Tag Archive: South Carolina primary

Nikki Haley is losing to Trump but helping Democrats

Nimrata “Nikki” Haley, taking on Trump

Nimrata “Nikki” Haley lags far behind Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican Party presidential nomination. In terms of state primaries and caucuses, while it’s still very early, Trump has won both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary, the first time that a Republican candidate has swept both contests since these states began leading the election calendar in 1976. In Nevada, things got weird with both a primary (pursuant to state law) and a caucus, because state Republicans wanted one just for Trump. There, Haley ran only in the primary and lost to “None of these Candidates.” Trump ran only in the caucus and won all the Nevada delegates, bringing his total thus far to 63 delegates compared to Haley’s 17.

As for the polls, Haley now trails Trump by as much as 60 points in the aggregate. Even in Haley’s home state of South Carolina, where the primary is being held tomorrow (February 24), she is approximately 30 points behind Trump in the polls. It seems that today’s Republican Party is indeed a Trump cult.

It appears, therefore, that Haley has only one slim chance to defeat Trump: he would have to withdraw either for legal or medical reasons. However, Haley says that, even after a likely defeat in South Carolina tomorrow, she has no plans to quit the presidential race, and wants to fight on at least through Super Tuesday, March 5, when some 15 states (plus American Samoa) hold their Republican presidential nomination contests. For that, Democrats should be very grateful, because Haley has been hammering Trump on the campaign trail. Check out some of Haley’s attacks on Trump after the page jump:

Bernie Sanders finally starts to get vetted

Repeat presidential candidate Bernie Sanders

This week, the public vetting process finally began for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Last Sunday, in a CBS 60 Minutes interview, for example, Sanders was asked about past support for the communist or socialist regimes in the Soviet Union, Nicaragua and Cuba. Sanders replied that, as to Fidel Castro‘s oppressive dictatorship in Cuba:

… but you know, you got — it’s unfair to simply say “everything is bad.” You know, when Fidel Castro came into office, you know what he did? He had a massive literacy program, is that a bad thing?

Sanders’ comments did not sit well with many Americans around the country. Sanders’ remarks caused an especially negative reaction in Florida, located only 90 miles from Cuba, and where many voters are refugees from Castro’s brutal crackdowns. Florida is America’s third most populous state, with 29 electoral votes, and is crucial to a possible Democratic victory in the 2020 presidential election.