South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said Monday she would not appoint a “placeholder” to the seat being vacated by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) — feeding speculation she might tap Rep. Tim Scott. 
 
 “I do not want to tie the next U.S. Senator from South Carolina’s hands regarding future office. I do not want to deprive our state’s citizens of the chance to render their judgment on the appointee’s performance by way of their vote. Most importantly, while I am an avid supporter of term limits, I do not want the effectiveness of our state’s new U.S. Senator to be undermined by the fact that he or she will automatically be leaving the office such a very short time after assuming it,” the Republican governor said in a statement. 
 
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 reset DeMint on GOP mistakes Colbert makes pitch to replace DeMint 
 
 “I believe South Carolina will be best served by a U.S. Senator who will work hard day in and day out, and put him or herself before the voters at the soonest possible time. Accordingly, I reject the option of a ‘placeholder.’” 
 
 After DeMint’s surprise announcement last week, some in Palmetto State political circles speculated that Haley might appoint someone for the remaining two years of the term who would agree not to run for reelection. 
 
 (PHOTOS: Jim DeMint's career) 
 
 Haley’s statement rules out that safer approach and could signal she’s leaning towards appointing Scott, the conservative African-American congressman from Charleston about to enter his second term. 
 
 Haley has two scheduled stops in Charleston on Tuesday. She’ll address the media at Boeing’s welcome center in North Charleston at noon and participate in a separate economic development announcement in the city in the afternoon, according to her public schedule. ||||| Nikki Haley is one of the most unpopular Governors in the country. Only 42% of voters approve of the job she's doing to 49% who disapprove. Out of 43 sitting Governors PPP has polled on, that ranks her 35th in popularity. 
 
 Haley has pretty solid numbers within her own party. 70% of Republicans approve of the job she's doing to 22% who disapprove. But with Democrats (15/78 approval) and independents (28/57) her numbers are pretty woeful. 
 
 There is a path back to popularity for Haley though: appointing Stephen Colbert to replace Jim DeMint in the Senate. Colbert tops the wish list of who South Carolina voters would like to see join that body at 20%, followed by Tim Scott at 15%, Trey Gowdy at 14%, Jenny Sanford at 11%, Henry McMaster and Mark Sanford at 8%, Jeff Duncan and Joe Wilson at 5%, and Mick Mulvaney at 4%. 
 
 It's Democrats and independents- those voters Haley most needs to improve her standing with- who are pining for a Colbert appointment. Among Democrats 32% say they'd like Colbert to be picked with Jenny Sanford at 19% and no one else in double digits. With crucial independent voters Colbert has a 15 point lead for the appointment, getting 28% to 13% for Tim Scott, 12% for Jenny Sanford, and 10% for Trey Gowdy with no one else in double digits. 
 
 If Colbert's lacking knowledge of the state beverage keeps him from Haley's consideration, voters say their top choice is Jenny Sanford at 17%, followed by Tim Scott at 16%, Henry McMaster at 13%, Trey Gowdy at 12%, Mark Sanford at 9%, Joe Wilson at 7%, Jeff Duncan at 6%, and Mick Mulvaney at 5%. Sanford becomes the first choice of both Democrats and independents without Colbert in the mix and is particularly strong with women, 24% of whom think she should receive the appointment. 
 
 If you further filter the field and take the Sanfords out of the potential appointment list three men really stand out from the field: Tim Scott at 19%, Henry McMaster at 17%, and Trey Gowdy at 15%. The other three Congressmen we tested end up well back- Joe Wilson at 8%, Mick Mulvaney at 7%, and Jeff Duncan at 6%. 
 
 In all three permutations of the field we tested Tim Scott comes out as the top choice among Republicans. It's 22/21 over Gowdy with Mark Sanford at 11% when Colbert and both the Sanfords are included. It's 23/19 over Gowdy with McMaster and M. Sanford both at 11% when Colbert's taken out. And it's 25/21 over Gowdy with McMaster at 15%, Wilson at 12%, and Mulvaney at 11% when the Sanfords are taken out. 
 
 Others notes from this poll:
– Gov. Nikki Haley may not be into the idea, but her fellow South Carolinians really want to see Stephen Colbert replace Jim DeMint in the Senate. A Public Policy Poll finds that 20% of voters have the Comedy Central host at the top of their wish list, followed by Tim Scott (15%), Trey Gowdy (14%), and Jenny Sanford (11%). Mark Sanford even made it on 8% of the wish lists, even though just 30% of voters have a good opinion of him two years after he left office. But 44% of voters like Jenny Sanford, and if Colbert really is out of the running, she tops the DeMint replacement wish lists at 17%. Haley may want to reconsider her stance on Colbert, since choosing him could boost her popularity—right now her approval rating is just 42%, making her one of the country's least popular governors. But so far, the only clue she's given as to whom she'll appoint is that it won't be a "placeholder" who agrees not to run for re-election, Politico reports. In a statement today, Haley said she doesn't want to undermine the effectiveness of DeMint's replacement, and thinks the state "will be best served by a US Senator who will work hard day in and day out." That could signal Scott as her likely choice, Politico notes.