There have also been some eye-catching polls from the early states. A recent NMB Research poll of New Hampshire had Haley tied with DeSantis for second place, with each winning 10 percent support. At least two recent polls of Iowa have put her in third place and advancing. https://thehill.com/homenews/4193232-the-memo-nikki-haley-is-on-a-roll-how-far-will-it-take-her/
“The number of voters who are ONLY considering voting for Trump is around 25%,” Ankney wrote. “He has a strong grip on that 25%, but if any other incumbent were staring down those numbers, they would be rightly nervous.” Still, though Haley is tonally very different from Trump and has criticized him on occasion — including saying during the debate that he was “the most disliked politician in America” — she did herself serve as his United Nations ambassador, and she abjures the more aggressive criticisms of him articulated most conspicuously by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R). https://thehill.com/homenews/4193232-the-memo-nikki-haley-is-on-a-roll-how-far-will-it-take-her/
And last year. And the year before that. People who prefer Trump aren't out there pining for Haley or DeSantis or any other sort like that. They hate Republicans that aren't Trump. Heck, the only Republican that has had any momentum other than Trump is Ramaswamy, and that is based on him running as Trump's biggest supporter. Trump has shown he can destroy any other Republican within a couple of months anytime he feels like it with Republican voters.
This new poll underlines the arguments made by Haley boosters that she has a greater appeal to independent voters and female voters, and is a less divisive figure, than her rivals including Trump and DeSantis.
I agree she is not nearly as divisive, and that in itself is appealing. How sad is that? I also don't think Christie is divisive.
Every candidate ever endorsed by Steve Martin was a democrat. You send memes of people who disagree with you to people who disagree with you.