Haley’s low-key race entry

OPINION:

I couldn’t help but notice how low-key Nikki Haley’s presidential announcement was (“Republican underdogs start to step in,” Web, Feb. 14). In fact, it was so subdued that I wonder if the former South Carolina governor and Trump administration U.N. ambassador really is running for president — or if she is positioning herself as the top GOP candidate for vice president.

Mrs. Haley’s signature line in her announcement was this: “I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels.” If that’s true, then she should have said something when she was governor back in 2016, when then-candidate Donald Trump was overheard bragging about grabbing women by their genitalia. But she didn’t. To her credit, she did stand up to then-President Trump in 2017, when she said that women who accuse men of sexual assault “should be heard.”

Make no mistake about it, Mrs. Haley will be an interesting candidate to watch. My only question is, how long will she stay in the race? I guess it depends on how much money she can raise in the next four months. If she can’t raise $25 million by June, I’d say there’s no reason for her to attend any county fairs in Iowa this summer. 

DENNY FREIDENRICH

Laguna Beach, California