It’s that time of year when the pundits make bets. Ev’ry talking head seems to say, she can win, if she’ll just do things my way. And, we play along, cuz the world is fonged and we need a break from Christmas songs.

With deepest apologies to fans of the Christmas Waltz

Joe Concha, the quick-witted and imminently quotable Fox pundit, has written a column in which he lays out a path to the 2024 Republican Presidential nomination for Candidate Nikki Haley. Let’s be clear. I am a Trump girl. I don’t want Nikki for Vice President. The only thing I want her for, maybe, is Ambassador to Chad. Maybe. Nikki is way too Uniparty for me.

There are people on “X” every day saying that the nomination is over. Trump has the nomination. Everyone else needs to drop out. Bull hockey! If you are older than 25 you know anything can happen. Remember: “It ain’t over till it’s over.” Things happen. Things change. Always be open to new information.

Just in the last few months, the Victory Girls have been all over the place with Ambassador Haley. Carol, Darleen, and I have all written posts on Nikki. She changes positions like she changes her five inch stilettos. Not exactly what we want, right?

Just where does Joe Concha say her pathway to the 2024 Republican Presidential Nomination lies. First comes Iowa:

Let’s say Trump wins Iowa convincingly. (He’s currently up 32 points on DeSantis in the RCP average in the Hawkeye State.) Then let’s say DeSantis sees no path moving forward, with his donors fleeing, and decides to drop out before New Hampshire, with many of his supporters moving to another candidate not named Trump and with a chance to win — in other words, Haley. How does New Hampshire, a very unpredictable state, vote from there?

Recent CBS News and Wall Street Journal polls, respectively, provide a roadmap for the former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador. Regarding CBS, Trump’s lead in New Hampshire is only 15 points, with Trump leading Haley 44% to 29%. DeSantis is in third with 11% and Chris Christie, who is running for reasons difficult to define, comes in with 10%.

If DeSantis and Christie were to drop out, one would expect a big chunk on their support to go to Haley. Why? Because while Trump is edging out Biden in a general election matchup, Haley beats Biden by 17 points in the most recent Wall Street Journal survey.

There is a poll out there that only has Nikki Haley four points behind Trump. If DeSantis drops out and endorses Haley AND maybe agrees to be her Vice President. They could win. Not a winning team in my book. BUT. There are Trump haters out there for whom Haley/DeSantis would be a Dream Team.

More from Concha:

So what does this result tell us?

That Haley would be a general election nightmare for Biden, who won’t be able to use a line we hear repeated in the media on a seemingly hourly basis: Trump is a threat to democracy as we know it. Taking Trump out of the conversation and putting Haley into it would force Biden to run on a record that includes:

Inflation still more than twice as high as it was when Trump left office;
Violent crime driving people out of blue American cities, from San Francisco to Chicago to New York;
The U.S. southern border allowing millions into the country unfettered and unverified, exhausting city budgets and resources while presenting a profound national security risk;
Education scores at a 30-year low;
Billions upon billions being sent overseas to fight two wars after the U.S. was largely at peace under Biden’s predecessor. So what does this result tell us?

I don’t understand how even Asa Hutchinson doesn’t beat Biden with those stats. And, none of that includes his personal ickiness. His wife, his son, his daughter. His being owned by several foreign governments. His sniffing of children.

More from Concha:

If Haley is close in New Hampshire and shows Trump to be vulnerable, South Carolina — Haley’s home state — comes into play ahead of Super Tuesday. If she could win there, all bets are off. And perhaps more importantly, Trump would lose the excuse of not debating because of his lead.

“I think President Trump was the right president at the right time,” Haley said at a campaign rally, attempting to walk an almost-impossible tightrope of pulling away Trump voters without offending them or tarnishing his record. “I really do. [But] chaos follows him wherever he goes. And every one of you knows I’m right. When the world is on fire and our country is completely distracted, we can’t continue down this chaotic path.”

Trump would have to debate then. With Chris Christie in a protective cage. Trump would clean his teeth using Nikki as a toothpick.

I find many of Nikki’s positions difficult. Like her position on abortion:

There is just something so G.O.P. corporate about Nikki’s answer (s) that sound so “Mother May I” giant step backwards.

Nikki’s path towards the nomination is just as likely as anything else. It’s early and no one has voted yet.

Merry Christmas.

Featured Image: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons