South Carolina governor Nikki Haley just endorsed Mitt Romney on Fox News.
That is a big get, and is likely to move Romney’s numbers in that state.
Romney needs it, too; tn the RealClearPolitics average, Romney trails Newt Gingrich by more than 19 percentage points.
UPDATE: I checked in with one of my South Carolina guys, a veteran of GOP races in the Palmetto State, and he said this may not be as helpful to Romney as people think: “This helps more nationally than it does in-state,” he said. “Romney is too defined in South Carolina for this to matter much. The timing of this also shows that both the Romney and Haley camps know Romney will get slaughtered in South Carolina, hence their rolling this out now. Otherwise, if Romney and Haley thought Romney had a chance, they’d announce this right after the New Hampshire primary as all eyes turn to South Carolina.”
I think that might be one of the worst headlines you've ever written.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm a huge supporter of Haley -- absolutely love her.
Her endorsement merely gives me a qualm . . . about her.
You guys don't get it. Romney is so bad -- so non-conservative -- that a conservative's endorsing him makes conservatives doubt the endorser. [You know -- kinda like what's happened with your editorial, and rightly so.]
I'm sure it will bump up his numbers a bit -- but the conservatives in SC don't love Haley so much that they'll just change their minds about conservatism. I don't think they'll go for Romney.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNo offense, but have you ever seriously considered the possibility that it is YOU who doesn't "get it"?
Sometimes, everybody is wrong. But usually, when every good person you know thinks something and you disagree, it's you that's wrong.
It reminds me of a lot of when I was younger and thought Alan Keys was great. People who were actually involved kept telling me I was nuts. I didn't get it. I grew up and got involved and...well, yah, the guy is stone cold nuts.
This is a similar situation. Mitt isn't amazing, but everyone else is much worse.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRE: "But usually, when every good person you know thinks something and you disagree, it's you that's wrong."
Blessedly "every good person" does not think Romney is an appropriate choice for Republican nominee. And I agree with those people.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo-called "conservatives" such as yourself are relying on soundbites and simplistic slogans to oppose Romney. Last night we saw how foolish these soundbites really are when Santorum lied about Romney's position and actions on gay marriage in Mass, for example. The panel didn't even know that as governor, Romney couldn't appoint the judges in Mass. Romney explained his consistency on both gays and guns.
A legitimate conservative--such as Haley--takes the time to study the issues and candidates and doesn't merely parrot slogans and soundbites.
Hopefully there are enough legitimate conservatives in SC to offset the sloganeers.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBy the time the SC primary rolls around, Newt will be on fumes. He's the Howard Dean of this cycle. He has no organization in Iowa or New Hampshire. Once he comes in fourth in IA, he will drop like a stone in the national polls. After he is crushed in NH, finishing behind Ron Paul again, he will be a parade float that has come untethered, bouncing around and being a general nuisance.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis, of course, renders Nikki Haley an establishment RINO sell-out, right? It is remarkable how quickly people just toss out their support for people as soon as they dare do something not in complete line with the individual's personal preferences. Instead of, perhaps, a moment of reflection and reevaluation of the situation, all-too-many conservatives are inclined to disregard, in knee-jerk fashion, the data that doesn't conform to their personal views. Maybe, just maybe, reasonable conservatives can differ as to who the best candidate would be among those in the race. And maybe, just maybe, we should focus on a robust and respectful debate as we decide the party's nominee with the ultimate and unfailing goal being to defeat the incumbent president in November.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWell, Governor Haley's endorsement should help Romney overcome the endorsement of Christine O'Donnell.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is another big endorsement for Mitt Romney. Your headline should have been "Tea Party Favorite Nikki Haley Endorses Mitt Romney." Republicans of all stripes are supporting Romney. He's the right person for the job at this time. He can beat Obama by attracting voters on the right (including Tea Party leaders and members) and in the middle, and he has the skills and experience to turn the economy around. He's going to be a great President, and I'm proud to support him.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTwo words -- proportional delegates
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis is great news. As to the comment that Romney won't govern as a conservative: a GOP House and Senate will pull him to the right. Romney will further take great care with judicial appointments, mindful this is critical to his right flank.
Romney will WANT to be a 2-term president.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe Update is interesting, and the headline may be very accurate - it may well "blaze" for a day or so, and mean almost nothing come primary day.
It does no harm, and nominal good - basically the premise of the Romney campaign.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSounds like your source is bitter.
Of course it matters. Romney is smart. I get the roll out strategy, but he will have a lot of momentum coming out of NH.
This is a huge week because this is the narrative that will seep in over the Christmas break. Poll momentum, great debate, and Tea Party cred... by the time these campaign get back in gear after Christmas, there will only be one week left.
Theses same people said there was no way McCain could beat Fred and Huck in SC. Plus, Mitt has been a real hawk and that resonates there.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRE: "Poll momentum, great debate, and Tea Party cred... by the time these campaign get back in gear after Christmas, there will only be one week left."
Well -- one out of three's not bad -- he's got a bit of poll momentum. But Tea Partiers here in SC are already denouncing the nomination, so it won't get him any cred here in SC.
Again -- the Romney enablers really really don't get it. They don't understand just how fervently he's opposed by conservatives.
That's okay -- they'll get it later on. Hopefully it won't be too late by then. And if Obama's re-elected it's not the end of the world -- it's bad, but not epically catastrophic, so long as we do what we need to and elect conservatives to the Senate and House.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"the Romney enablers really really don't get it. They don't understand just how fervently he's opposed by conservatives."
This doesn't make sense to me for several reasons. First, if Romney is so despised by conservatives, then why is it that he is the only one who can maintain 25% or so in the polls for over a year? Apparently some conservatives really like him, and
I am one of those. I am 100% conservative, and fervently behind Romney.
The other question is that of his record. He has a fine conservative record, as anyone who bothers to read knows. I realize most people just listen to what others have said about him, and fail to learn for themselves that Romney was indeed a conservative governor.
This is not to say that he has been a perfect conservative. No one has. But he is as conservative as anyone running, while being the most electable.
I believe some conservatives indeed do fervently oppose Romney, but it has much more to do with his faith, than his record.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou have got to be kidding me! You're kidding yourself if you think we are getting to 2/3rds in the Senate if our Presidential candidate goes down in flames....which is what will happen with Newt. It will be a grand pyre and we will have lost an epic opportunity. Without the 2/3rds, you just have gridlock....and you have to be beyond 2/3rds with McCain, Collins, etc. in the Senate.
However, if we can move the middle back to the right just a little, we can get a large portion of our wish list done with good majorities in both houses of Congress AND a President that will fix what Obama has broken. The only things that won't happen are conservative fantasies.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseJust joking but is Haley an even bigger 'get' than the editors of NR.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe truth about Romney is, we don't know how he will govern over a land that is not completely infested with Democrats. We may be pleasantly surprised, or not.
My prediction for South Carolina is that Newt will have faded by then, and someone else will have stepped up to become the "not Romney" option. Then Ms. Haley might regret her endorsement.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThis tells me Nikki Haley does not want to run for re-election. I wonder what has been promised to her in Romney administration? Time will tell but I am sorely disappointed in Haley.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePerhaps Haley, using her own mind, just happens to think Romney is the best person in the field.
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