Nikki Haley is semi-surging in the Republican primary. The former South Carolina governor recently leapfrogged Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis in the polls, now making her the distant–very distant–second choice to Donald Trump, our very own one-term, twice-impeached, quadruple-indicted ex-president.
Good for her!
Haley’s sudden viability meant she was the primary target of attack Wednesday in the fourth Republican debate, which was just as brainless and futile as the previous three. Though Chris Christie did call Vivek Ramaswamy an obnoxious blowhard (takes one to know one, but… we still laughed).
At the start of the proceedings, Megyn Kelly asked DeSantis about his flailing poll numbers, and why he doesn’t exit the race. “Meatball Ron,” like all losing candidates, dismissed the polls.
Then he dove into Haley, saying she “caves to the left” when she’s confronted.
In an attempt to prove her right-wing bonafides, Haley responded with a swipe at “Don’t Say Gay.” Apparently, she doesn’t think the bill is severe enough!
“I actually said his ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill didn’t go far enough because it only [bans] talk about gender until third grade,” she responded. “And I said it shouldn’t be done at all. That that’s for parents to talk about. It shouldn’t be talked about with schools.”
Haley raised the stakes on DeSantis, challenging the anti-gay governor on his transphobia. She’s made sure to demonize transgender people throughout the campaign, forcing jokes about Dylan Mulvaney and blaming trans kids for causing suicidal ideation in young girls.
But here’s the problem with panderers: they usually get exposed. Haley’s attempt to ingratiate herself with the far-right backfired.
Badly.
Instead of lauding Haley for her anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, they blasted her for referring to Florida’s homophobic bill as “Don’t Say Gay.”
¿Como se dice, “karmic backlash”?
A favorite of the GOP donor class, Haley might actually be more alienating than DeSantis. Her shots at other candidates always miss.
At the last debate, she tried to capitalize on the very funny “DeSantis wears heels” storyline, only to butcher her vapid little joke.
We’re still not quite sure what this means…
Haley couldn’t appear more uncomfortable if she tried.
But on second thought, speaking of ammunition…
Of course, the whole Republican primary remains a giant charade, with Trump so far ahead in both the polls and fundraising. He’s currently polling at 59% nationally, while Haley is second with 15% (DeSantis is at 14%).
In other words, Haley and DeSantis are sparring for political crumbs. Sadly, scrounging around at the dinner table is never a good look.
abfab
The growth of her intellect didn’t go far enough. She’s just another boring Republican mess. Beige.
Chrisk
Why would they want this half baked imitator when they can get the real POS himself. Please gurl. Stop embarrassing yourself.
abfab
She’s another liar. There’s no there there.
rbernard
After watching the antics from the Moms for Liberty and the Florida State Republican Chairman, all they need to do is say it is ok to be gay and do what they were caught doing. I do not care if they were having three ways with lesbian encounters, but don’t tell everyone else they can’t have the same kind of fun as they were having.
abfab
Shit, I’d be okay with them all having orgies with Manatees! Just STFU already about SEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dbmcvey
Those rules are only for the rest of us.
abfab
Moms For Liberty sounds like a really sick, twisted, gross, incestuous porn movie for redneck MAGA perverts. This film is not yet rated.
abfab
To all the moms in Florida! The police video has arrived!
ZzBomb
I’m really tired of our community being the right’s eternal punching bag b/c they have nothing else to run on besides putting others down. It’s old and tired af.
Just image all we could accomplish if we had an actual rational opposition party?
abfab
I’m always imaging that. And on day one of my presidency I will close the WAR DEPARTMENT and open the PEACE DEPARTMENT.
THE GOP ”The Old And The Tired’.
dbmcvey
Hey, that’s what it’s been since Reagan.
dbmcvey
Or the original McCarthy.
decrans
Abcrabs is ‘imaging’ that. Good God, somebody get this fool Hooked on Phonics for Christmas.
FreddieW
I don’t watch Republican debates anymore, so all I know about what she said is from your article above.
The headline says she was homophobic, but what I read above relates to gender and transgender issues. What exactly (if anything) did she say about homosexuals?
inbama
Nothing.
It’s bait-and-switch reporting.
The Christians loons are right to wonder why she’s calling it “Don’t Say Gay” – the term invented by Florida LGBTQIA+ activists to mask that the law also bans teaching harmful Gender Ideology. She’s sending a very mixed message.
Whatever, given the current state of the Supreme Court, the election of any Republican will be disastrous for gay rights. They’ve already taken away our equal right to goods and services by ruling in favor of anti-gay bakers and webmasters.
dbmcvey
The homophobic right wing trolls are agreeing with each other again.
inbama
@dbmcvey
I will agree with anyone telling the truth.
Sadly, that is something you NEVER do. You, like abfab, simply repeat your lies and slanders over and over like queer versions of Joseph Goebbels.
abfab
They bear repeating.
dbmcvey
@inbama
You’re one of the conservative trolls. Even your name is conservative trolling.
inbama
@dbmcvey
When you were born, the doctor should’ve slapped your mother.
dbmcvey
Oh wow! Boys Life jokes from the embodiment of a conservative troll!
Last time I heard that joke I fell off a dinosaur laughing!
abfab
Wow! She was ”granted permission”. The graciousness of Republicans! Praise Jesus!
Nicky Haily is also still constipated on this issue. SHE’S A BIGOT and a HOMOPHOBE,
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN AMERICA (National Public Radio)
Texas judge grants permission for woman’s abortion
UPDATED DECEMBER 7, 202311:30 AM ET
Selena Simmons-Duffin
Updated Thursday, Dec. 7 at 1:55 p.m.
“Kate Cox needs an abortion, and she needs it now.” Thus began a petition filed in a Texas district court this week, asking a judge to allow the abortion to be performed in the state, where abortion is banned with very limited exceptions.
On Thursday, Judge Maya Guerra Gamble of Travis County, Texas, ruled from the bench, granting permission for Cox to have the abortion she is seeking. Cox’s fetus has a genetic condition with very low chances of survival and her own health and fertility are at risk if she carries the pregnancy to term.
dbmcvey
Yeah, but this kind of stuff goes over well with the homophobic Republican base. Including the anti-gay conservative trolls who haunt this site.
Mr.Gavin Elster
Ugh! Getting VERY worried over here. It’s a given that Trump will be the Republican nominee for President. But……there’s a strong chance he will BE the next President! Is Biden/Harris the best the Democrats can give us? Yeah, I’ll vote for them, like a lot of us did for Hiliry, plugging our noses. So much ego, and narcissism: like Ruth Bader Ginsburg,who should have graciously stepped-down and allowed Obama to appoint a real Supreme Court Justice, instead of the total joke we eventually got. The Democratic party continues to take its shrinking demographics for granted. That donkey logo is sooooo appropriate: stubborn, ignorant and braying!
Mack
Yeah that worked out so well for President Obama when Scalia died.
Joshooeerr
As an outsider (and once US resident) watching the rapid self-destruction of the Failed States of America, I keep wondering why nobody ever seems to address the root causes of the galloping right wing insanity. Start with religion and very poor education.
inbama
No reason to hold your nose no matter who we’re running when the opposition is a would-be dictator who sent fake electors to the capital and incited domestic terrorists to stop the certification of the election.
Lord knows I differ with our left on this lunatic Gender ideology and Anti-Enlightenment BS, but I don’t want to trade American Democracy for a carbon copy of Putin’s Russia where the good people are locked away in prison or poisoned.
FreddieW
If you live in Florida, you’ve already been disenfranchised by Biden’s allies. Otherwise, you can vote for Dean Phillips in the primary, if you want something plausible.
inbama
@FreddieW
How are you “disenfranchised” by Biden’s allies?
FreddieW
You can’t vote for any Democratic presidential candidate in a Florida primary because they’ve decided to deliver all the electors to Biden. There will be no Florida Democratic primary election for President, as it stands now.
FreddieW
I just checked my email, and Dean Phillips’ campaign has announced North Carolina has done the same as Florida.
It’s 2020 all over again, but at least Pete was in a caucus or two before they pressured him to drop out.
FreddieW
So if you wonder why I won’t play along with “Vote Blue No Matter Who”, that’s the answer.
FreddieW
Tennessee also has left Dean Phillips off the ballot. So if this holds, I’m voting for Nikki Haley in the primary.
I just sent $100 to the Phillips campaign days ago. He’s the only candidate I’ve ever contributed to besides Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. I’ve basically had it with the DNC.
Baron Wiseman
@FreddieW
Yes, how the Democrats LOVE democracy!!!
decrans
I didn’t know about Dean Phillips and Tennessee. I currently live in Nashville. And these are the same idiots who bray about democracy being on the ballot. I’m going to relish voting for RFK or sitting this election out next year (while getting paid to canvass for Marsha Blackburn via the Koch Bros). I’m practically salivating. I’ve despised the Dems since Bernie in 2016. Then came the gender extremists with shades of Jerry Falwell’s Moral Majority. It’s been a downhill glide ever since.
FreddieW
@decrans
Marsha Blackburn is on the short list of dumbest blondes who’ve ever lived. Find someone better to support.
And her hair!!!! Medusa looked better.
dbmcvey
Conservative troll voting for the billionaire who was a good friend of Epstein. Sounds about right.
decrans
He was upfront about riding on his plane with HIS FAMILY. Say, have we received any response from Bill Clinton yet about that life-sized sexualized painting Epstein had hanging up in his foyer of Bill? No. I’m sure you voted for Hillary and Bill, two people who have victimized women for decades, dumbass Davey. Please.
decrans
And get this: RFK wants the Epstein records to be released. If he has something to hide, why does he want the full records released? Make it make sense, moron.
Mr.Gavin Elster
Hey! I’m also fuming over the DNC’s tone deafness and condescension, but any votes in November for alternate candidates or parties BECOME votes for Trump. Remember how Ralph Nader gave us Bush 2?
Ronbo
Trotting out that same corporate party DNC lie! Bush beat Gore because team Gore ran to the right. Remember Tipper Gore campaigning against rap music?
Gore lost because he targeted the right-wing corporate policies of the DNC. (against universal healthcare, happy with Clinton’s ending federal safety nets – sending them to the states, outsourcing more jobs for Wallstreet and Gore’s lack of support for our community, etc….)
The meme that: if you are not “with us, you must be against us” is what keeps us locked into establishment nonsense. The left leg of corporate government walks the same direction as the right leg.
If you didn’t notice, President Obama campaigned at one gay event that I attended promising single-payer universal healthcare. That morphed into the 1993 Republican Heritage Foundation alternative of subsidizing healthcare corporation profits. Remember the promised “public option”? It was dropped; corporate donations from the insurance industry was the target.
R and D POITICIANS (not D voters) stand on the exact same spot – only back to back. Both make promises to their base without the intention of following thru. The DNC is owned by the wealthy, as much as, the RNC.
Democratic voters are FANTASTIC, Democratic politicians not so much.
They often support Republican policy. Clinton pushed, passed and signed DADT – eliminating free speech for gays and lesbians. Clinton pushed, passed and signed DOMA – restricting marriage equality. Biden could have enacted most of his agenda thru Executive Orders. He chose not to act – even stepping aside for Republicans to subvert the Supreme Court! Biden controlled the hearings and ensured Clarence Thomas’s place on the Supreme Court. Biden is too timid to expand the Supreme Court and too timid to act when the Republicans schemed and cheated to gain controlling majority.
We NEED truthful independent politicians. Why do you think the founders objected STRENUOUSLY to political parties? Political parties distort policy into their favor – and other than talk, they mostly take the same actions.
Never trust politicians with a history of saying one thing then doing the opposite. In other words, don’t trust corporate candidates – they have hidden agendas.
missvamp
i almost spit my drink out watching christie call her a well educated woman. well educated by who’s standards? a 3rd grader?
abfab
TMI Nick.
Nikki Haley
Mom Son curry nights are the best! Indian food and now couching it watching the Olympics. Our Mom Son dates have changed over the years but are still just as sweet ?? #MomSonTime #WhereDidTheTimeGo #USA ??
decrans
You can always depend on Abcrabs’s for some good old-fashioned left-wing racism. Always nattering on about Black Memphis hicks, Indian curry or the dirty Mexicans. But please Enlightened One, tell us how Trump is racist in your little utopia bubbleland where Mayo Pete can win over his zero percent of Black votes.
Ronbo
Decrans, you have abfab wrong. That kind of extremist isn’t racist, they just put themselves above everyone else. And they have a severe case of “presentism” – forgetting that our generation put our lives on the line for “equality”.
Now, many extremists would rather push away science in favor of “wishism”. You know them, they wish to be rich so they go into debt. They wish to be heard so they yell “fire” in crowded theaters. They wish to change society, so they actually chanted “We are coming for your children”!
(not kidding, search the quote, Newsweek has the video.
Good intentions are great; but, reasonable action should consiste of acceptance, understanding and compassion – not extremism.
abfab
Nikki wrote that on her Facebook page. I could never come up with something that fascinating.
The continueing saga of the Dick Brothers. Run along douche bags. You’re annoying.
Ronbo
When your mother asked you to clean your room last month, did you scream insults at her also? Abfab is back calling names like a 7 year old.
I remember when abfab once complained (here at Queerty) that he was miserable because he could not find a partner, friends or success in work. My comment stands: to attract people: be nice, accepting, and compassionate. Insulting people causes division and hurt… read your nasty comments. Your hate hurts you – just as it hurts the Republicans.
dbmcvey
Even if Trump drops dead or gets arrested I doubt she would be the nominee.
abfab
She’s an airhead.