(Image source: Fits News)


BY ERICA COGHILL


South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley made what everyone is calling- “a big announcement” Friday morning on Fox and Friends...
Here’s that clip...

“Today is the day that I am throwing all of my support behind Mitt Romney for president.  What I want is someone who is not part of the chaos that is Washington, what I wanted was someone who knew what it was like to turn broken companies around...someone that knows what it’s like to make a decision and lead and not just make a vote.”

So why is it such a big deal? On MSNBC, David Gregory outlines how the Tea Party favorite’s endorsement could really help the Romney campaign, but also says there’s a chance it could do some harm.  

“It is a big endorsement, because ya know, the governor of the state is part of the establishment, but she has more tea party support behind her which could certainly help Romney, but it may also raise expectations for Romney that is he under preforms there, could hurt him a little bit further, but I agree, I think it’s important.”

South Carolina comes after the Iowa and New Hampshire presidential nominating contests.
And with Newt Gingrich holding a strong lead in South Carolina, CNN’s Jim Acosta says Haley could give Romney a competitive edge in the Palmetto state.  

“She is a very big mover and shaker in the tea party movement, Mitt Romney is way behind Newt Gingrich in South Carolina, if he could somehow get some momentum here in Iowa, win this state or finish as strong second, go into New Hampshire, win New Hampshire and then go strong into South Carolina with Nikki Haley on his side, all the sudden Mitt Romney is looking very good this morning guys.”

And while almost all of the Republican candidates have been vying for a Haley endorsement in hopes of boosting their vote in South Carolina, a blogger for the Washington Post says she really doesn’t have much backing.

“She is seen as a departure from the so-called ‘old boys network’... But given her lack of a connection to that network, it remains to be seen whether she can move votes in the state come primary time. Plus, she isn’t terribly popular right now, according to a recent Winthrop University poll that pegged her approval rating 35 percent and her disapproval at 43 percent.”

Finally, a New York Times blogger says while Haley’s endorsement has potential to help, chances are, it’s not going to make much of a difference.

“Endorsements often mean less than candidates hope they will, because voters generally don’t vote for a presidential candidate on the advice of another politician. But in rare cases, they can be symbolic of a larger dynamic in a contest.”

According to The New York Times, Ron Paul is the only GOP presidential candidate who didn’t actively seek Haley’s endorsement.