Where there's smoke, there's fire: Nikki Haley is our choice for the 2024 First in the Nation Primary
New Hampshire Union Leader Ed Board
A hot mic moment from a candidate’s withdrawal speech made headlines recently. His assessment of Nikki Haley: “She’s going to get smoked.” The candidate was close in his assessment, but missed the mark. As the saying goes, where there’s smoke there’s fire. There is plenty of smoke around Nikki Haley because she is catching fire here in the Granite State.
She is catching fire for good reason. She is a smart, thoughtful, experienced candidate who is ready to be the next president of these great United States. She is easily the most qualified candidate on either ballot.
Nikki Haley is an accountant by career and training. Nikki Haley is a mother. Nikki Haley is a military spouse. Nikki Haley is the child of immigrants. Nikki Haley has experience as a successful governor and a diplomat.
It would be challenging to dream up a more solid resume for a candidate to guide our country through the troubled world which we face. Nikki Haley has the deft touch and nuance necessary of a leader on the world stage. This nuance has resulted in some unfriendly soundbites for Haley but we would encourage anyone given pause by a soundbite to do some research and dig into the details; you might be surprised. We can’t say that she is perfect on every issue. No candidate can be. She ticks more boxes than any of the others and does so with enthusiasm and an infectious optimism.
Of course, we can’t talk about Nikki Haley without addressing the elephant in the room and the rather old donkey hiding in the White House. Nikki Haley is an opportunity to vote for a candidate rather than against those two. A candidate who can run circles around the dinosaurs from the last two administrations, backwards and in heels.
She has the conservative mindset many Republicans want and the pragmatic ability to get things done that the whole country can get behind, especially the ever elusive and growing independent voters making up the silent majority. As the fictional Ian Malcolm says in Jurassic Park, “The dinosaurs had their shot, and nature selected them for extinction.” The dinosaurs from the last two administrations have indeed had their shot and Nikki Haley is the fireball from the heavens to wipe them out.
Putting forward a rematch of the last election means putting an octogenarian in the White House and putting a less-than-capable vice president in the on-deck circle. Haley has not been shy with the fact that she has at least a quarter-century age advantage on those candidates and she has a good point. Nikki Haley is in her prime and selflessly willing to give that prime to the country her parents chose to raise their family in. They knew it was the greatest country on earth and their daughter intends to do her part to keep it that way.
Like many candidates before her, Nikki Haley came to visit this newspaper. Especially telling of her character was that she took the time to visit and meet every employee in the building. Most candidates live in a bubble where they are the center of attention at all times. Taking the one-on-one time that she did shows a humanity and humility this nation would be lucky to have in its leader.
If you can select a Republican ballot on Tuesday, we urge you to select Nikki Haley as your next president. New Hampshire is ready for a change. America is ready for a change. The world is ready for a change. We want a better option than we have had for the past eight years, and Nikki Haley is that option.
New Hampshire can prove that the independent-minded voters of the Granite State will not be told the election is a done deal. New Hampshire can prove that nothing is inevitable and send Nikki Haley home to South Carolina with a head of steam and nothing weighing her down as she sets her sights on defeating the “inevitable,” but very vulnerable, Democratic nominee.
