Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Getty
For Nikki Haley, the stakes couldn’t be higher than they are in New Hampshire. If she wins Tuesday night, her campaign continues, and she contests her home state of South Carolina. If she loses, it’s game over.
To be sure, it’s possible her campaign could continue in zombie form (just as Ron DeSantis might have continued after losing Iowa). But for all practical purposes, it all comes down to this. The end of the road. The whole ball of wax.
So, can Haley win? It depends on whether you believe in magic or polls. Back in 2008, everyone thought Barack Obama would defeat Hillary Clinton in the Granite State. He didn’t. That same year, Republican John McCain also surprised many by winning New Hampshire’s primary. Sometimes the so-called experts get egg on their collective faces.