Nikki Haley Best GOP Pick to Beat Biden, Says New Poll – Fresh polling shows former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley emerging as the biggest GOP threat to Joe Biden.
The results of a recent CNN/SSRS poll suggest that the former South Carolina governor could be the only GOP candidate to beat Biden.
Trump’s Narrow Lead and Other GOP Candidates
The poll indicates that Haley leads President Joe Biden with 49 percent of the vote compared to Biden’s 43 percent, clearly exceeding the 3.5-point margin of error.
In contrast, former President Donald Trump holds a narrow lead over Biden, with 47 percent support compared to Biden’s 46 percent. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and President Biden are tied at 47 percent each.
Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Tim Scott also lead Biden with 46 percent support each, while Chris Christie maintains a 44 percent to 42 percent advantage over the president.
Notably, Vivek Ramaswamy was the sole candidate in the poll who would be defeated by President Biden in a hypothetical matchup, with Biden leading 46 percent to 45 percent.
Haley’s Support Among College-Educated White Voters
Haley’s robust showing can be attributed, in part, to her strong support among white voters with college degrees, garnering the support of 51 percent in that demographic, while the other Republican candidates in the poll secured 48 percent or less of that vote.
Haley’s campaign spokesperson, Ken Farnaso, expressed confidence in her candidacy, stating, “Nikki Haley is our best hope in taking back the White House. We only have one shot. It’s time to play to win.”
These poll results come on the heels of Haley’s recent momentum boost following the first GOP debate last month.
A joint effort by The Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight, and Ipsos to gauge support before and after the debate revealed that the number of Republican debate viewers considering supporting Haley’s candidacy increased from 29 to 46 percent.
The campaign reaped the rewards of this newfound attention, reporting that it received more online grassroots donations in the first 24 hours after the debate than on any other single day since Haley’s entry into the race in February. Moreover, traffic to Haley’s campaign website surged tenfold, making her the second-most Googled candidate post-debate, trailing only Ramaswamy, who topped Google’s trending searches list with over a million searches within 24 hours.
A separate survey obtained by Politico shows Haley tied with DeSantis at 10 percent among potential primary voters in the Granite State. However, it’s worth noting that in a RealClearPolitics polling average, Haley trails DeSantis by a significant margin, with 3.8 percent compared to DeSantis’s 13.3 percent.
Culture Clashes Ahead
Former Democrat Congressman Harold Ford Jr. said that Republicans need to shift their perspective on key issues to appeal to more voters.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, the pundit claimed that “[M]ost voters don’t want Trump or Biden.
“The way I see it, Republicans have got to get right on this issue [abortion] to be competitive nationally in this presidential race, because the question will be asked of whomever the nominee is on either side.
“Will you appoint justices or judges just who come down on one side or the other? And people can decide what they want, but the voters are telling us in conservative states and moderate states and liberal states that they want more openness on this issue.
“The issues of crime and border, Republicans are at an advantage on that versus Democrats.
He argued that these “Will be the issues that decide for many Americans as we think about identity and identification and culture going forward.”
Joe Biden Campaign Accuses Nikki Haley of ‘MAGA’ Plans
If the Joe Biden campaign’s swipes are anything to judge by, they certainly view staunch pro-lifer Haley as a threat. Spokesperson Kevin Munoz recently criticized Haley in a statement to Fox News, labeling her a “MAGA Republican” with “no real plan” to improve the nation’s public school systems.
Munoz asserted, “Nikki Haley’s education ‘platform’ is just a retread of the same extreme policy points the other Republican candidates are echoing, reminding Americans just how out of touch 2024 Republicans are.”
He continued, “Our students shouldn’t be used as political pawns — they need real leadership and real solutions from their president. President Biden is that leader.”
In response, Haley’s team dismissed Biden’s comments, with spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas remarking that the president “knows he’s in a world of hurt if Nikki Haley is his opponent.”
She further emphasized, “A bold new generation conservative who stands up for parents, children, and taxpayers is Biden and Harris’ worst nightmare.”
These comments from both camps follow reports of a senior Democratic aide close to the Biden campaign telling Politico last month, “If they nominate Nikki Haley, we’re in trouble.”
Meanwhile, the GOP field is gearing up for the second primary debate, scheduled for September 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
