Analysis by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News November 14, 2023
Nikki Haley plans to drop a cool $10 million on advertising in her quest to defeat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis … for second place in the Republican presidential primary.
In the latest Morning Consult tracking poll, updated on Tuesday, Haley has 9 percent and DeSantis has 14.
So, Haley’s presidential campaign said it will inject $10 million in television, radio, and digital advertising across Iowa and New Hampshire beginning in the first week of December in an effort to catch and overtake DeSantis.
Oh, by the way, DeSantis’s 14 points were 50 points behind former President Donald Trump in the latest Morning Consult poll. That would put Haley 55 points behind Trump. The betting odds are that, even if George Soros and Bill Gates injected huge wads of cash into her campaign, Haley would still not have enough to buy the ads needed for her to catch and overtake Trump.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s camp came to the realization that pouring millions into a run for second place was not worth it. Scott ended his run for the 2024 GOP nomination over the weekend.
And, still, the battle for second place goes on.
Haley’s campaign will run advertising through Iowa’s Jan. 15 caucuses and New Hampshire’s primary to follow.
The DeSantis campaign is spending only in Iowa thus far. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has endorsed DeSantis.
Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney said the former South Carolina governor’s chances (for second place) remain strong.
“Nikki Haley’s momentum and path to victory are clear,” Ankney said. “The same can’t be said for Ron DeSantis, who, even with a decent showing in Iowa, can’t afford a cup of coffee at the Red Arrow diner in New Hampshire and is a mere tourist in South Carolina.”
In his most recent federal filing, Trump’s campaign committee reported more than $37.5 million in cash on hand at the end of September, which was much more than DeSantis and Haley combined.
Haley acknowledged Trump’s political strength on Sunday, but she also outlined her path forward, telling her cheerleaders at Fox News: “We have plenty of money that we’re going to be on TV with. We’re going to be strong in New Hampshire. We’re going to be strong in South Carolina, because we spent our money well. We’ve got great ground games in every one of those states. And we’re going to keep surging.”
For second place.
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