Nearly a year ago, we published an editorial headlining Nikki Haley and acknowledging that she could be a formidable player in 2024. Today, as the lone Republican remaining in the race other than former President Donald Trump, she can legitimately claim that she outsmarted 13 other opponents. That accomplishment alone could merit the “formidable” epithet we gave her.
But Haley has strayed so much from conservative orthodoxy since our editorial that she has become the latest Liz Cheney, the former Wyoming Congresswoman who aimed to become a media rockstar by excessively indulging her TDS instincts and eschewing her own party back home.
Like Cheney, Haley casts electoral losses as victories by defining success on her terms. At a political rally in North Charleston, S.C., she attacked Trump’s supposed reaction to her performance.
And then Donald Trump got out there and just threw a temper tantrum. He pitched a fit. He was insulting. He was doing what he does. But I know that’s what he does when he’s insecure. I know that’s what he does when he is threatened. And he should feel threatened without a doubt.
Threatened. Really? In Iowa, Haley came in third, behind DeSantis and Trump. The former president won a majority of the votes and 98 of 99 counties despite not aggressively campaigning in the state.
In New Hampshire, Chris Christie, another Trump antagonist, dropped out before he could be humiliated, presumably sending his Never Trumper voters to Haley. [Christie did not endorse Haley]. When DeSantis dropped out also to save face, CNN predicted that 40% of his supporters broke for Haley. Entrance polls showed that nearly 75% of Haley’s voters had not registered as Republican. Still, Haley came in second to Trump, who got over 54% of the vote, again a majority of support. Trump also became the first Republican to win both Iowa and New Hampshire in the modern primary era, dating back to 1976.
South Carolina, her home state, votes next. Attempting to lower expectations, Haley, who has frequented the top Sunday morning news shows with clock-like regularity, told NBC’s Meet The Press that she doesn’t have to win her home state to win.
“We’ve got 17 delegates – he’s got 32. I’d say that’s pretty good to start,” Haley said. “What I do think I need to do is I need to show that I’m building momentum. I need to show that I’m stronger in South Carolina than in New Hampshire. “Does that have to be a win? I don’t think that necessarily has to be a win.”
Haley won 43% of the vote in New Hampshire. South Carolina polls have been limited, but the latest RealClearPolitics average has Trump leading Haley by 30 points with DeSantis in the race. If CNN’s ratio holds, Trump could top 60% of the vote in the Palmetto State, delivering a 20-point victory. Such a margin looks even more likely because the state’s entire Congressional delegation, the governor and Haley’s own lieutenant governor when she was governor, state legislators, and senior party officials have all endorsed Trump.
It would mean Haley’s vote share would be less than her New Hampshire win. In her own words, she would have lost – but don’t expect her to acknowledge it. She would probably be back on another Sunday show, spinning away her loss. Even if Haley wins more than 43%, how can it be a win if more than 50% of voters from her own state don’t want her to represent them at the GOP convention?
Liz Cheney rode the pinnacle of Beltway power by hewing closely to her Uniparty colleagues and professing a disdain for Trump unseen in modern times. Cheney accepted the role of Vice Chair of the partisan J6 Committee and, helped by unlimited support from Nancy Pelosi and crew, she prosecuted a one-sided tirade against Trump, using all the levers of Congressional power. She was so brazen in her hatred that the media gladly picked her up on their roller coaster and took her to the top.
But media darlings also have to face the electorate. In the Wyoming GOP primary in 2022, Cheney was trounced by an unknown rookie, with over 70% of voters choosing someone else. So remarkable was the thrashing that Cheney had to retire from politics at the end of her congressional term.
Before the GOP 2024 campaign started, Haley promised she wouldn’t run if Trump ran. She violated that oath, but voters tolerated her because she was competing in a laboratory of ideas. Besides, Haley had several firsts to her political record as a two-term South Carolina governor. She had appointed Tim Scott, the first-ever Black man, to the Senate long before DEI became the mantra of the media and the Left.
And long before George Floyd, Haley proved she was an astute GOP politician who could attract Black votes. In 2015, Haley signed a measure to remove the Confederate battle flag from the state Capitol after it had flown for 54 years. South Carolina’s senior senator, Lindsey Graham, then famously said: “After the horrific tragedy in Charleston, our state could have gone down one of two paths, division or reconciliation. I am thankful we chose the path of reconciliation.” It is an irony that both Graham and Scott are endorsing Trump.
Haley strayed as she failed to get a purchase in the initial debate contests. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy constantly got under her skin and did not deserve to be branded “scum” by her. In a crowded field, she could come up with clever one-liners. Still, it became clear that philosophically, Haley was more aligned with the Beltway and the Military Industrial Complex than the America First movement. She struggled to defend her generous pay package working for Boeing – while advocating for more military spending for Ukraine. The Never Trumper and TDS deep pockets saw a shrewd female politician who could change colors like a chameleon if doing so helped her. And they recruited her, just like they did Liz Cheney.
The disloyal Haley also devolved into a poor role model. She looked and behaved as though she had a chip on her shoulder, like a Republican avatar of Hillary Clinton. She bit the same hand that had lifted her by resorting to low-blow cheap shots at Trump, proving that she is the quintessential persona non grata in politics. Her mean attacks were so overboard that she disqualified herself to serve in a future Trump administration.
Haley is basking under the klieg lights and enjoying the attention. If Cheney’s experience is an indication, Haley’s fame and future political career will be short-lived. South Carolinians brought her global fame. Now they will probably take it all back.
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Hostage Release Dependent On Ending Gaza War, Hamas Reiterates – Reuters
Hamas said that releasing hostages would require a guaranteed end to the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the withdrawal of all invasion forces, reiterating its position after Israel held a meeting with Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
It was not immediately clear if, with this condition met, Hamas would free all or some of the 132 hostages Israel says remain in Gaza. Hamas had previously said a full release would require that Israel free all of the thousands of Palestinians held on security grounds in its prisons.
2. Not Looking For War With Iran But Need To Respond: U.S. On Drone Strikes – AFP
The White House vowed to respond decisively to a drone attack in Jordan it blames on Iran-backed militants.
The casualties – the first U.S. military deaths in an attack in the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began – raised fears of an escalating conflict.
“We are not looking for a war with Iran,” U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, adding, however, that the strike “was escalatory, make no mistake about it, and it requires a response.”
3. American Forces Face Rocket Attack In Syria Hours After Deadly Drone Strike – Al Arabiya
Multiple rockets targeted American and Coalition forces in Syria on Monday, less than 24 hours after Iran-backed militants killed three U.S. service members in Jordan.
The latest attack brings the total number of attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria to 165 since Oct. 17, said a U.S. defense official.
4. EU Demands ‘Urgent’ Audit Of UN Palestinian Refugee Agency – AFP
The European Union demanded an “urgent” audit of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA. It said it is reviewing funding following Israeli allegations that some staff participated in Hamas’s October 7 attack.
The audit must be led by European Commission-appointed experts and conducted alongside a UN investigation into the claims, commission spokesman Eric Mamer said. The European Union is one of UNRWA’s top donors.
5. Israel Should Adhere To International Laws, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Says – Al Arabiya
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, urged Israel to respect international laws, including humanitarian laws, just like any other nation.
Prince Faisal criticized Israel’s strategy in the Gaza conflict, accusing it of employing a policy of collective punishment that violates international laws. The top Saudi diplomat also pointed to Israel’s rejection of a decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
6. Israeli Strikes In Syria Kill Seven, Including Pro-Iran Fighters, Says War Monitor – AFP
“Israeli strikes targeted a base belonging to Hezbollah and Iran’s [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Coprs], killing seven people,” including pro-Iran fighters, said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes in the country, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces as well as Syrian army positions. Such attacks have intensified since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7.
7. Vladimir Putin Officially Registers As Candidate For March 15 Russian Election – UPI
Russian President Vladimir Putin formally registered as a candidate for the country’s next presidential election, scheduled for March 15, Moscow’s federal election authority announced.
Russia’s Central Election Commission confirmed Putin’s official entry into the race after the incumbent nominated himself for an unprecedented fifth term on top of his nearly 25-year reign.
8. ‘Bad Signal’: Ukraine’s Zelensky Expresses Concern Over Potential Decrease In Aid From U.S. – WION
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sounded a warning, expressing concern over the potential decrease in aid from the United States to Kyiv, and emphasized the decision would send a negative message.
Urging nations from Germany to the United States to stand by Ukraine in these critical times, he articulated the gravity of the situation. Zelensky asserted that a potential Russian strike on a NATO country could serve as the ominous start to the Third World War.
9. Ukraine Holds Talks With Hungary As Aid Package Hangs In Balance Before EU Summit – RFE/RL
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said he held “constructive talks” with his Hungarian counterpart. Kyiv looked to ease tensions ahead of a crucial European Union summit, hoping Budapest would withdraw its veto on a massive aid package.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has remained on friendly terms with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine and has opposed a massive EU aid package the Ukrainian leader desires.
10. Latvian Member Of European Parliament Reportedly Leaked Information To Russian Intelligence – RFE/RL
Tatjana Zdanoka, a Latvian member of the European Parliament, has been a trusted asset of Russian intelligence for two decades, an investigative report by The Insider claimed.
The report says leaked emails between Zdanoka and her two Russian case officers include explicit, detailed reports describing her work as a European legislator, particularly as those official duties relate to fostering pro-Kremlin sentiment in the Baltic region.
11. Russian Warship Conducts Anti-Submarine Exercise In South China Sea – WION
Over the past several months, the Russian Navy has bolstered its presence in the Pacific region, often in collaboration with China.
12. China Watching U.S. Drama Over Arming Ukraine – NATO – AFP
U.S. military funding for Ukraine carries a key deterrent message for China, the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) argued.
He spoke at the start of a visit to Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress to continue funding the war against Russia. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said:
What matters is that Ukraine gets continued support because we need to realize that this is closely watched in Beijing.,
13. China ‘Gamed’ UN Human Rights Review, Experts Say – RFA
Leading experts said China “gamed” the once-every-five-year “universal periodic review” to avoid scrutiny of its rights abuses.
Tuesday’s three-hour review session descended into farce, with the unusually high number of participating countries, meaning each only had 45 seconds to assess a country that had been accused of possible crimes against humanity by a U.N. body.
A report said Chinese diplomats had lobbied countries to turn up with soft-ball assessments in the lead-up to the session.
14. Hong Kong To Create Own Version Of National Security Law – AFP
Hong Kong will create its national security law “as soon as possible,” city leader John Lee said, adding insurrection and other crimes not covered by existing legislation imposed by Beijing four years ago.
Since the British handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, the city has been under a “One country, two systems” regime, in which the legal and court structures are separate from the mainland.
15. China EV Price War Spreads To Gas-Fueled Cars, Denting Foreign Brands – Nikkei Asia
Foreign automakers in China are grappling with stalling sales alongside price competition in conventionally fueled vehicles, leaving electric-vehicle laggards with less money to invest in the transition.
A mid-October visit to a GAC Mitsubishi Motors dealership in Guangzhou revealed a ghost town with no staff and no vehicles on display. Promotional materials for the Outlander sport utility vehicle were all that remained. Eleven days later, Mitsubishi Motors announced its exit from auto production in China amid weak sales.
16. North Korea Conducts Another Cruise Missile Launch: S. Korea – Yonhap
North Korea fired several cruise missiles off the west coast, the South Korean military said, just two days after it test-fired submarine-launched cruise missiles from the east coast.
It marks the third cruise missile launch in a week.
On Sunday, North Korea test-fired a newly developed submarine-launched strategic cruise missile named the “Pulhwasal-3-31,” just days after the strategic cruise missile was tested for the first time on Wednesday last week.
17. Britain Moves To Ban Disposable Vapes In Effort To Cut Youth Smoking – UPI
On a school visit, British PM Rishi Sunak announced the ban as part of a package of measures he unveiled that aims to bring about a so-called smoke-free generation, his office said in a statement.
According to statistics recently published by the British government, the number of British children vaping has soared three-fold in the last three years, with more than 20% of children between the ages of 11 and 17 having vaped last year.
18. Frequent Marijuana Use May Raise Risk Of Asthma – UPI Health
Marijuana has a reputation for being harmless, but frequent tokers are more likely to suffer from asthma, a new study shows.
Asthma is more common among U.S. adults who’ve used weed within the past 30 days, researchers reported recently in the journal Preventive Medicine. Further, the odds of asthma are significantly greater among people who reported using the drug 20 to 30 days per month, researchers found.
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Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
