What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[Sheilbh]

I think she's since walked it back. But (and the clip is very bad):

Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley did not cite slavery as a cause of the American Civil War on Wednesday night when a town hall attendee asked her what she thought led to the bloody conflict.

The former governor of South Carolina -- the first state to secede from the Union in 1860 -- instead said at the event in Berlin, New Hampshire, that the catalysts were "basically how the government was going to run" and "freedoms and what people could and couldn't do."

The Republican candidate then turned the question around on the person who posed it.

"What do you think the cause of the Civil War was?" she asked. The questioner responded by saying, "I'm not running for president."

Haley then continued to explain her answer.

"I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are. And we will always stand by the fact that I think the government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people," Haley said. "It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn't need to tell you how to live your life. They don't need to tell you what you can and can't do. They don't need to be a part of your life. They need to make sure that you have freedom."

The questioner told Haley they thought it was "astonishing" she gave an answer that did not mention slavery.

"What do you want me to say about slavery?" she responded before pivoting and asking for the next question.

[Josquius]

I guess being a slave or not is a pretty big freedom?

But par the course of a dodge from that bunch right down to the last response.

[HVC]

" They don't need to tell you what you can and can't do. " I guess laws aren't a thing for these people?

[viper37]

"I think it always comes down to the role of government and what the rights of the people are. And we will always stand by the fact that I think the government was intended to secure the rights and freedoms of the people," Haley said. "It was never meant to be all things to all people. Government doesn't need to tell you how to live your life. They don't need to tell you what you can and can't do. They don't need to be a part of your life. They need to make sure that you have freedom."

Well, that's a new one. 

I just imagined Richard Jordan screaming "FREEEEDOOOM" while charging the Union lines in Gettysburg.

[viper37]

" They don't need to tell you what you can and can't do. " I guess laws aren't a thing for these people?

"They may take our slaves, but they'll never take our freedom!"

[Sheilbh]

I guess being a slave or not is a pretty big freedom?

That was my first thought when I saw the clip.

[Barrister]

Chris Christie ends his campaign for the GOP nomination.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/10/chris-christie-republican-presidential-race-00134875

[Valmy]

The government in 1860 delivered the mail. That was about the extent of its control on ordinary people.

The Civil War was a conflict between the northern and southern states over slavery expanding in the territories, it had nothing to do with the Feds doing anything. The Federal Government was friendly to the South in 1860 and by the time Lincoln took office the Cotton States had already seceded. The conflict with the Feds and the South is mainly a Reconstruction era thing.

[DGuller]

Chris Christie ends his campaign for the GOP nomination.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/10/chris-christie-republican-presidential-race-00134875

[The Minsky Moment]

The government in 1860 delivered the mail. That was about the extent of its control on ordinary people.

That's not quite true.  There was a law in place that conferred extraordinary coercive power on federal marshals nationwide, empowering them to seize and detain suspects without habeas corpus, and enforce crippling fines and even imprisonment on otherwise innocent people who merely provided food, shelter or other comfort to the suspects.

However, I don't think that is what Nikki Haley was thinking about (to the extent she was thinking at all).  The law in question was the Fugitive Slave Act, and was enthusiastically supported by South Carolinians notwithstanding their supposed and fake scruples about the role of government.

[Sheilbh]

Chris Christie ends his campaign for the GOP nomination.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/01/10/chris-christie-republican-presidential-race-00134875

Good.

Decision Desk HQ
@DecisionDeskHQ
DDHQ Polling Average Update: 2024 Republican Primary (New Hampshire) 

Donald Trump: 41.5% (-6.5) 
Nikki Haley: 30.5% (+7.4) 
Chris Christie: 11.5% (+1.2) 
Ron DeSantis: 6.8% (-3.0)

(Change over last month)

[Admiral Yi]

That poll must be a little old.  I heard on NPR maybe yesterday that Haley is within 5 or so of the Donald in New Hampshire.

I wonder why everyone says Jersey but no one says Hampshire or York.

I also heard Christie was polling c. 1.9 so NH might be an outlier.

Thank God Swami is dying.

[Sheilbh]

It was a couple of days ago. Picture looks fairly consistent though - Christie coming third on about 10%, Haley closing the gap:
https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/republican-primary/2024/new-hampshire

So this is good by him and a sign that (some) Republicans have learned (some) lessons from 2016.

[Jacob]

Coalescing arund Haley as the anti-Trump candidate?

What's the Languish take on:

1) Haley's chances?

2) How much better (or worse) it'll be if she wins the GOP nomination?

[Sophie Scholl]

1) Not great. Trump still holds far too much sway with the GOP base.

2) Better. Almost anything is better than Trump. Almost. That being said, it will still be pretty awful and not great. I don't think there is a candidate who has a legit shot to be the GOP nominee that I would ever feel safe with winning the presidency. Christie probably comes the closest, but he has no shot so it is a moot point.