January 16, 2024

"A third-place finish didn’t deliver the boost Nikki Haley wanted as she tries to turn the race into a one-on-one with Donald Trump."

That's the subheadline in the NYT for Nikki Haley and Iowa. Headline: "Haley’s Missed Opportunity: Iowa Slows Her Roll Into New Hampshire"

Haley got "the boost [she] wanted" from the media in the run up to the Iowa caucuses. It didn't work. Taking down Trump didn't work, and making Haley into his one true rival didn't work.

66 comments:

tim maguire said...

I was disappointed to see Ramaswamy drop out so quickly. I know he wasn't going to win, but if he's laying the groundwork for future political influence, it would have been better to outlast either DeSantis or Haley and then try to pick up some of their voters so he could drop out with 15% or 20% support.

I am pleased to see Haley finish third, even if a close third. There was an ugly rumor going around yesterday that she would be Trump's VP pick. A poor showing undermines that looming mistake.

iowan2 said...

"It didn't work" The media, the campaign plan to take down Trump. It Didn't work.

But,but, but the plan Obama has . . . that WILL WORK

Trump got over 51% of the vote in Iowa. That has never worked. Trump had a plan to make that work. All the experts said it could not work. Especially by a candidate that is facing 9 billion indictments.

After +8 years everyone but Trump has no idea what works.

Think of it as a microcosm for the condition of the Nation, and who knows what will make it work.

Big Mike said...

Republicans don’t like her policies nearly as much as writers for the Times do.

gspencer said...

Haley's a RINO. And apparently that's finally reaching the thick skulls of R voters.

n.n said...

Order of succession to President:

Vice President.
Speaker of the House.
...

Go!

Kate said...

We need a law: while people are still voting -- the polls are open or the caucus is meeting -- the press can't call a winner. It doesn't mean that the press skews the vote, although it could. It means respect for the citizenry and the process.

Other than that spoiling instinct by the press, the Iowa results were very satisfying.

Dave Begley said...

Nutty Nikki.

rehajm said...

She's the candidate most likely to stick around long after her expiration date, hoping to congeal the goop left over from the Trump railroading...

Gusty Winds said...

The reason Trump won big in Iowa, is because he won the 2020 election and everyone knows it.

Even DeSantis and Bird Brain know it. The American electorate was cheated via voter fraud, and we have paid a HUGE price for it over the last three years. So have the dead soldiers in Ukraine.

To make sense of this, it's all you need to know.

Iman said...

Haley was shown to not have what it takes, but she’s still head and shoulders above the Democrat rabble.

rehajm said...

We need a law: while people are still voting -- the polls are open or the caucus is meeting -- the press can't call a winner. It doesn't mean that the press skews the vote, although it could. It means respect for the citizenry and the process.

Forget it- this vote, like every other before it, is 'too important' to be left to the whims of rules and laws and fairness...

AlbertAnonymous said...

But, but, but…. The media assured me that Nikki was “surging” in the polls. I don’t understand how the media could have gotten this wrong.

Surging? NYT, WaPo, all the “lefty” pundits who claim to know things about the republican primaries (inside baseball etc.). What a crock of shit….

JRoberts said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JRoberts said...

Wasn't the NYT backing Kamala Harris at this time four years ago?

'Nuff said.

JRoberts said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
JRoberts said...

If Nikki keeps receiving significant RINO and Demcrat funds, she could be this year's John Kasich.

Quaestor said...

Kate writes, ”We need a law…”

Like we need a camel that will promise not to nose its way into our tent. Freedom of the press is nothing but a corollary of the First Amendment, a foundational principal of the Republican opposition to fascistic tendencies of the Democratic Party. It was Nikki Haley’s weakness on this crucial point that killed her campaign, not the press calling the results early.

tim in vermont said...

She would have don't better if all of the Democrats weren't stuck at home nursing the batteries of their EVs through the bitterly cold night.

Birches said...

Stop trying to make Nikki happen!

tim in vermont said...

The thing about the neocons is that they don't have a reverse gear, and if you think that just because the voters don't want Nikki is the end of her, you haven't been following how they operate.

Kai Akker said...

---I was disappointed to see Ramaswamy drop out so quickly. I know he wasn't going to win, but if he's laying the groundwork for future political influence,... [tim maguire]

Vivek was telling more of the truth about the nation's situation than any other candidate. He was saying some remarkably clear and accurate things in those Iowa meetings. Maybe that got a little easier for him as he phased out his own candidacy, mentally. But I was disappointed too by his early withdrawal. His business background contains a lot of stock promotion, but that is what the world was asking for and he delivered shrewdly. His comments and commentary would have been valuable as this process rolls along. He was forcing a degree of honesty into the process that I haven't seen in a long time. Even back into the media, certainly a welcome move.

tommyesq said...

Despite finishing third, being out-voted by a factor of about 2.7:1 by Trump and losing to DeSantis as well, Haley confidently announced “I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race...”

I get trying to put an optimistic spin on a bad result, but this slides well over into delusional (unless she meant to suggest that the two-person race is Trump and DeSantis). She is done.

tommyesq said...

Dave Begley,

This must have been a very disappointing result, but I think Vivek's best bet for the immediate time is to do what he is doing - support the inevitable candidate (with whom he seems to have the most policy overlap) and make a name for himself in the administration.

tommyesq said...

If Nikki keeps receiving significant RINO and Demcrat funds, she could be this year's John Kasich.

Er, John who??

gilbar said...

this Just IN!
After placing 3rd, Nikki Haley says “Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race”

@RaheemKassam
BREAKING: Nimrata Haley says "tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two person race."
Uh, she came in third.


Of course, She IS right; is IS (and ALWAYS WAS) a two person race: President Trump vs. resident Biden

She's Not Just EVIL, She's REALLY STUPID!!!

Quaestor said...

I remember Jimmah bewailing the press for calling the 1980 election before the West Coast polls closed. If only the millions of my supporters who planned to vote at the last minute hadn’t been discouraged by CBS… Carter never said that to anyone or anyone who told on him, but that was the gist of the story his minions spread to assuage their boss’s fury at being too incompetent and self-righteous to succeed himself in the White House.

Nikki Haley would be well-advised not to throw a Jimmah-trantrum. She might have a political future if she can reform herself in the eyes of the GOP rank and file, but not if she pulls a Jimmah.

Narayanan said...

Vivek was telling more of the truth about the nation's situation than any other candidate. He was saying some remarkably clear and accurate things in those Iowa meetings
========
now Vivek can help translate Trump-speak into English for the MSM

Dude1394 said...

“Blogger tim maguire said...
I was disappointed to see Ramaswamy drop out so quickly. I know he wasn't going to win, but if he's laying the groundwork for future political influence, it would have been better to outlast either DeSantis or Haley and then try to pick up some of their voters so he could drop out with 15% or 20% support.”

I disagree. He is doing what desantis and Haley should be doing. Condeming the corrupt lawfare against Trump by the democrats by dropping out and supporting Trump

Haley and Desantis are permanently damaging their political futures. The millions of Trump voters see that they are waiting for the corrupt lawfare to take Trump out. The longer they abet and condone that lawfare, the more damage will be done to themselves.

Temujin said...

According to Nikki, post Iowa Caucus shows that it's now a two person race.
What a load of crap. She's simply turned into Just Another Politician. Who needs another one of those?

Narayanan said...

She's the candidate most likely to stick around long after her expiration date=
========
Nikki >> the new Hillary [without cankles?]

Quaestor said...

Just a small curtailment of your God-given liberties, and hey-presto, I'm the boss.

That works in Democrat-land.

Dogma and Pony Show said...

“I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race...”

She really say this? What a dope.

She was a credible candidate in a crowded field, where she stood out as the only woman and a republican perhaps uniquely positioned to succeed with an important demographic that Trump will have big problems with: suburban, college-educated women. But with the field whittled down, it's obvious that she doesn't have enough appeal beyond that demographic.

Whiskeybum said...

“Just a bit outside… “ — Bob Uecker

“Tis but a scratch… “ — the Black Knight

“ I can safely say tonight Iowa made this Republican primary a two-person race” — Nikki Haley

john said...

Only about 1/7 of the registered Republicans showed up to vote. You could say this shows the distate the regular voter has to the offerings. Or you could say it is a typical voting percentage for primarys. Both are probably right. So much being decided on our behalf with only a few taking part (I dont live in Iowa or New Hampshire or the Carolinas.)

I want ranked choice voting given a try nationally. But we are so loathe to experiment here.

Yancey Ward said...

Trump won by the narrowest 30% in history.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

No one on the corrupt left (the left) want to admit Ron came in second.

The left tell you who they most fear.

AlbertAnonymous said...

Ranked choice voting always leads to mediocrity…

It’s a terrible idea.

Ann Althouse said...

"We need a law...."

"Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...."

Darkisland said...

To those who say that Vivek dropped out:

My understanding is that he did not drop out. Rather, he "suspended" his campaign.

There are a lot of reasons why this is done, I think Christie officially "suspended" as well. I think they largely have to do with fundraising.

In any event, if Vivek is still officially a candidate, he could jump back in if Nancy Pelosi's assassination dreams come true.

I agree that as a practical matter, he is no longer a candidate.

I too hoped to see him do a lot better.

John Henry

Darkisland said...

Amen Ann. (9:17)

To all these folks saying "There oughta be a law..." GFY. We already have way too many laws. We need to be getting rid of laws, not piling bad laws on top of bad laws.

Re the press, buncha assholes. The thing to do is mock and shame them. Call them "fake news", call them disinformers or misinformers. Call them assholes and shun them in polite society. But no more laws.

(Packaging journalists excepted, of course!)


There were a lot of great lines in the movie "Absence of Malice". Perhaps the best were Wilfrid Brimley's in his role as inspector general to the sleazy reporter played by Sally Field.

I want to say something to you. You know and I know that we can't tell you what to print or what not to. We hope the press will act responsibly, but when you don't, there ain't a lot we can do about it. We can't have people go around leaking stuff for their own reasons. It ain't legal. And worse than that, by God it ain't right.

John Henry

Yancey Ward said...

"Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...."

That is the old thinking- the Constitution said nothing about the executive branch abridging free speech.

Quaestor said...

johm writes, "Only about 1/7 of the registered Republicans showed up to vote. You could say this shows the [distaste] the regular voter has [for] the offerings. Or you could say it is a typical voting percentage for [primaries.]"

Not a primary, a caucus, a time-consuming and tedious experience compared to the few minutes the typical primary voter spends in the polling place. Typically only the most fervent party loyalists turn out for the Iowa caucuses for several reasons, only a few being the weather and the distance many must drive to the caucus venue. The fact that a seventh of registered GOPers turned out is not vindictive of distaste for any candidate, in fact, it indicates the polar opposite.

Tina Trent said...

The NYT caucus-day coverage was like a Miss America crowning of Nikki. Brightly lit, shining pictures of her with crowds, claims that she was drawing voters, positive adjectives and adverbs. Trump and DeSantis pictures were of empty podiums, literally the campaign rooms before anyone was in them, as if everyone was at Nikki's party. One photo of DeSantis looming in the dark, all alone; one of Trump seeming to avoid the crowd. Negative adjectives and adverbs.

They're shameless.

Left Bank of the Charles said...

Camp Trump would sure like to tell Nikki Haley, “Third prize is you're fired.”

Readering said...

Good thing Christie dropped out, huh?

robother said...

Better than a law, there ought to be a Presidential decree! Actually, as long as it emanates from the Biden White House, the main stream press would probably comply without a whimper.

Jupiter said...

Dogged little thing, isn't she. Say what you will, her owners are getting what they paid for.

JAORE said...

"To all these folks saying "There oughta be a law..." GFY.
Tell it all, brother.

Haley got "the boost [she] wanted" from the media in the run up to the Iowa caucuses. It didn't work. Taking down Trump didn't work, and making Haley into his one true rival didn't work.

So HALEY didn't work....

Saint Croix said...

She's refusing to debate in New Hampshire unless Trump is on stage with her.

That leaves DeSantis debating an empty chair, empty chair, and an empty chair.

Saint Croix said...

I'm kind of amazed at how many Republicans have already dropped out of the race. All you really need is DeSantis and/or Haley agreeing to drop out (in exchange for a veep spot), and suddenly this contest is a nail-biter.

I'm a DeSantis man. If it's DeSantis/Haley vs Trump/whoever, I'm voting for DeSantis. On the other hand, if it's Haley/DeSantis vs Trump/whoever, I'd switch to Trump.

I'm not "Never Nikki," she's way better than Biden (obviously), but she's got a lot of negatives for me. Not sure how other Republicans feel.

Anyway, while Trump seems invincible at the moment, all we need is one more Republican (Haley or DeSantis) to drop out for this race to get super-interesting.

Rich said...

49% of Republicans turned out in the cold to vote for other than Trump. Is that not of note later down the line? Almost 50% of a hardcore Republican electorate is not interested in what Trump’s pedaling. Not sure why the media is missing this.

Tom T. said...

If Haley really wanted to stop Trump, she'd drop out now, because her voters personally would almost all go to DeSantis. (The opposite isn't true; if Room dropped out, his voters would spilt between Nikki and Don). That wouldn't create a tie, because Vivek's protest voters will all go to Trump, but it would leave the race much closer. Won't happen, though. DeSantis can drop out and still have a political future; I'm not sure Haley can.

rcocean said...

Last night the Nevertrumper talking points went out. First it was "Why are they calling it for Trump so quickly, that's not right". Now its:

1) Half the r's voted against trump
2) Only X percent turned out - people don't care.

All true. Except they had a snow storm and only X percent show up every 4 years. The "Low turnout" meme only works if its low in relationship to the historical average.

And half the votes did not support Trump. But all the Mr. V votes probably like Trump too. And how many just voted for DeSantis/Haley because they liked them, not because they disliked Trump? The actual number of "anti-Trump" votes is small.

Anyway, its rather humorous that someone who comes in 3rd, says its a two man race. The real question is if it becomes a Two "man" race - how many Desantis votes will go To Trump?
Lets say a third. So its Trump 52+7 (Mr V) + 1/3*21 = 66 percent Trump - 33 Haley.

john said...

Blogger AlbertAnonymous said...
Ranked choice voting always leads to mediocrity…

Well, it did lead to the defeat of Sarah Palin in AK.

So there's that.

rehajm said...

"Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...."

...oh that's cute nostalgia. In an equal justice present day legal system the appropriate response would be to get a sympathetic judge to go along, administer punishment swiftly before the appeals go through, then standinglaches moot after the election results are complete...

It's time to 'move on' fuckers...

John said...

The AP calling the election before the votes have been cast was bad, but as Althouse points out, protected by First Amendment. But it is the second time in recent years -- Arizona in 2020 -- that they have done this. One would think credibility would be a factor in how voters respond to that information, even though ex post it was correct in both cases.

John said...

"I think I know where we're headed here. Before we get there, I want to say something to you: Now, you know and I know that we can't tell you what to print - or what not to. We hope the press will act responsibly. But when you don't, there ain't a helluva lot anybody can do about it." Wilford Brimley's DOJ character in Absence of Malice

mikee said...

Brimley in Absence of Malice also said, "A subpoena is a wonderful thing." And used that idea to correct some injustices. Don't see that happening much anymore. In fact, the opposite.

Ann Althouse said...

The news media are not able to report the results of the election. That never happens until the votes are actually counted. All that’s happening is reporting a prediction that the media outlet has enough confidence in. It’s willing to take a position and not sufficiently afraid of being embarrassed. It’s doing something it could do entirely before the voting. It’s putting together the available information and making a prediction.

rcocean said...

I always love how the "party line" goes out, and GOPe, Nevertrumpers, and the Ds all start to chant it.

The MSM called it for Trump early because every single Goddamn Poll showed him winning by 20-30 points. Once they knew (based on a few votes) that nothing earth shattering was going on, they felt confident to call it for Trump.

And spare me the "that affected the results". Everyone knew Trump was ahead by a massive margin. So, if anyone went out in zero degree weather and turned around after hearing Trump won, we're talking mucho stupidio.

gilbar said...

DeSantis, Haley Each Spent Over $1,600 Per Vote to Lose Iowa.
Donald Trump’s blowout victory in the Iowa caucus cost the America First leader surprisingly little, while rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley spent big for distant second- and third-place finishes. Placing first with 56,260 votes for an absolute majority of 51.0 percent, Trump spent the equivalent of $340 per vote earned in the Hawkeye State.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, meanwhile, spent $1,697.96 per vote to come in second on 21.2 percent, and the much-hyped Nikki Haley spent an even greater sum of $1,797.84 per vote to finish third.

gilbar said...

how many people would have come out and voted for Trump IF it looked like he needed their votes?
(instead of being a TOTAL Blowout?)
how many people that DID come out would have voted for Trump IF it looked like he needed their votes?
(instead of being a TOTAL Blowout?)

As i mentioned, i came out, and voted for Vivek.. which i did because Trump didn't need my vote*. I didn't want it to look like Nikki was the viable candidate (at my caucus, she got 20 votes, Vivek got 19)

Trump didn't need my vote* Someone here (Rusty?) scolded me and said: "never assume! he might need your vote!"
Which shows that WHOEVER it was that scolded me, has NO CLUE How iowa caucuses work.. I KNEW before i voted that Trump was going to sweep my caucus (because i could COUNT the people in the room).

Bruce Hayden said...


“Blogger tim maguire said...
I was disappointed to see Ramaswamy drop out so quickly. I know he wasn't going to win, but if he's laying the groundwork for future political influence, it would have been better to outlast either DeSantis or Haley and then try to pick up some of their voters so he could drop out with 15% or 20% support.”

If he can’t win, dropping out now and endorsing Trump leaves open working for the 2nd Trump Administration. Maybe, as someone suggested, as WH Press Secretary. Trump’s last one ended up as a governor.

Rich said...

So Trump got 51% of the 15% of registered Republicans who bothered to participate.

Am I supposed to be impressed?

The correct calculation is:
Registered Republicans at all time low, approx 25% of voters. Trump got just under half of the Iowa caucus. 25% * 50% = 12.5% so just over one in ten voters.

Meanwhile 40% of Nikki Haley supporters would vote Biden if Trump is nominated. She polled 20% so 40% of that is just under 1 in 10 Americans.

In Biden vs Haley, Haley wins.

But Republicans are opting for Biden vs Trump. In which case, Biden wins. The math is clear.

The Trump cult — like all cults — is high on itself and will end in mass political suicide.
Pin this post.

Bruce Hayden said...

“The correct calculation is:
Registered Republicans at all time low, approx 25% of voters. Trump got just under half of the Iowa caucus. 25% * 50% = 12.5% so just over one in ten voters.”

Only a TDS addled FJB supporting leftist would be intentionally trying to obscure what is happening. The Trump supporters are willing to crawl across broken glass, or, in this case, brave a blizzard, to vote for him. That’s what caucuses, and esp this one, measure - intensity. Few were willing to go out in a blizzard to vote for Haley, and likely fewer for FJB. The only way that Dems like him can win, is if his people pick up ballots from those too lazy or too indifferent to vote, and then, in many cases, throw in a bunch of fake ballots. Face it, your candidate won in 2020 with that strategy (as the Dems did in AZ in 2022, and probably in GA, PA, etc too). No one likes him. Few think that he has done a good job. Absent even more massive election fraud, he is toast this coming November. Haley wouldn’t do any better, because the same voter fraud would be used against her.

Big Mike said...

She's refusing to debate in New Hampshire unless Trump is on stage with her.

That leaves DeSantis debating an empty chair, empty chair, and an empty chair.



@Saint Croix, DeSantis could debate an empty pants suit. Nobody would be able to tell the difference between that and Nikki Haley the candidate.