Embarrassing that you posted this.

First, Haley isn't a "moderate Republican." She's a down-the-line conservative who disagrees with the vast majority of the Democratic electorate on every important issue. Her judicial and cabinet nominees would be indistinguishable from Trump's first-term picks. (Obviously, she would be better than Trump and probably would leave the White House willingly if she lost an election).

"Every dem vote plus pragmatic republicans." Doug, did you fall in the shower this morning? Do you need one of us to drive you to the hospital? Nikki Haley would not get "Every dem vote." Voters are people with free will, not pieces of plastic to be moved around a game board.

Most third party candidate fantasies are just that. But if the two major party nominees were Trump and Nikki Fucking Haley, it is beyond doubt that someone like Newsom would jump in as a third party candidate and get the bulk of Democratic votes. It would be the closest we've ever seen to a Wilson/Taft/Roosevelt election. No idea how it would pan out. Trump might win. Newsom might win. The election might be thrown to the House. But Haley winning would be the least plausible outcome.

Finally, Haley isn't even that good. Chris Christie is absolutely right. She's not up to this. Later this month she's going to get her teeth kicked in by the people who elected her governor twice. She recently endorsed a right to secession. A couple of weeks ago she was asked why she considered Kamala Harris a threat to the country and she went on a non-sequitor rant about Barack Obama. She's better than Trump but mostly speaks in Selina Meyer word salad.