For fans of Nikki Haley, the path to the Republican presidential nomination looks like this: place a close second or third in Iowa; move on to New Hampshire, where an endorsement from popular GOP Gov. Chris Sununu will help her win that state’s primary; use the momentum from that to win her native South Carolina where the race will be down to a one-on-one contest with former President Donald Trump.
But Sununu’s endorsement only helps to expose, instead of solve, her most pressing problem: building a coalition that expands beyond those who already dislike Trump. Sununu represents the kind of voter she already appeals to: those who, like Sununu, think that Trump is saddled with too much baggage and can’t win in November. Introducing Haley in Manchester on Tuesday, Sununu quipped that “one candidate for president is worried about nap time while the other is worried about jail time.”
The state’s Republican voters, Sununu argued, don’t want to “look in the rear view mirror anymore” and don’t want to “settle for yesterday’s news.” Come January, said the New Hampshire governor,
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