Nikki Haley

[G.Subramaniam]

It is difficult to imagine that Haley will ultimately lose to run-off challenger Gresham Barrett next week, or even to her Democratic opponent, Vincent Sheheen, in November. But if the ‘crytpo-Sikh’ charges continue to circulate around the state, they may end up depressing voter turn-out among a certain segment of the state’s Republican-leaning voters who like Knotts are afraid of ‘ragheads’ getting into positions of power. That could make it a closer race than she likes and drive opposition within her party to her serving more than 4 years or possibly becoming a more national figure.



But what’s really interesting about this conflict is what it ultimately may mean for the GOP in the longer term. How many people of color who once may have found the GOP’s principles appealing will again be turned away from the Republican Party as they see a prominent person of color cast as mendacious and disloyal? Will another higher office-ready Indian-American woman or Latino man who might have been the party’s next Haley or Marco Rubio decide to sit out politics or worse yet, go to bat for a more welcoming Democratic Party because Republicans are simply incapable of ostracizing a racially antagonistic core that is so prominent and powerful among their base?