Letters to the Editor: Nikki Haley is playing the long game. Watch out, Democrats

To the editor: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley shouldn’t expect to net much more than 20% of GOP voters’ support in next week’s Super Tuesday primaries. (“Nikki Haley keeps losing — and revealing something important about Trump and Republicans,” Opinion, Feb. 27)

Truth be told, but not spoken by Trump loyalists, the former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the United Nations is playing a long game. Haley, unlike the hard-core MAGA crowd, knows that what happens by October will trump the effect of prior months’ primaries.

Former President Trump’s mounting legal challenges, especially with his pending criminal trials, likely will derail his absurd candidacy within the next several months. Whether that happens through some kind of plea deal that spares him incarceration, or through post-trial sentencing, matters little.

What matters is that Haley, by maintaining the public’s attention — and walking the fine line between never-Trumpers and MAGA Republicans — will have locked down a place on the GOP ticket.

Which should concern Democrats, who seem to lack a viable long-game strategy.

Roberta Helms, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: In Roman mythology, Janus is depicted as having two heads, allowing him to look forward and backward. In Donald mythology, there are three heads, two gazing back in time to his feud with Jan. 6 reality, and one looking sideways at Nikki Haley, a still viable opponent should he stumble on courthouse steps or elsewhere.

Polls this early in the contest are unreliable, but they show that a match-up between Trump and President Biden is too close to call, but Haley defeats Biden fairly handily.

She is a formidable candidate, having knowledge of issues, stage presence, debate skills and persistence. I will not vote for either of the fellas but would gladly cast a ballot for Haley.

Paul Bloustein, Cincinnati

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To the editor: Jonah Goldberg pines for a traditional conservative GOP, but that ship has sailed. The MAGA movement represents sedition and autocracy, and that tells us everything we need to know about conservatism in America.

Some Trump supporters openly say they expect and desire a civil war. Our fellow countrymen know not what they are asking for and what that would actually look like. They are playing with fire.

Mike Aguilar, Costa Mesa

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To the editor: Haley is being pressured to suspend her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. She should ignore the calls to withdraw for several reasons.

With all the legal charges against the former president, he could be in prison before the election (unless his delaying tactics are successful).

Furthermore, Trump turns 78 in June, and he is susceptible to the catastrophes that can befall people of old age, including stroke, heart attack, debilitating injury or even death. If any of these occurs, we will need a new Republican candidate, and who better than one who can beat Biden?

Besides, many Republicans don’t want to vote for Trump, myself included.

Joseph Pflagerr, Maumee, Ohio