JVoV
Posts: 3297
Joined: 3/9/2015 Status: offline
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A party also has the advantage of coordination. Last night's New Hampshire primary may be one of the best examples of that. Joe Biden wasn't even on the ballot, had CHOSEN not to run, won anyway, thanks to a write-in campaign organized at the state and local levels. That wouldn't be possible for someone running as an Independent. so the test is would it have to be? A movement can start with just one Facebook post or one tweet. Where Ross Perot had to buy primetime network airtime, a candidate could easily have social media posts and her own website. Haley's run as an Independent could completely reshape the way politics is organized in this country, in this era. That really needs to happen. The Republicans wouldn't be the only ones opposing her though. I don't think she'll be getting an endorsement from Bernie or AOC. But she would want the votes in between the extremes of AOC and MTG, and with plenty of voters against either of them, she could make the argument of being a more reasonable choice. If she ran on a platform of a moderate. That probably would have been more realistic four years ago. There is still the possibility that Trump will be convicted before the general election, meaning the Republican Party would need to name a replacement candidate. if this happens after the party convention, I'd think Trump's pick for VP would get the nod, but if it happens before then, Haley would probably be the first choice. Announcing a run for president as an independent candidate would take her out of the running for the Republican nomination entirely. If she announced after the convention, she would be losing precious time needed to gain support, both endorsements and voters. I certainly won't say it can't be done. The right candidate using the right campaign strategy probably could, and may have an easier time cementing their win in the state houses and the courts. I just don't see Haley making the choice in time. I honestly don't even understand the designation of RINO. I know what it means as a slur, but I can't think of a candidate that's ever embraced the term as a badge of honor. Mostly, it's used when extremists don't get their way. Very little actually differentiates half of the Republican demographic from their Democratic counterparts, and vice-versa. There are very few absolutes in a voter's mind. Walter Mondale's absolute belief that the death penalty was wrong was tested on the debate stage with a "gotcha" question. He lost a lot of support with that. There are reasons to vote against Trump, just as there are against Biden. But how many of those reasons can Haley run on, aside from not being a creepy old white dude?
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