She Wants to Reboot California

Wall St. Journal ^ | November 27th 2009

[Steelfish]

NOVEMBER 27, 2009

She Wants to Reboot California After chemotherapy, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina says taking on Sen. Barbara Boxer isn't so intimidating.

By JOHN FUND

Washington

When Carly Fiorina sat down to speak with me recently, I was briefly taken aback. The former CEO of Hewlett Packard and current candidate for U.S. Senate from California was sporting a close-cropped, salt-and-pepper hairdo. Having completed six months of treatment for breast cancer, the 55-year-old Ms. Fiorina has dispensed with the auburn wig she'd been wearing as her hair grows back.

She says her health is now fine, and that "after chemotherapy Barbara Boxer isn't that scary anymore," referring to the three-term Democratic incumbent she wants to unseat in 2010. She laughs when I suggest her new 'do may get her a hearing in precincts like Berkeley and San Francisco. On a more serious note, she says that "in these hard times, a lot of people across the spectrum will listen to my message—that California can only recover if we encourage economic growth and restrain spending and job-killing regulation."

With a 12.5% unemployment rate, the Golden State is certainly in trouble. In 2007 alone, 260,000 Californians moved to states with more opportunity. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation says only New York and New Jersey have worse business tax climates. And a new Los Angeles Times poll found that more than half of California residents think the state's major problems won't fade as the economy recovers.

Ms. Fiorina is not shy in pointing out what's to blame. "The high tax, big government, regulatory regime we see in California is the current course and speed for where the nation is headed," she warns. "California is a great test case, a factual demonstration that those programs don't work."

[robomatik]

"California is a great basket test case, a factual demonstration that those programs don't work."

[Tzimisce]

So there you have it: do you want an extreme liberal wacko or Barbara Boxer?

It’s good to know that the “moderates” will be there to help out. *gag*

[pnh102]

I have to hand it to the GOP. It always seems to field the worst possible candidates. Let's see, run someone who was a layoff queen and who nearly ran a major tech company into the ground for public office in a state where far too many people are already unemployed.

Real smart strategery there.

[hometoroost]

Carly FioRINO. The sane people continue to flee California in record numbers. If she’s the best that state has they’re dead meat.

[Reagan Man]

Lets just boot her to the curb.

Where all good liberals belong.

[Centurion2000]

That PC disaster of a CEO managed to get creds as a republican? Good Lord that’s about the WORST lady I could think of for high office.

[Buck W.]

“”The high tax, big government, regulatory regime we see in California is the current course and speed for where the nation is headed,” she warns. “California is a great test case, a factual demonstration that those programs don’t work.””

Is that a liberal statement?

[dalereed]

That liberal bitch will never get my vote!!!

[PaleoBob]

Tweedle dee dee alert?

[DennisR]

“I will not run away from [conservative] values,” Ms. Fiorina says, noting that she has signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge against higher taxes and voted for Proposition 8 last year, which banned same-sex marriage in the state. On abortion, Ms. Fiorina says she is “proudly pro-life” and a strong opponent of taxpayer funding of abortions.”

So which part of this is “liberal”?

[Reagan Man]

Arnold said the same type of things when he was running for Governor. Fiorina is just like Arnold. No experience in elected office. Just a bunch of rhetoric that can be rebooted to suit a specific issue. Also, there is a conflict with her position on abortion. Some say she is pro-life and some say she is pro-choice. What say you?

[wac3rd]

Chuck DeVore

[Steelfish]

Great guy- He needs name recognition.

[JSDude1]

She hasn’t won yet..Here’s hoping Chuck DeVore cleans her ‘clock’..!

http://www.chuckdevore.com/

[Tzimisce]

On global warming -- “We should have the courage to examine the science on an ongoing basis. But frankly, I think we ought to deal with it as a real challenge today and do what we can to create opportunities for leadership for this nation in the process.”

This is almost identical to what Obama says about Global Warming when he pledges to "follow the science".

On Stupak -- “I do not support taxpayer funding for abortion. … I would support the Stupak amendment.”

She favors the amendment from a moderate Democrat? I would have told the reporter the Healthcare bill is a disaster and needs to be gutted.

On illegal immigration -- “Our borders aren’t secure, and we don’t have a temporary worker program that works. What I will argue for in the U.S. Senate is, let’s solve real problems by doing things we know how to get done and that we can get done. Let’s not boil the ocean on every issue.”

That sounds an awful lot like John McCain's speech in favor of Amnesty.

We can go through a host more issues but basically this woman does what every good "centrist"/"moderate"/Liberal does: speak in platitudes. Throw in that she lives in a California - a state most conservatives fled years ago and you get a receipe for a RINO.

Okay, I could be wrong. Almost anything would be better than Boxer, which is going to make Boxer's complete trouncing of Fiorina more depressing.

(All quotes are taken from The Hill.)

[tom h]

Chuck DeVore is Carly’s main primary candidate. You’ll like him. Not sure whether any conservative like Chuck, however, is electable in California anymore — with the exception of 2010, which ought to be an extraordinary year for the GOP across the nation, including California.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

If she really wants to “reboot Califoria” she ought to run for the State legislature, NOT the U.S. Senate. Duh.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"That liberal bitch will never get my vote!!!"

Then let's nominate someone else.

But when the general election comes along, Boxer has to go.

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

Hmmm... just what CA needs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carly_Fiorina

Forina was forced out of HP in 2005 after its stock price had fallen in value by half. In early January 2005, the Hewlett-Packard board of directors discussed with Fiorina a list of issues that the board had regarding the company’s performance.[31] The board proposed a plan to shift her authority to HP division heads, which Fiorina resisted.[32] A week after the meeting, the confidential plan was leaked to the Wall Street Journal.[33] Less than a month later, board brought back in Tom Perkins and forced Fiorina to resign as chairman and chief executive officer of the company.[34] The company’s stock jumped on news of Fiorina’s departure.[35] Under the company’s agreement with Fiorina, which was characterized as a golden parachute by some, she was paid slightly more than twenty million dollars in severance.[36] When Fiorina became CEO in July, 1999, HP’s stock price was $52 per share, and when she left 5 years later in February, 2005, it was $21 per share—a loss of over 60% of the stock’s value.[37] During this same time period, HP competitor Dell’s stock price increased from $37 to $40 per share.[38][39]

A board of directors like HP, that is.

[dalereed]

“But when the general election comes along, Boxer has to go.”
I will withhold my vote for that office if Carly is the nominee.

[The Duke]

Fiorina = retread.

[Caipirabob]

Maybe Fiorina can do for CA what she did to HP!!!

Wait...

[CAluvdubya]

DeVore is just another Tom McClintock. He is a great conservative candidate but I don't think he can win statewide. I'm hoping he can, but I don't think he will.

Now we're down to Fiorina and Boxer. Do we sit at home and not vote, letting Boxer win basically uncontested? Or do we go to the polls and vote for Carly?

We all know how "Ma'am" Boxer will voter on every issue...extreme liberal. Fiorina, however, might throw in with the R's on some occasions.

I got told by the Boss last night that I'm asking "silly" questions but I think we need to figure out just how much Boxer hurts our country and how badly to we want her out. JMO

[Ann Archy]

You think Carla is an EXTREME LIBERAL WHACKO, and Barbarar Boxer is NOT??? HELLO.....Carla is NOT a LIBERAL....Boxer is WHACKED. Hope you just forgot the SARCASM tag.

[Ann Archy]

ANYBODY BUT BOXER....ANYBODY. Boxer is a VILE EVIL LIBERAL.

[USS Alaska]

“But when the general election comes along, Boxer has to go.” I will withhold my vote for that office if Carly is the nominee.

Clearly, that is your right.

But there is no cure for stupid.

[Beelzebubba]

She laughs when I suggest her new ‘do may get her a hearing in precincts like Berkeley and San Francisco.

---

The butch-lesbian look struck me too, the first time I saw her new look.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"I will withhold my vote for that office if Carly is the nominee."

Idiocy.

[dalereed]

Any democrat is better than a RINO!

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"Any democrat is better than a RINO!"

Gore was better than Bush by that metric. Clinton better than GHWB and Dole. Obama better than McCain.

Delusional. I was happy to vote against each of those Democrats. By withholding a vote or voting for a third party in a close election, you are working for the Dems' election. And they thank you for that.

[Tzimisce]

Didn’t I just say almost anything would be better than Boxer?

[Glenn]

Who in their right mind would want to be the governor of California unless appointed under some receivership statute?

Nuts to them all.

[tom h]

If I might suggest to you ...

It’s too early to give up hope yet. 2010 ought to be a banner year for Republicans and, better yet, true conservatives. So don’t run about moping about “Carly versus Boxer” just yet.

I’ll admit to you that Chuck Devore is a personal friend of mine — in the interests of full disclosure. We worked together at a defense industry firm from 7-10 years ago. He is the real deal. I have no current involvement in his campaign.

But he’s far more telegenic than McClintock and vastly smarter. Watch his Youtube videos. He’s also a brilliant debater and he’ll eat Boxer’s lunch if she has the guts to face him.

Sign up for his emails and invest in his campaign — even $20 a month. The media is watching him carefully — he was featured in the Wall Street Journal a year ago for using Twitter — and the higher his numbers are, the better. That includes the number of contributors, however small the amount.