55 per cent of the vote is impressive for Donald Trump. Nikki Haley's 45 per cent is nothing to sneeze at, but she should have done better. Plus, Haley has to battle the perception that the race for the Republican presidential nomination is over. Trump friendly Nevada caucuses in a couple of weeks. Polls show Haley is trailing badly in the next primary state, her home state of South Carolina.
Haley's grabbing nearly half of the New Hampshire vote gives her reason to push on, as long as the campaign money is still available. It puts her in a decent position if Trump's legal problems force a major issue down the road. Still, you have to wonder if Haley can unite the party if that happens.
Ron Desantis dropped out of the campaign Sunday afternoon. In spite of a big win in his reelection as Florida governor and a nice push at the beginning, the Desantis campaign never really took off. Even Desantis admits he should have done more interviews and he should have been more accessible. I'm not doubting the man's intelligence, but he seemed to give the same standard, rehearsed answer to every question. I have a feeling Desantis bailed early to avoid an embarrassment. He was a poor third in New Hampshire polling, so he avoids the stench of an election night humiliation. Desantis is only 45. He's probably looking ahead to something else, like US Senate. He had to distance himself from the presidential campaign and in a hurry.
Super Tuesday is coming up on March 5, and that's only six weeks away. One-third of the delegates will be up for grabs. Everything after that could be irrelevant.
