Nikki Haley Faces a Very Big Choice

Mike Murphy: “Nikki has one big resource Trump doesn’t have: time. And therein lies the big fork in the strategic road before her.”

“Path one, is to go the way of Ron DeSycophantis (new name alert!) and roll over big for Trump. Ron is pivoting to get right with MAGA world with neck-snapping speed. (I expect a sonic boom any minute.) He’ll now try to elbow his way past the Scott’s and Noem’s and Burgum’s and God knows who else to get on to the Vice-Presidential whispering list. It’s a MAGA rehab plan pure and simple, and it’s all about 2028. I’ll lay good money Casey has already bought a four-year count-down calendar and put it in a Very Special Place on the fridge door right next to her rapidly growing Get Even list…”

“Path two for Nikki is far more interesting. She could opt to avoid joining the Trump suck up parade with the others and instead, rest her case. Declare support for the party nominee and then, crucially, go away for a while…”

“Then, as Orange Disaster inevitably strikes either in November of this year or after Trump tries to burn down the rule of law from the White House, there will be plenty of time to re-appear, after the big Orange crack up, with a simple and effective forward looking persona to Joe and Joan Republican primary voter: ‘You know, Nikki saw it all coming and she warned us.’ That could be a very unique and powerful position in 2027.”