Review Reviews: Nikki Haley Campaigns at Dartmouth

Editor’s note: This first paragraph of this article reflects a modification made on August 14, for the print issue of August 18, 2023, to make reference to Asa Hutchinson’s visit to campus.

While not the most politically oriented college in the State of New Hampshire (that would be St. Anselm), Dartmouth is undoubtedly the most famous. Thus, the College routinely hosts presidential candidates during each election cycle. Of course, its reputation is not its only source of electoral allure—its student body can make the difference in a small state that routinely swings back and forth. However, 2024’s carousel of candidates seems to have gotten its start early this time around. RFK Jr. speechified at the Hanover Inn in the spring, and, most recently, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson spoke at an underwhelming, College-sanctioned event. The most prominent visit to date occurred early in July, when Nikki Haley, former Governor of South Carolina and US ambassador to the UN, visited Hanover to wrap up her tour of the Granite State.

Uniquely, Haley didn’t visit the Inn or any of the on-campus venues. Rather, she spoke at Alpha Delta—once home to Animal House, now a site for speakers and administrative office overflow at the College. There, Haley made her case, and tried to demonstrate how she stands out in a crowded primary.

Nikki Haley took her time arriving at AD house. She took so long, in fact, that this reporter was regaled multiple times with ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” apparently a part of the organizers’ event playlist, on the room’s speakers. The seats were filled by that time, forcing those who failed to arrive early to stand at the side. Most of the attendees were from the broader Upper Valley community, with the standard smattering of government majors and the odd few reporters from The Dartmouth. After being introduced by two alumni of AD, Ambassador Haley opened into a story of her upbringing. Hers was the only Indian family in her South Carolina town, and a young Haley was teased on the playground for being too white to be black and not white enough to be white. When Haley complained to her mom, she was told not to focus on her differences, but rather to show the other kids how she was actually similar to them. As president, Haley said she would bring this gap-bridging experience to the White House, to heal the broader divisions in our country. Later, she said, she went to a local state school, not “some Ivy”—a rather bizarre reference considering the forum at which she was speaking.

Haley then told of her initial foray into politics, her defeat of the South Carolina establishment, and her successes as a legislator. She touted her record as governor, emphasizing her success in bringing manufacturing jobs to her state and reducing unemployment. She also emphasized that she instituted voter-identification laws, quipping, “Why do you need an ID to buy Sudafed but not to vote?” Under her tenure, she said, South Carolina was the “most patriotic state”—an interesting notion to highlight, considering that South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union. Maybe its citizens have learned from their mistakes.

Haley then spoke of her time at the United Nations. She apparently “jumped” at the opportunity to “serve her country” on the world stage. How much service anyone, regardless of their competence, could possibly perform in the festering hive of bureaucratic banality that is the UN is subject to debate. Haley, however, emphasized several accomplishments, including: moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem; spearheading the elimination of the Iran Nuclear Deal; and generally ensuring other delegates respected the US. It was around this point in her stump speech that the various Democratic socialists in the audience staged a rather pathetic walk out. (One could tell they were socialists by their grungy, Phi-Tau-esque look. )

Soon after, Haley shifted to current issues. Her points were, for the most part, standard issue for the contemporary Republican. She devoted her attention to the Biden administration, attacking its incompetence and the president’s personal failures to lead the United States. She criticized Biden’s capitulation to the “radical left,” focusing on his progressive stance in education. Haley also told of the horrors she witnessed when she went on a trip to the border. This ever-ambiguous “trip to the border” has become a pilgrimage for all aspiring right-wing celebrities. More personally, she spoke of the hardships faced by returning veterans—which she witnessed first-hand in her husband, a combat veteran.

It came as no surprise that Nikki Haley, as the former UN Ambassador, saw fit to focus much of her speech on foreign policy. She painted a bleak picture of the current American situation on the world stage. In her telling, China is laughing at us while it wages a third opium war: It is sending caravans loaded with fentanyl across our southern border and pernicious spy balloons to blot the sun out from our skies. And while the Chinese have stolen billions of dollars in intellectual property from the US, Biden still approved 70% of technology transfers to that perfidious bandit government. Truly, Nikki Haley’s America is one under siege, and only she can lead the relief force that will rout the enemies at our gates. She provided few details on what policies she would put in place to deal with China, instead claiming that her diplomatic acumen would make her the best choice to stand up to Beijing. For the most part, she recapitulated Trump’s rhetoric on China, showing the former president’s enduring influence on the Republican Party.

Yet, she did stand out in her willingness to call out other Republicans and face the issues that imperil the party’s future. Namely, she attacked the Republicans’ re-introduction of earmarks, which she blamed in part for our excessively high deficits. More fundamentally, she acknowledged that Republicans need to expand their constituency. In her words, the Republican Party has lost seven out of the last eight popular votes. The party needs to find a way to appeal more to younger voters and minority groups, which are becoming larger and larger portions of the electorate. The math of American demographics puts the party in a position such that, in order to win going forwards, it must either change or convince younger voters that it is better than the Democrat alternative. So far, that latter option seems to have failed. Of course, Nikki’s call to refocus on young voters may stem from self interest. She is, after all, younger than most of her Republican opponents.

All in all, Nikki Haley delivered a clear, well-reasoned, and sincere speech. That may not seem like much, but given the current state of American political discourse, it was a breath of fresh air. Certainly, it was easier to listen to than Biden’s latest attempt at Methuselah crossed with the Mad Hatter. Still, she did rely heavily on her background and story, while offering little in the way of new policy ideas, a common tactic for candidates this early.

While many on the hard right of the Republican Party might find her rhetoric unsatisfying, Haley would likely be able to attract centrists more effectively than would her more hard-line opponents. Even so, she still faces a tough race against Trump, who benefits from great name recognition and the unwavering support of much of the party base. Notably, Haley made very little mention of the former president, perhaps not wanting to draw attacks from him this early in the race.

After her speech, this reporter and a fellow member of The Review attempted to talk with Ambassador Haley, intending to ask her a few questions about college-related issues like affirmative action. It was here where she, or at least her campaign, showed clear flaws. Haley smiled and shook our hands but declined to comment on anything substantive. She instead referred us to her press secretary, who gave us his number and told us to text him with questions. When this reporter did so, he received nothing but the standard “we had a lot of fun in New Hampshire and received a great deal of support from many amazing people” response. That’s the sort of response that campaign interns post on social media in between getting a coffee and looking for jobs that actually pay.

While this is just one instance of dismissing a random college reporter, it does hint at a broader problem within the Haley campaign. Voters have a right to demand at least the appearance of genuine care from candidates. If Nikki Haley is to be the one to bring younger voters into the GOP fold, she will have to take time to communicate with them, no matter how naive and out-of-touch she or her campaign may presume us to be.