Global News Desk:
Nikki Haley faced no opponent and
experienced a loss in the Nevada Republican presidential primary on Tuesday
night – quite literally.
In an embarrassing showing in a
primary that had no delegate prize anyway, the former South Carolina governor
placed second to a quirky option Nevada offers in both primary and general
elections: None of These Candidates.
The no-name, no-face choice – who
made no campaign appearances and conducted no advertising – had 62% of the vote
Tuesday, with 86% of votes counted in the Silver State. Haley, hoping to be the
one waiting in the wings if former President Donald Trump's campaign implodes,
won just 32% of the vote.
The stunning result underscored
the power of Trump, who continues to win nominating contests and poll well
among Republican primary voters despite facing 91 felony counts and civil
lawsuits that could cost him hundreds of millions of dollars. And it showed
that Haley – buoyant after a second-place showing in New Hampshire last month –
isn't gaining the traction she needs to be a serious challenger to the
front-runner.
"Looking back, I wonder if
Nikki Haley regrets not debating ‘None of these Candidates,’ who handily
defeated her in Nevada?" quipped David Axelrod, who was chief strategist
for former President Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, on social media.
Axelrod was referring to Haley's frequent needling of Trump for refusing the
debate her.
Trump was not on the ballot,
opting to compete in caucuses Thursday – a contest that will decide which
candidate gets the GOP delegates to the convention. As the only contender on
the ballot Thursday, Trump is assured of all of Nevada's GOP delegates.
Those who turned out anyway Tuesday
to vote for no one seemed to be sending a brutal pro-Trump message to his only
remaining competition: Get out.
Trump gleefully exalted in
Haley's humiliation in Nevada.
"A bad night for Nikki
Haley. Losing by almost 30 points in Nevada to ‘None of These Candidates.’
Watch, she’ll soon claim Victory!" Trump said on his social media site,
referring to Haley's joy after coming in second in New Hampshire.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden,
facing only nominal opposition, won the Democratic primary in Nevada
resoundingly, garnering 90% of the vote. "None of These Candidates"
made a run for the Democratic nomination as well but earned less than 6% of the
vote among Democrats.
"Make no mistake: in 2024,
freedom is on the ballot. By delivering another decisive win, Nevadans are
making clear they are ready to join President Biden and me in this fight to
preserve our democracy," Vice President Kamala Harris, who campaigned in
Nevada ahead of the primary, said in a statement.
The Haley campaign had downplayed
the importance of the Nevada contest, complaining it had been engineered for a
Trump victory by a state party overwhelmingly supportive of the front-runner.
“In terms of Nevada, we have not
spent a dime nor an ounce of energy on Nevada. We made the decision early on
that we were not going to pay $55,000 to a Trump entity … to participate in a
process that was rigged for Trump,” Betsy Ankney, Haley's campaign manager,
said in a conference call Monday with reporters, referring to the fee to
participate in the caucuses.
Nevada this year switched to
regular primaries from caucuses, which tend to be lower-turnout affairs,
dominated by party activists. But Republican Party officials didn't like that
idea, so they opted to have two contests: Tuesday night's primary and caucuses
on Thursday. Candidates had to choose which election to compete in, and Haley
opted for the primary.
She now faces an even tougher
test, and one that could determine whether she stays in the race: the Feb. 24
primary in her home state of South Carolina. A Washington Post/Monmouth
University Polling Institute survey late last month found Trump holding a
commanding lead, with 58% support among Republican primary voters, compared to
32% who back their state's former governor.
Haley in January committed to
staying in the race through Super Tuesday on March 5, when 15 states and one
U.S. territory will vote. But a dismal showing in what she calls her
"sweet' home state could hasten her decision.
For Biden, the Nevada result was
more of an investment than a windfall. The Silver State, which Biden won in
2020, is expected to host a close contest between Biden and Trump this fall.(News Source By US News)
