# Nikki Haley now backed by Koch Bros. APA political organization. Impact on GOP race? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 29, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828 "2023-11-29T00:22:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/101 "2023-12-07T16:51:06Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > without making an enemy of Trump Just the normal hostility of calling her names and declaring her to be “disloyal.” [https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4232526-haley-says-trump-campaign-sent-her-bird-cage-after-he-called-her-birdbrain/amp/](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4232526-haley-says-trump-campaign-sent-her-bird-cage-after-he-called-her-birdbrain/amp/) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/102 "2023-12-07T16:54:02Z")
Yeah, but doesn’t he say that about just about everyone from time to time? Last night she said that Trump rang up 9 trillion in debt. So maybe she’s off his VP list. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/103 "2023-12-07T18:26:52Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Yeah, but doesn’t he say that about just about everyone from time to time? Yes, mild insults from him are practically a love letter. If he actually doesn’t like you then he goes hyperbolic. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/104 "2023-12-07T18:39:56Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > To be the second in line in case Trump can’t run due to illness or jail … I think it’s exclusively this (though DeSantis likely started his campaign thinking he’d unseat the king). I think they all realize that at this point in Trump’s ever-expanding psychosis there is zero chance he’d select a VP who had uttered even mild criticism. What they can do is walk the fine line of not alienating his base (not much, anyway) so that when he has his heart attack, someone is in the front of the queue. He or she gets the nomination, grabs the Trump base (they have to vote for someone, would be the logic) and still be far enough away from crazy town that a good swath of non-Trumpers might vote for him or her instead of that “decrepit geezer” Biden. Haley seems in the best position to take advantage of such a circumstance. Christie is the outlier, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/105 "2023-12-07T18:56:15Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > What they can do is walk the fine line of not alienating his base (not much, anyway) so that when he has his heart attack, someone is in the front of the queue. Yup, you nailed it. People with no chance to win run for various reasons: VP spot is one, but so is any position in the administration. Or, they are just looking to elevate the level of public attention for a future run for President or Congress or a governorship, or they want to raise their profile for book sales and speaking engagements. And some are in it for the grift. A lot of money flows through a presidential campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/106 "2023-12-07T20:58:31Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I can’t imagine the GOP electing a president who is a woman, much less one of Sikh ancestry rather than white Christian ancestry. It’d be fine with me, but I don’t think it’d be fine with the GOP. > > In fact, I view Trumpism as originating in response to a president whose ancestry was only half white. > > The old Confederacy still explains us too much. I think recent history has proven that the right will embrace people of any ethnic background as long as they say the right words (and do at least some of the right things). The right can no longer afford to be elitist about ethnicity, now it’s about apparent conformity to the right’s standards and principles (I threw up in my mouth a little when I wrote that). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/107 "2023-12-08T04:28:41Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I can’t imagine the GOP electing a president who is a woman, much less one of Sikh ancestry rather than white Christian ancestry. I concur. Oh sure, she could maybe possible get the Nom, but enuf bigots would stay home she’d have no chance in the general. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/108 "2023-12-08T04:43:31Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I think recent history has proven that the right will embrace people of any ethnic background as long as they say the right words (and do at least some of the right things). “She’s one of the good ones!” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/109 "2023-12-08T18:31:55Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I think recent history has proven that the right will embrace people of any ethnic background as long as they say the right words (and do at least some of the right things). The right can no longer afford to be elitist about ethnicity, now it’s about apparent conformity to the right’s standards and principles (I threw up in my mouth a little when I wrote that). I respectfully disagree. “The right”, to the degree it’s s single coherent thing, is willing to tolerate some tokenism as long as the tokens spout the party line (IOW be Whiter than White) and don’t actually enjoy much success. I’d be willing to be shown to be wrong when a non-white non-male has genuine grass roots success. Which might happens some day, but IMO not for another 20+ years. And much longer than that if trump succeeds in taking the country. Can the 7+ figure donor class sincerely back a Haley or a Ramaswamy or a Tom Scott? Yes, albeit gingerly, and only so long as they stay bought. Can the MAGAt horde whose votes the 7+figure donor class need get happily behind a Haley or a Ramaswamy or a Scott? Hah, it is to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/110 "2023-12-08T18:43:29Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Can the MAGAt horde whose votes the 7+figure donor class need get happily behind a Haley or a Ramaswamy or a Scott? Hah, it is to laugh. Agree. If one of those people ultimately throw their support behind his majesty the dear leader, then they are one of the good ones. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/111 "2023-12-08T19:06:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > “The right”, to the degree it’s s single coherent thing, is willing to tolerate some tokenism as long as the tokens spout the party line (IOW be Whiter than White) and don’t actually enjoy much success. Michael Steele would have plenty to say about that, after the Pubs elevated him to be their figurehead, then paid him no respect when he dared think for himself. It was humiliating. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/112 "2023-12-08T19:10:53Z")
And Steele endorsed Biden in 2020. The Right had no use for him except as a fig leaf, and once he’d moved beyond that, he quickly had no further use for the Right. ---
**Author:** ![bobsmom101](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobsmom101/32/2867_2.png) [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/113 "2023-12-08T22:46:48Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > conformity to the right’s standards and principles Huh? What evidence shows that the “right” has either standards or principles? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/114 "2023-12-09T22:31:49Z")
They do. They’re inconsistent and abhorrent, but they exist. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2023, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828/115 "2023-12-09T22:59:13Z")
I see no evidence that the modern ‘right’ (which is not in any way “conservative” in any semantically meaningful sense) has any particular standards or would self-apply them if they do. They do have ‘principles’ insofar as the overriding principle is to win at all costs and regardless of consequences. Stranger [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nikki-haley-now-backed-by-koch-bros-apa-political-organization-impact-on-gop-race/993828.md?page=5)