Hail Haley, an impressive nominee

One of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees stood out yesterday, head and shoulders above some of his troubling choices.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who lacks foreign policy experience, has been nominated to serve as U.N. ambassador and apparently has taken her confirmation very seriously. She was poised and definitive in ways that secretary of state nominee Rex W. Tillerson was not.

She vowed not to be silent when American values are at stake. She called Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s extrajudicial killings a human rights violation. She called Russia’s bombing of Aleppo a human rights violation. She supported continued sanctions on Russia until it changes its behavior. She even acknowledged that Mr. Trump’s comment comparing Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin wouldn’t help us with our German ally. Ms. Haley also called out Russia for violating the integrity of Western democratic elections. She was gracious, poised and cooperative as a witness.

Is Ms. Haley more knowledgeable, better prepared, more temperamentally suited to public examination than Mr. Tillerson? To an outsider, it surely appeared that way. Moreover, she has been elected twice as governor and spent much of her adult life in politics. She understands how to converse with lawmakers, when to defer and when not to. She knows not to insult the intelligence of lawmakers by winging it through a hearing.

Maybe if Mr. Tillerson bombs out, Ms. Haley could fill the spot for secretary of state. She probably would get overwhelming support.

Jennifer Rubin writes for The Washington Post.