At Spectator USA, Amber Athey draws a distinction between former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, both potential 2024 candidates for president. One, Haley, uses aspects of Trumpism when it suits her politically, the other, Noem, puts conservative principles into action. Athey writes (abridged):
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley effectively launched her 2024 presidential campaign during her Monday night speech at the Republican National Convention to much media fanfare.
Less noticed was an equally qualified and camera-ready Republican woman that is arguably much better positioned to carry the party torch post-Trump: South Dakota governor Kristi Noem.
Noem, alternatively, has shown over the past six months that she is willing to actually embrace tenets of Trumpism rather than just speaking about them when they benefit her political career. During her tenure as governor, Noem has loosened concealed carry restrictions, signed a bill requiring state universities to promote intellectual diversity and signed several bills restricting abortion.
She refused to issue a statewide lockdown in South Dakota during the start of the coronavirus outbreak, instead urging personal responsibility and citing respect for small businesses that needed to stay open to survive.
She alluded to this decision during her RNC speech Wednesday night by striking an anti-elitist tone: ‘We are not — and will not — be the subjects of an elite class of so-called experts. We the people are the government.’
Noem unequivocally condemned the nationwide riots and blamed Democratic politicians for allowing them to continue. She compared the current moment to when Abraham Lincoln saw ‘worse than savage mobs’ destroying property, attacking families, and threatening lives.
‘These good people were becoming tired of, and disgusted with, a government that offered them no protection,’ Noem said.
Noem refuses to play nice with the left, whose illogical and overlong shutdowns ravaged the economy and whose lack of police support led to nationwide lawlessness.
