Carly Fiorina a "lifelong Republican" -- but not in voter records

SFGate: Politics Blog ^ | 3/12/10 | Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer

[SmithL]

Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina has claimed repeatedly that she has been a "lifelong Republican" -- but New Jersey voter records show otherwise, records show.

Voting records obtained by The Chronicle from Morris County, New Jersey show that Fiorina -- who lived in Morristown -- was registerd from 1997 as an "unaffiliated" voter.

Fiorina's GOP credentials could be an issue as she heads into the GOP state convention starting today in Santa Clara. The U.S. Senate candidate has recently touted her conservative credentials as she aims to challenge fellow Republicans Tom Campbell and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore in the GOP Senate primary.

And, she's appeared to change her story on her registration over the years.

In 2008, Fiorina told the New York Post that she'd "not been politically active before. Never had an affiliation before. Didn't even know the key issues."

But in 2009, Fiorina stressed her GOP credentials in her official Senate campaign announcement, saying she was a "lifelong Republican."

[Noumenon]

Carly Fiorina: Vichy Republican scum.

[counterpunch]

“Unaffiliated voter” — like most California voters, myself included.
Sorry, SFGate, not impressed.

[nickcarraway]

Does registering “unaffiliated” mean on isn’t a lifelong Republican? It doesn’t mean she is, but aren’t a lot of conservatives registered this way?

[Gaffer]

Ha Ha....being an old fart, I instantly understood your pun.....I like it. It’s more appropriate than RINO. AND, it would piss them off even more....

[nomad]

These days saying you`re a lifelong Republicrat isn`t much of an endorsement of your CONSERVATIVE credentials.

[alstewartfan]

Carly is a RINO, and RINO’s can’t be trusted. Bob

[Leisler]

It’s like saying you have been a life long hunter.

[mellow velo]

For all intents and purposes, being "unaffiliated" in NJ simply means you don't vote in a primary election, which does require a declaration of party affiliation.

http://www.njelections.org/form_pdf/party-affliation-form-052908.pdf

Now, as to Carly Fiorina's conservative bona fides, that's a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Definitely, in some parts of the country, you pretty much have to be a registered Dem even to have any real say in local politics.

[usflagwaver]

Registering that way means you are not registered as a Republican. Carli was not registered as a Republican. Period. Registering as an Independent, or Decline To State or Unaffiliated can cause lots of problems for candidates. It makes the donors think the candidate does not have a chance to win, so they don’t donate.
If you usually vote for the Republican candidates you should registger as a Republican, in my view. If you think that registering as Declined to State will keep people from calling you, you are dead wrong. Those are what we grassroots folks call “undecided” so we call, call, call.

[circlecity]

Bet she’s a lifelong Dodgers fan too.

[Noumenon]

Yep - this idea needs to catch on, if for nothing else that it hits home. These so-called Republicans stink on ice. Those who survive the coming civil war will later claim that they were always in ‘le Resistance’.

[CORedneck]

Ms. Carly Fiorina is bad news. She needs to run as a democrat. She fit in better there. There needs to be a better candidate than her !

[SmithL]

To California, I am considered a “Decline to State”, but I have never considered myself (or called myself) a lifelong Republican.

[heye2monn]

Will she ruin California like she did Hewlett-Packard?

[Noumenon]

Well, I don’t know. For the next governor, California comes pre-wrecked. Just like any other South American banana republic that it has come to resemble.