Nikki Haley received roughly 22% of the vote in the Indiana Primary earlier this month.
I was one of them.
Since Haley recently announced that she would be voting for Donald Trump this fall, I’ve heard a lot of speculation about what that means for Haley voters. Does it open the door to toe the party line and vote for Trump? Will they turn their backs on Republicans and vote for Joe Biden? What about Robert Kennedy?
I can’t speak for the entire 22% – obviously – but here are my thoughts.
I couldn’t care less about Nikki Haley as a presidential candidate.
My primary vote wasn’t for Nikki Haley, it was against the other guy. Haley wasn’t even in the top half of my wish list when we had a dozen candidates vying for the nomination. She simply outlasted everyone else.
I struggled with nearly all of them, but I struggle with one candidate in particular.
I turned 18 in 1987. That year, according to New York City Board of Elections records, Trump registered as a Republican. In 1999 he flipped to the Independence Party. In 2001 he flopped and became a Democrat. He flipped again in 2009 back to the Republican Party. Two years later he flopped and claimed no party affiliation. In 2012 he flipped back to the Republican Party.
The first presidential election I was eligible to vote in was the 1988 contest. Theoretically, both Trump and I likely voted for George Herbert Walker Bush. Since that time, it’s also likely that our presidential voting paths diverged.
In short, I’ve been a Republican longer than Donald Trump.
Bush vs. Clinton? Bush.
Clinton vs. Dole? Reluctantly, I voted for Dole.
Bush vs. Gore? Bush.
Bush vs. Kerry? Emphatically Bush!
Obama vs. McCain? McCain, reluctantly again.
Obama vs. Romney? Romney.
Trump vs. Clinton? Trump!
Trump vs. Biden? Trump – without the enthusiasm.
I just can’t do it again. I didn’t in the primary. I won’t in the general.
What happened to change my mind? January 6, 2021. I remember the day. I remember the national disgust. I remember the impeachment trial that quickly followed. I remember Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell saying “If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is.”
I am fully aware that Republican recollection of that day has evolved. McConnell endorsed Trump’s 2024 campaign, as did the majority of the party.
This leaves me in the Republican minority as a Reagan Republican. There aren’t many of us left, it would seem.
The party has left me behind.
For example, I don’t believe the 2020 election was stolen. Deep down, I don’t think Trump believes it either but it’s his schtick.
He also previewed the 2016 election might be rigged – until he won.
During his “Apprentice” days he claimed the Emmys were rigged. They had no credibility and were political because he lost year after year. It’s his schtick.
On the speculation about what a Nikki Haley voter is going to do this fall, here are my answers.
On Robert Kennedy? I don’t believe he is a serious candidate. Neither does the Kennedy clan. I can’t say I know much about his politics but his family isn’t behind him and I can’t get the brain-eating worm admission out of my head.
Will I vote for Joe Biden? I doubt it but I haven’t ruled it out. Regardless, Indiana’s 11 electoral votes are safely “red” no matter what I decide. It wouldn’t make me any less of a Republican and I’d still have a better track record than Donald Trump.
So, what about Trump?
He’s been found civilly liable for defamation (twice) and sexual assault. The judge later said it would be rape under any other definition than New York’s.
The business bearing his name has been found to be civilly liable of fraud.
We are awaiting adjudication of 30+ felony charges that he falsified business records in 2016 to keep hush money payments to a porn star from the voting public.
There are trials yet to come for stealing classified documents and election subversion cases on both the federal level and in Georgia. He faces 88 criminal indictments in total.
His hand-selected RNC election integrity lawyer has been indicted, ironically, for trying to steal an election in Arizona.
Trump claims the 900+ convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionists are “hostages” and plans to pardon them. Whether or not you believe he caused his followers to storm the Capitol that day, he played a part in inciting them.
He’s been impeached twice.
I’d rather vote for the worm that ate RFK Jr’s brain.
For Indiana’s 22% it was never about Nikki Haley.
Of that I am sure.
dougb@news-banner.com
