Nikki Haley pretty much has to win New Hampshire. If she doesn’t, she’s likely, in Chris Christie’s words, to get smoked in South Carolina, and that will be that.
But don’t expect her to drop out, like DeSantis, because, unlike him, the Indian woman knows she will never win the hearts of the base. She has nothing to hope for from either Trump or his supporters. She is fighting for an alternative version of the GOP, not to be Trump’s heir.
She also has plenty of money and a clear field. Trump could go to jail, or choke on a cheeseburger. Why not fight on? Miracles do happen sometimes.