Call it the “soft bigotry of low political expectations.”
Just a month after predicting a “landslide” win for former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in New Hampshire’s all-important First in the Nation presidential primary, Gov. Chris Sununu now says second place is good enough.
His new stance reflects the realities on the ground in the Granite State, where Donald Trump’s 30-point wipeout of the rest of the field in Iowa, combined with his consistent double-digit lead over Haley in the polls, points to a good night for the former president on Tuesday.
Soon after endorsing Haley in the GOP presidential race, Sununu told ABC’s Jonathan Karl on Dec. 17, 2023, “It’s an absolute win. It’s a win and a reset button. If everyone that could vote in the primary comes out and votes … she’s going to win in a landslide, and that’s not an exaggeration.”
And on Jan. 3, Sununu told a Haley town hall in Londonderry, “We’ve got that wrapped up, guys … we’re gonna win.”
But now the New Hampshire governor is telling reporters a second-place finish in the first GOP primary will be a Haley victory.
“We’ve already exceeded expectations in terms of a one-on-one race,” he told Fox News on Thursday. “You know, a strong second is going to be great; that’s wonderful.”
Sununu went on to say that Haley now has “the chance to do what no one thought was possible” and change the trajectory of the race.
Asked during a Thursday campaign stop in Hooksett if New Hampshire is a must-win for Haley, Sununu replied, “It’s a must-win for Trump. He’s the one that basically promised everybody that this is a hands-down [win], it’s over.
“Last time I checked, Trump got about 56,000 votes in Iowa. If 56,000 votes can decide the choice of the Republican Party in America — hell, no.”
Sununu apparently revised his expectations after two new polls showed GOP frontrunner Trump surging to above 50 percent among likely GOP primary voters in the Granite State. Haley’s support remains in the mid-30s.
Haley has drawn criticism after backing out of two scheduled New Hampshire debates with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. She has said she will only step foot on a debate stage if Trump agrees to participate. Trump has refused to participate in any Republican debates, arguing the party should unite around the former president.
DeSantis, who eked out a second-place finish ahead of Haley in Iowa but is now polling at a distant third in New Hampshire, is reportedly already moving resources and staff to South Carolina ahead of Tuesday’s Granite State Republican primary.
