As the U.S. November presidential election looms closer, a choice between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is becoming more apparent. The moment the votes from the fifteen states involved in Super Tuesday were tallied, the national landscape rapidly changed to an extensive red splash from east to west, reinforcing Trump’s grip on the Republican Party.
Before the clock struck midnight, Trump had notched up wins in 11 states, further consolidating his firm control and redefinition of Abraham Lincoln’s party, thus the era of ‘Trumpublicanism’ had truly begun.
Vermont, known for its distinctive characteristics and diverse commune of Deadheads, nature enthusiasts, maple syrup producers, resilient hippies, and yes, Democrats too (since it’s an open primary) was the only state that chose Nikki Haley. The isolated orange symbol representing this victory looked somewhat desolate amidst the widespread red depiction of Trump strongholds on the national TV maps.
On the Democratic front, incumbent Joe Biden dominated party votes and is anticipated to elucidate his view of a fundamental struggle for democracy during his upcoming State of the Union address on Thursday evening. However, it was Tuesday’s results that officially heralded the return of Donald Trump.
Trump appeared on stage at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach past 10 pm and, while he expressed satisfaction, maintained his depiction of America as a nation in disarray during his victory speech. His narrative had a rather sombre tone, which offered the audience minimal chances to cheer ‘USA’, despite a few spirited attempts.
While known for rolling the dice against the political elite with his bold entertainment tactics, the ex-president seems to be on replay with his favoured topics this year. He appears like a DJ assigned to a new nightclub each night, but repeatedly plays the same 10 vinyl records.
Taking a dig at Biden, he told the gathering: “Numerous pundits maintain that the stock market’s success is solely due to our superior poll numbers compared to Joe Biden’s. He’s arguably the worst president in our nation’s history.” He then transitioned into his usual rhetoric on immigration and overseas policy, fondly recalling his defiance of the Taliban.
In certain ways, we share characteristics with developing nations, particularly at our frontiers,” he communicated to them. His discourse did not include a reference to Nikki Haley explicitly. The candidate from South Carolina observed the incoming results from her campaign event in Charleston.
There was a declaration that she wouldn’t be making any statements throughout the night, a significant deviation from her norm. Previously, in the face of a defeat, Haley had spiritedly rushed to the microphone, irking Trump by outpacing him to the stage during the New Hampshire winters. On this occasion, the onus fell upon veteran Republicans to grace television screens, subtly imploring the runaway to rejoin the family unit.
“I am highly optimistic – having been acquainted with her for the majority of my political career – that she is a collaborative player,” affirmed Senator Lindsey Graham on being questioned about her allegiances to the GOP pledge to back Trump. “The public’s decision is evident to me. I cast my vote in favour of Trump, not against Nikki.”
When Ralph Norman, the sole Republican in the House endorsing Haley, was asked whether this signified the end of her political trajectory within the party, his response was a resounding, “Absolutely not.”
“Nikki demonstrated during her campaign that she’s full of zeal, has a clear message, and relates well with the voters. That will remain unchanged. And her bravery was apparent… She was in the race not to become the Vice-President, contrary to what many thought. She ran because she felt capable of being the torchbearer of the free world, but now simply wasn’t her moment, it just wasn’t meant to be.”
The gap between Haley’s aspirations and Trump’s grip over the Republican base was presented starkly to her supporters and backers – a shocking scene to witness. It would need an unusual measure of rebellion to persevere after this.
Nevertheless, even if Haley decides to pull the plug, the profound depth of her campaign implies she has raised many pertinent and challenging queries for both presidential candidates and their respective parties.
These question marks materialized early in the night when the Virginia polls shut at 7pm. Taking a car ride from central Washington heading west, through the heavy commuter movement, would slowly guide you deep into the distinct red terrain of Trump’s heartland.
Situated just over the Potomac river, Arlington county is part of the former District of Columbia. The DC Republican primary was recently won by candidate Haley, marking a symbolic triumph in a predominantly Democratic territory with a minor Republican turnout.
The populous areas of Arlington showed a significant connection with Haley’s values, supported by a BBC exit poll that depicted a voting group with 72 per cent hailing from suburban areas. A total of 11 per cent respondents in the open primary of Virginia identified themselves as Democrats and had appeared to cast their vote, albeit in favour or against Trump.
Venture deeper into Arlington, where lights start to fade along with the hustle-bustle of traffic, move towards its rural counties leading to the core of the country and observe the voting return that extended unwavering devotion to Donald Trump. With more than 30 per cent votes tallied, the mainstream channels predicted a victorious outcome for Trump in Virginia.
However, as the nationwide map endorsed Trump’s uncanny influence on Republican ground roots, Haley kept emerging as an early warning of forthcoming trends in the presidential run. Her determination and recent dread of a potential second Trump term suggests that her political career may be remembered as one of the rare Republican candidates who stood their ground against Trump’s distinctive blend of populist appeal and harsh oratory attack. This may serve as her safety net come 2028.
The votes she managed to gain demonstrated a stark distinction amongst the Republicans with regards to Trump’s popularity, particularly amongst those residing in collegiate towns. The state of North Carolina presents a prime example of this divide with its upcoming potential to become an intriguing small-scale representation of the general election.
For example, Donald Trump triumphed with 80 per cent of votes in Rockingham county, a state where 26 per cent of the population are college graduates. However, Haley led with 65 per cent votes in Wake County, an area where 64 per cent of the voters are educated to degree level. A similar pattern emerged in Durham County.
A looming question remains as to the voting tendencies of these Haley supporters when the ultimate choice lies between Trump and Biden. Both parties will maintain concerted efforts all through the upcoming months in winning over these voters.
Nonetheless, this might just be an aside to the commentators and pollsters. A large number of American voters have steadfast faith that only a second run of Trump can revitalise their aspirations for the United States. As the day concluded, Trump had on his side, 893 delegates of the mandatory 1,215 from the Republican party. Nikki Haley was considerably behind with only 66 delegates. It appeared her event calendar was devoid of any forthcoming rallies. Eventually, one can only keep a landslide at bay for a limited duration.
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