Republican consultant: What Haley has to do to survive South Carolina | Opinion

South Carolina is Nikki Haley’s last stand. Her campaign is on life support, but her better-than-expected finish in New Hampshire keeps her campaign alive to fight another day. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

Look, South Carolina is undeniably Trump country. Drive anywhere and you see Trump signs still standing from the 2020 election. Trump flags are raised on beaches across the state each summer. It should come as no surprise that many elected officials have already endorsed former President Donald Trump.

But a month is an eternity in politics, and anything can happen.

So, what does Haley need to do to have a shot at continuing past South Carolina?

First, stop wasting money on silly ads pitching President Joe Biden as “too old” and Trump as “too much chaos.”

I already know Biden is old. And Republicans can see that Biden is not up to the task of being the leader of the free world. The ability to state the obvious is not going to convince me or any other S.C. Republican to vote for Haley.

It is the wrong message.

And too much chaos? Trump won the support of Republican primary voters in 2016 by being a disrupter. He peddled chaos and GOP voters overwhelming supported him for it. Draining the swamp and changing the way Washington does business creates chaos and Trump was eager to take up that fight. Republican primary voters love a fighter.

If Haley wants to win, she needs to switch messages fast.

Elections are about choices. They are about our differences and competing views. It’s time for Haley to do what Ronald Reagan did in 1976 and “draw a line of fundamental differences.”

This should be a no-brainer. You run for office because you believe that the other person is wrong and you can do a better job. Haley needs to tell voters why she is the better choice. She needs to offer a clear contrast. These differences need to be about issues and leadership — not mental capacity.

Of course, there are risks. Attacking Trump will alienate his hard core voters and unleash a constant barrage of attacks. But MAGA voters are never going to vote for Haley to begin with.

The S.C. primary needs to be a street fight and Haley needs to be prepared to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Trump. Anything less won’t get the job done.

Campaigns are nothing more than a prolonged job interview. One candidate for the job — Trump — has already shown that he can do it. While in office, gas prices reached a low of $1.82 per gallon in South Carolina and many people felt more confident about the economy and the direction of our country.

Haley needs to prove that she can do the job. She must remind voters of her record as governor and persuade them that she can do the job better. That’s why South Carolina is her last stand. It’s the only place in the country that voters have first-hand experience with what both candidates have done.

For Trump, South Carolina is his chance to end Haley’s campaign.

For Haley, it’s a critical moment. Up to this point, her campaign felt more like a precursor to a 2028 run than a serious challenge to Trump. If Haley wants to defy the odds and make it to Super Tuesday, she needs to bring the fight to Trump.

It’s probably not enough, but it is the only shot Haley has at moving on.