … allowing Ohio governor John Kasich to emerge with the establishment momentum.
That makes Haley’s already difficult endorsement positioning even less palatable … assuming she was planning on following her establishment consultant, Maryland-based pollster Jon Lerner, who is affiliated with the SuperPAC backing Rubio’s candidacy.
In 2012, 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 and is in a position to influence the outcome of the race.
Not all GOP voters are enamored with Haley, though – especially Upstate conservatives who objected to her decision to reverse course and call for the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the S.C. State House.
“I’m sick of her opinions,” one Upstate resident told us. “Seriously I detest her even more than Obama.”
40 comments
Right, because she needs those evangalinelicals for her re-election?
Her future lies with the establishment wing. Supporting a fellow governor makes the most sense for her.
The establishment wing has no future.
If you are right then neither does the party.
Well, the Teatards won’t carry the GOP into the future…and they won’t start a new party.
Trump is just douching the crazies from the party, so it will be business as usual going forward for the GOP.
It was “business as usual” for the Whig Party too, & I don’t believe they’ve fielded a presidential candidate for quite some time.
The establishment wing is incumbents. They always have a future.
Only Ted & Trump aren’t toxic, Nikki won’t like it but she has no choice but to endorse one or the other.
Haley would be a fool to endorse Rafael Cruz. He is a lying cheating POS who cheated in the Iowa Caucuses. His father is a total nut who believes his son is anointed King (his words not mine). He is the son of a man who came to this country as an illegal alien and was a former communist. I would never vote for Cruz. If its Cruz or Hillary, I guess I will write someone in. Because I will vote for neither.
plus he is Canadian
Why wouldn’t he, Haley is much more popular in the state than this site indicates.
“Newt Gingrich”
And Nikki so-o-o-o thought she was going to be ¡Yeb! or Marcobot’s VP, this has to be killing her.
Does the red marking on NIMRATA’s campaign sign represent a “well spent buck”?
No way she endorses Ted Cruz. In fact, it seems no one who’s ever met Cruz likes him. She’d be better off staying silent.
I ran into him and his entourage a few years back at Reagan National – total dick and pue say at the same time.
pretty cool, he can actually fuck himself, well ted there is not time like the present go have your self a one man orgy
Ted Snooze, go on back to Houston, Houston, Houston…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rt1VicF5-0
(Jeb you said Scorched Earth) means all people dead so you don’t have to feed the prisoners) Jeb you should know this as you proclaim to be a Southerner but you will never Scorch Earth South Carolina. Every Dad, Mom son or Sister owns two or more guns. We have bases, Polaris Submarine Base. Jeb I’m afraid you don’t know the english Language.
Ted Cruz is the Al Gore of the Republican party. There’s not enough voters willing to the pull the handle for a pontificating dick to make him electable.
amen..amen
Endorsing Cruz is Cruzin’ for a bruisin’ if you ask me, but so was endorsing Romney. LMAO!!!
fuck you flip
That hurt my feelings… :(
…………………………….LMAO!!!
Here’s the deal…as I see it…GOP establishment is trying its best to push Rubio to nomination, cos he has a chance to appeal to broad minorities plus the white votes in the general elections, until of course he crashed and burned in NH. Timmy Scott jumped the gun and went with the GOP establishment in supporting Rubio. I say this….now its Haley and Scott looking out for their own future and going with whatsoever the GOP establishment says. It looks like they could care less for who the party’s nominee will be, cos Nikki will not be picked for VP the way things are going. So, they will do what the GOP says and in return GOP will support Haley for senate and Scott for gubnah of SC!!
Say it is so….my theory at least.
interesting thoughts…
Thanks Mr.Henry! I appreciate your good humor and your indulgence!!
Scott may not be interested, but its doable. I think Haley would love it.
BT, I dont see a path for Haley, truly, and sorry definitely not for Scott -no way. All the big talk about women’s vote, first generation immigrant vote, minority vote, appear to be pretty much neutralized by the major concerns we have in terms of the extremely scary state of our country (debt, unemployment, immigration, economy etc etc) and the world. Clinton found out the hard way that women are not voting based on gender and republicans found out that the evangelicals are not voting as pundits have predicted. So, I dont see any GOP presidential candidate picking Scott or Haley for VP cos that will be a BIG mistake. GOP nominee must pick the strongest candidate who can solve the terrible problems that confront us and give a damn to the pundits. More so because the Democrat candidate will be so weak this time around and will be an easy win, so GOP must pick the best VP candidate to show their commitment to get people’s job done…and not some social justice agenda again….after 8 yrs of Obama you would think we already have crossed that bridge.
Cruz is an idiot for even thinking of asking Trikki Haley…
“TED CRUZ COURTING NIKKI HALEY NOD”
Is that what they’re calling it these days?
“Is that what they’re calling it these days?”
I’ve always liked that ploy.
Trump has a smokin hot wife. A fat jet. A wonderful family who love him. Oh, and a few BILLION dollars. Try to imagine Milania wearing a couch cover for a dress. Ooohweee, that gets the old chainsaw started on the first pull.
Gee, I’m apologizing to you for my “dyslexic moment” yesterday when I read your post and was offended. I read it as … a smoking hot jet and a fat wife..”
The easiest way to lose my vote is to get Haley’s endorsement. I would like to apologize to Sheheen and the citizens of SC for not voting for Sheheen.
I support Trump because he makes Rhinos and Libtards heads literally explode, and yes after seven years of Obama’s BS, I don’t give a damn if he does shoot someone on Madison Avenue. No more back stabbing from the lying establishment Repubs like Haley.
No votes for turncoats. Lest we forget Beasley? Roy Barnes? George Allen? Don Siegalman? Nimrata Haley…..
BIG mistake if he gets her endorsement BIG. Will not get my Vote. If Rand Paul is on the ticket that’s the one I’m voting for.
I promise you that if whoever the eventual nominee is selects her as a running mate I will stay home on November 8.
This is impossible based upon what I know about the campaign. Some staffer may have thought it was a good idea to say the candidate sought the governor’s endorsement – without knowing anything about the politics in this State. Or, this could be made up garbage – either by a ticked-off staffer or by someone on this site. It’s impossible to know based upon unnamed sources. And the Cruz campaign has PLENTY of staffers and advisors in this state to know that a Haley endorsement would NOT be of ANY help. Am more inclined to believe that this is a false flag ops – by someone. There are enough people who work against Haley, and on record for doing so, to prevent any interest. And if I am wrong and find out, I’ll be back here to post an apology. Will try to speak with Ted directly, if I can.