So why is Nikki Haley still in the race? In an analysis at Politico Magazine, Henry Olsen suggests it's because she knows she can exploit one key rule of the Republican convention. If she wins a plurality in at least five states, she can have her name placed into nomination and thus earn a measure of clout at the proceedings. It's not about winning the nomination—Olsen isn't suggesting she has a shot at that. But she might be able to wring concessions out of former President Donald Trump on issues that matter to her, including American support for NATO.
Of course, winning five states is easier said than done, and her best bets are more moderate ones and those that allow independents to vote in primaries. Olsen ticks off some contenders, including Minnesota, Michigan, Colorado, Utah, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
- "Winning five of these states is a huge stretch, but it's not impossible," writes Olsen. "Pull it off and she has the strength she needs to negotiate the terms of her departure with Trump. She won't get much, but anything tangible gives her something to crow about—and perhaps a springboard for future elections?" Read the full analysis.
At
New York Magazine, Ed Kilgore is skeptical about this. "If Haley sticks it out until Milwaukee after being crushed in the primaries, it's more likely she will find herself speaking to an empty hall at three in the afternoon than in some back room cutting deals to save NATO," he writes. Kilgore wonders instead whether Haley, despite her protestations so far, might jump ship to the No Labels ticket sometime after Super Tuesday next week. Read Kilgore's
full analysis. (Or read other
Haley stories.)