Five reasons why Bush should pick Haley.
By Sujeet Rajan
NEW YORK: The likes of Gov. Bobby Jindal, Dr. Ben Carson and Sen. Ted Cruz may seem like the face of diversity in the Republican Party; a Brown, Black and Latino all vying for a GOP nomination to run for president is a powerful enough symbol of the changing times in America.
But in reality Jindal, Cruz and Carson are odd balls in the GOP, terribly out of sync with what America wants in an all-encompassing leader. They have already been ‘certified’ as ideologues who could lead the country on the dangerous path of divisiveness and perdition.
More often than not the rhetoric of Jindal, Cruz and Carson, meant to rouse Americans and endear themselves to voters, makes large segment of voters shudder. Many voters view not only them in suspicion but the entire GOP as well is shrouded in negative light. International leaders scoff at this face of diversity of the GOP. Many at home are puzzled as to why Jindal should be a Republican at all, but most know that it is a vaudeville show that will end after the first lap, known as the primaries.
When the chaff has been sifted from the grain, and in all likelihood the former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, who is emerging as a force to reckon with for both Republicans and Democrats just on the basis of money he has been raising – he has raised $114.4 million compared to Hillary Clinton’s total of $69 million so far – will be the GOP nominee, the critical question will emerge, who will be his running mate for the 2016 presidential polls?
Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina is a candidate Bush would find it hard to ignore. Here’s why:
- Haley is the real face of diversity in the GOP and a magnet for minority voters: The daughter of immigrants from India, and who grew up in a small business household, Haley will draw in voters where Bush would really need to reach out to when it comes to crunch. His wife is of Mexican origin, and he has made all the right noises about immigration, including giving permanent residency to illegal immigrants – he has that base covered. Haley will draw the educated Asian voters, new immigrant voters, and also women voters, all of whom which the GOP badly needs.
- Haley has shown statesmanship in reaching out to India, traveling there: Unlike Jindal who has shown remarkable ability (call it as lack of tact) to infuriate voters in America with his foolish comments and Indians too in India, the country where his parents emigrated from, Haley has made all the right overtures to get international attention. She was one of the most visible American politicians present when prime minister Narendra Modi spoke at the Madison Square Garden in New York, and met him on a one-to-one meeting. She also traveled to India for a month, earlier this year, met several leaders, including Modi, and visited major cities, forging ties, making business connections. Haley showed that she is a suave politician, who focuses on issues that really matter with India, America’s strong ally and the fastest growing economic power in the world: warm personal ties, and a burgeoning business relationship.
- Haley is a tremendous speaker and debater, and young: the Republicans should learn from the Democrats and not have a running mate like Joe Biden, who is now perhaps too old to run for President. The growing criticism against Clinton has also exposed the lack of genuine political talent in the Democratic Party, which forgot perhaps to nurture future leaders. Haley is undoubtedly one of the great public speakers the GOP has, and apart from a natural charisma that she exudes when she takes on a stage and a mike, it makes sense to groom a leader like Haley, who could step into the shoes of Bush if he were to be president for two terms.
- Haley will attract black voters in the South: the state of South Carolina may be insignificant enough when it comes to national polls, but Haley has put herself front and center as the leader who took down the much reviled Confederate flag. As the movement to take out all symbols of the Confederacy that symbolizes hate and slavery – from taking out flags and statues from states, and even exhuming bodies of former confederate leaders from public cemeteries – grows in momentum, it will be Haley who will be remembered for leading that march. America needs many beacons of hope in these strife-filled times. Haley is a shining star that surely voters can trust in restoring America back to more calm filled days, of making moves to reconcile blacks with whites.
- Haley is the woman who could counter Hillary Clinton’s presence: It may be hard for the GOP to project themselves as an all-encompassing party if two White men were to be the GOP’s candidates for the White House. Their biggest challenge would be to take away the sheen of Clinton’s projection as a woman president. In Haley, America may see true potential of a leader who could be groomed to be a genuine leader, and also will highlight perhaps the fact that Clinton might just have missed the boat the last time around, and is a bit jaded now. And it would undoubtedly show Bush in a more positive light, that despite all the male talent he had on hand in the GOP, he really went for the kind of change that matters, endear himself to voters: leaned towards a woman.
(Sujeet Rajan is the Editor-in-Chief of The American Bazaar)
8 Comments
Niki Haley and Bobby Jindal, are political history. These two were brought in to the party to entice affluent Indian American Republicans to the party and fielding the face of the minority candidate to the voters. This ploy failed. Jindal is political history come Jan. 2016. Haley, has lost the Southern votes after taking down of the confederate flag in SC. No candidate in their right mind or volition would pick either of them as VP candidate. If they did it would be political suicide. Besides this, the emergency of Trump might split the votes away from Jeb Bush since Trump is adamant to stay with the GOP. This might be a boon for Hillary !
I won’t be voting for Bush if he’s the nominee, and if he selects Haley for VP it would be a double for me. She blew it big time by making such a big deal out of taking down the battle flag. Like taking down an inanimate object that was used in a video by a psycho is going to heal racism.
If Jeb Bush is the candidate I and millions of other Republicans will not be voting Republican in 2016. It might be best for Governor Haley’s personal reputation if she is not associated with the calamitous defeat of the Bush ticket.
I’ve been working in GOP campaigns as a party wheel horse for over 35 yrs…..and I don’t know a soul who wants Bush as the nominee in 2016…..but the little alien clown who wrote this piece seems to think he has a better understanding of the GOP than I do….even though my family has been Republican since Teddy Roosevelt..I can appreciate why he would want a fellow Indian on the ticket…but his slobbering support of someone who I see as the “designated looser” to Hillary if he is nominated,is pathetic…and only shows he doesn’t have a clue as to how the rank and file of the GOP feel about GW’s little brother
Bush wont be the nominee, so it wont matter. The left would simply Palinize her.
Dr Carson would be divisive? What planet does this write live on? Obama has unified the country?
Jindal & Carson will create more divisiveness? What planet is this author living on? Obama has brought the country together? I guess it does’nt require any brains to write an article to get published here
Jindal & Carson will create more divisiveness? What planet is this author living on? Obama has brought the country together? I guess it does’nt require any brains to write an article to get published here