Florida Governor DeSantis has thrown in the towel in the US Republican presidential race. Now all that remains is the former UN ambassador Haley – who wants to position herself as a Trump alternative.
Nikki Haley is hoping for her breakthrough in New Hampshire. Donald Trump may feel even more advantaged in the race for the Republican nomination after Ron DeSantis’ withdrawal. Haley, on the other hand, says that now it’s the duel she always wanted.
“There used to be 14 people in this race. Now there are two,” Haley said on CNN. “We’ll keep going, we’ll fight.” Haley is used to people underestimating her, she adds.
The idea of the alternative
Haley is trying to present herself as a moderate alternative to Trump – tough enough to convince Trump supporters, moderate enough to win swing voters over to her side. And significantly younger – not only than Trump, but above all than President Joe Biden. And so Haley emphasizes at every campaign rally that 70 percent of Americans said they did not want a repeat of the Trump vs. Biden duel.
Do we really want two 80-year-olds running for president in a country in disarray and a world on fire?
Daughter of Indian immigrants
Haley herself is 52 years old – has long dark hair, a striking face and was born in a small town in the state of South Carolina as the daughter of Indian immigrants. At the 2020 Republican National Convention, Haley described her childhood by saying, “My father wore a turban, my mother wore a sari.”
She was a “brown girl in a black and white world”. Her family experienced discrimination and harsh circumstances. “But my parents never gave in to resentment or hatred.”
Nikki Haley speaks at a Women for Nikki campaign event at Manchester Country Club in Bedford, New Hampshire/USA.
That’s why the following applies to them today: The USA is not a racist country – Haley emphasizes this again and again. Haley counters Donald Trump’s increasing personal attacks on her with the words: “If he thinks I have no chance, no reason for hope, then why is he spending millions of dollars on advertising against me?”
When it comes to competence, Haley emphasizes her political experience – as governor of South Carolina from 2011, as Trump’s UN ambassador from 2017.
Haley is also considered to be less predictable when it comes to foreign policy
Would Haley be a predictable counterpart for Europeans in foreign policy? Not necessarily. As a UN ambassador, she stood out for her relentlessness and contradictions. Regarding the current war in the Middle East, she said on CNN: “When I was at the UN, the topic of a two-state solution came up again and again. And Israel always came to the negotiating table. The Palestinians always rejected the two-state solution. ” A view that European diplomats would strongly disagree with.
On the topic of climate change, Haley says, “I think climate change is real, we need to recognize it as a fact.” The problem is the extreme positions. “Some deny climate change. Others, like President Biden, say everyone should drive an electric car by 2033. Americans don’t all want electric cars. Stop telling them how to live!” This is also an attempt to present herself as a centrist candidate.
Haley remains an outsider
Despite her self-confidence, in the end Haley remains the outsider. Trump-critical Republican political consultants like David Urban also say this. He emphasized on CNN: “It’s a Sisyphean task to win the candidacy if you’re not Donald Trump. It’s very, very difficult. Trump may no longer be the 800 pound gorilla, but he is a 600 pound gorilla in this race. ” That means: Trump remains fearfully dominant – even for Nikki Haley.
Ralf Borchard, ARD Washington, tagesschau, January 22nd, 2024 7:48 a.m