For some women, Haley is the one to support
– A strong woman who might be able to bring the United States together: Nikki Haley, Donald Trump’s only remaining opponent, is indeed popular among many Republican women voting in South Carolina’s upcoming presidential primary.
But Trump, the runaway favourite who has already won the contests in Iowa and New Hampshire easily, remains the top choice among many women voters, even though he faces four criminal indictments and raises eyebrows with his unseemly, even outrageous comments.
Haley is well known in the state capital Columbia. She served as governor of the Palmetto state and hopes to do better in the primary today than predicted in the polls, which put her a full 30 points behind Trump.
Connie Gilliam, 54 and voting early for Haley in the primary, thinks she can bounce back, gushing praise for Trump’s rival.
“She was a wonderful governor in our state. She did great things for South Carolina. And so we just feel like she would be a great president,” said Gilliam, a retired teacher, calling Haley a fighter.
She said she likes the fact that, after long opposing such a move, Haley removed the Confederate flag from the legislature building, erasing a Civil War-era symbol of the state’s pro-slavery past.
In comparison to Trump, Haley is a “kinder person” and “she will just be better at bringing the country back together,” Gilliam said.
Elaine Billie, 72, said the fact that Haley is a woman is not the main reason she supports her. Rather, she likes her age – 52 as opposed to Trump’s 77 years.
Mallory Macon, a 28-year-old nurse, likes the fact that Haley does not have the legal baggage that Trump is saddled with.
Sandie Ellis, 66, called Haley young, qualified and brilliant, and even considered voting for her, but lined up behind Trump after his easy wins in Iowa and New Hampshire. “I feel that he is perhaps the better qualified person,” said Ellis. –