A week after announcing her presidential bid from Charleston in South Carolina, Indian-American Nikki Haley has become the centre of political attention and is being talked about in both her Republican and the ruling Democratic parties.

Haley, 51, daughter of Sikh immigrants from India, has banked on the two core issues of "youth" and "change", which seems to have caught the attention of Americans.

At a time when the leading presidential aspirant of the Democratic Party – incumbent President Joe Biden – and the Republican Party's leading candidate and her former boss Donald Trump are both over 75, Haley's demand that all politicians above the age of 75 should go for a mandatory mental competency test has suddenly become the talk of the town.

In the town halls she has had so far in the initial primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, the former two-term governor of South Carolina and former US ambassador to the United Nations has seen full house. In Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds introduced Haley at a town hall on February 20.

There is hardly any major American media that has not reported about her presidential campaign, maybe because of the advantage she has with an early announcement.

President Joe Biden is yet to announce his decision on running for 2024, but those close to him insist that he is going to contest and an announcement might come in March or April.

If that is the case, there is unlikely to be a competition in the Democratic Party. In the Republican Party, former president Donald Trump has already announced that he is seeking to enter the 2024 race.

There are a few more such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former vice president Mike Pence and former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who are expected to announce the race. But Haley would probably be the only non-white and woman to be in the 2024 presidential scene.

In about a week's time, Haley has also been a victim of racial attacks not only from some of her opponents, but also the media.

Don Lemon, a popular CNN anchor, last week said Haley, 51, "isn't in her prime", a remark resulting in the channel pulling him out of the air for a few days.

"Nikki Haley isn't in her prime, sorry," Lemon said. "When a woman is considered to be in her prime — in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s," he said.

Lemon is back on air this week, but he will undergo some kind of training, the network said.

Women and many non-Republicans have come out in support of Haley against Lemon's remark. Haley called the comments sexist.

"I've always made liberals' heads explode. They can't stand the idea of a conservative minority woman running for president," she said.

Running a positive campaign, Haley has been quick enough to convert them into opportunities.

"It's not a surprise. They've done this for a long time. You read the poll numbers of how I do with independents and suburban women and all of those. They know that I am the biggest threat that liberals have ever seen and they're scared about it," she told Fox News in an interview.

The Indian-American has been appearing on the conservative Fox News on a daily basis, which has given her national recognition and increased her popularity among the GOP base, who are looking for an alternative to the traditional leadership.

"But what I'll tell you is, you want to tell me I'm past my prime, hold my beer, and watch this because I'm telling you, where we are going to take America is going to change all of that. And they know how hard I'll work and they know how tough I am. Bring it, we're ready," Haley said.

"It's clear we struck a nerve with liberals. We'll wear that as a badge of honour," Haley said.

PTI

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