Americans have a lot to learn about candidate Nikki Haley

What do we look for when we select our president? 

Leading up to the election in 2020, one of many polls was from Yahoo News/YouGov. They found that Republicans valued strength above all else. 89% of Trump’s supporters said he possessed this leadership quality.

And for Biden? His supporters believed that he was someone who is willing to take responsibility.

But that was in 2020. Now, our sights are already set on 2024, and the newest candidate in that field.

Nikki Haley. A former governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley told her story last week to a crowd in Charleston, South Carolina as she announced her run for president.

It’s a story that begins as a child of immigrants who moved here from India the same year that Neil Armstrong first took a step on the Moon.

Born in South Carolina, Haley detailed the life and education she grew up with, and the backbone that was her family.

Her father went on to teach at a Christian, historically black university. Her mother became a public school teacher. Her and her three siblings grew up understanding the value of hardwork and community. One of her brothers would even go on to serve in Desert Storm.

Haley’s story led her through becoming a state house representative, and then even governor. Those chapters of her story included confrontations such as the tragic shooting at a black church in Charleston and the removal of the Confederate flag in the state capital. In her speech, Haley touched on the threats of China and Russia, highlighting her later experience as U.N. ambassador under President Trump.

Many Americans are still learning this story of the newest candidate for president. And if Trump was considered strong and honest, and Biden was competent and willing to take responsibility, what will voters think of Nikki Haley?

In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 42% of Republican voters say they’d vote for Trump, 36% for Desantis, and 5% for Haley. 

However, when asked if they found each candidate favorable or unfavorable, 56% said they haven’t heard enough about her. 3% said they hadn’t heard enough about Trump. It’s actually a little shocking that anyone would say that about the former president at this point.

But as the race for Biden’s replacement heats up, the American public will learn and decide more. 

In 2000, Americans viewed Bush as a more decisive leader, but Gore as someone who “cares about people like you.” In 2008, Americans believed McCain was more personally qualified and would make better judgement in a crisis, but they believed Obama was well-informed and would bring about change.

What will we look for in 2024, and what will we see in Nikki Haley? 

Those are and will remain two of the most important questions as we steadily approach the horizon of the 2024 presidential election.