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South Carolina Democrats are working to make a show of strength against President Biden in Saturday’s party primary, telling voters that Nikki Haley is not the moderate Republican that some believe. I would like to remind you of this.
In recent weeks, party leaders have made Haley a special focus at events around the state, calling her the “mother of the MAGA movement” and the ultra-conservative policies she championed during her two terms as governor. The list is shown to attendees.
For Democrats considering skipping Saturday’s primary and instead joining the Republican race three weeks later, the party’s message is very clear. It means, “Please stop.”
Colleen Condon, who is gay and the first non-binary vice chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, told fellow party members at the party’s America First dinner on Saturday that “you have to sue her before you can marry her.” I couldn’t have done it,” he said. “Please don’t let your friends vote in that primary. Please.”
Haley showed strength against Democrats and independents in her first two nomination races in Iowa and New Hampshire. She narrowed her field to a one-on-one battle with former President Donald J. Trump, as other Republican rivals still failed to capture Trump’s loyal base.
Effectively the last candidate standing between Trump and the nominee, she faces long odds in her home state, where Republican voters are even friendlier to her opponent. She will likely need to expand her coalition or form a new one to achieve her goal of outperforming her 43 percent performance in New Hampshire.
The Democrats’ warning is the latest sign of how disparate dates for each party’s primary elections is disrupting politics in key early voting states. South Carolina’s open primary system allows voters of any party to participate in one of two primaries. Democrats have set a date for the primary for December 2022, but Republicans have moved the date to later that month, saying they want to focus national attention on the campaign after the Nevada caucuses and the early February primary. It was set to
So far, there is no sign that a significant number of Democrats are leaning toward Haley’s camp. Those considering supporting Haley in the Feb. 24 election say they feel compelled to at least consider it because their primary is so uncompetitive. (Biden is running against two candidates with little presence in the state: Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and self-help author Marianne Williamson.) Vote for Haley Some said they felt that doing so could help narrow down the results of the poll. There is a yawning difference between her and Mr. Trump.
Bill Samuels, a 73-year-old retiree from Beaufort, said he and his wife are among the Democratic voters considering voting for Haley in the Republican primary as registered independents.
“So who is Biden running against?” Mr. Samuels asked as he waited to hear from Democrats in the small reception room of Singleton’s Barber Shop in Beaufort.
John Coffey, a Democratic voter who was sitting next to him, said he was also considering joining the opposition race. “That’s a good strategy,” he said.
But he later expressed doubts about efforts to promote Haley. “We have to be careful when we start playing with fire in the primaries,” Coffey said. “That can be counterproductive.”
“There’s nothing the Democratic Party would be happier about than Donald Trump being the Republican nominee,” said Olivia Perez-Cubas, a spokeswoman for Ms. Haley.
Perez-Cubas pointed to national polls that suggested Haley could beat Biden by a larger margin than Trump in the general election, and said of the former president, “They think Biden can beat Biden.” I know that,” he said.
Republicans supported changing election rules to partisan primaries so that voters could only vote in the primary of the party they are registered with. South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick called the state’s open primary system “the worst in the world.”
“I think the most important thing a political party can do is actually nominate candidates and get them elected,” he said. “So when we do the most important thing we do, we should limit it to people who actually support our party.”
Haley’s campaign has been trying to get its message across to voters looking for an alternative to a rematch between Trump and Biden in the general election, but rather than overtly appealing to Democratic voters seeking moderates, Haley allies have emphasized Haley’s reputation. Stubborn conservative.
Democratic leaders in the Palmetto State have sought to portray Haley as a politician with national ambitions who pushed some of the most conservative policies in state history, most notably her 20-week abortion ban while governor in 2016. He points out that he signed the bill and vetoed it. Expand Medicaid.
“I think anyone would look normal standing next to Trump. And for me, it’s important to remind South Carolina Democrats who Nikki Haley is,” said the South Carolina Democrat. Cristalet España leader said in an interview.
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