Cornhead endorses Carly Fiorina
Attorney David Begley (commenter “Cornhead”) has been posting at Powerline on nearly all the Republican candidates—most of whom he’s seen in person in Iowa, some not once but several times.
Now he has come out with a statement as to why he has chosen Carly Fiorina as his preferred, candidate, and why he thinks the Republican Party should do the same:
Lesson for voters today? Carly will challenge and change the status quo in Washington. She is an accomplished executive outsider. She is not tied to the old way of doing things and that is to the good as DC has failed and needs fundamental change.
Carly first came to my attention with her declarative statement that Hillary Clinton must not be President. The directness and boldness of her statement was refreshing but also the fact that she knows what is important. Her real opponent was not Scott Walker who was then leading in the polls. Since then she has largely focused on her three page tax code and zero based budgeting proposals. There is great power and significance in these two ideas but she hasn’t really gone into much detail. I think that she is prudent and smart not to do so because with fine details the special interests will mobilize and oppose her.
She distinguished herself in the debates by the force of her intellect and personality…I have seen her four times in person and, to put it nicely, the people of Iowa are not a Georgetown crowd. She chatted up the crowd at the Norwalk fire station and at a tent meeting with average Iowans. She is friendly and approachable but still business-like.
Much more at the link.
I’ve been impressed by Fiorina from the start, particularly her ability to get to the heart of the matter and to never pull her punches. I’ve been disappointed, however, that she’s been fading in the polls. Perhaps the constant criticism of her HP record has hurt her. Some think her Planned Parenthood position was responsible for her slide.
I have a different opinion. I think that initially her intensity and ability to deliver a strong message made her stand out in the first undercard debate. Then her exposure to a larger audience in the second top tier debate (which was her first top tier debate) caused her to rise quickly in the polls. But since then she’s gotten lost in the shuffle of so many candidates and struggled for air time against more well-known and/or controversial headline-making candidates. Because she doesn’t have enormous funds, she has had trouble publicizing herself further. But I think her drop in the polls since that initial rise has also been because in subsequent debates she lacked ease and humor and was too stuff and rigid.
Having seen Fiorina in person myself, that’s not the way she comes across in live appearances, especially when interacting with people one-on-one, but also in her speeches, where displays a lot of humor and warmth. I think she overcompensated in the debates because she wanted to impress with her seriousness, but lost on the “likeability” characteristic.
I also think that Carly originally positioned herself as the smart outsider. She still is that. But this particular year there are many outsiders who have crowded her out. Trump is of course the celebrity businessman reality-star outsider with the big mouth. Carson is the gentle, healing outsider. Cruz is the inside-outsider. That leaves Carly as struggling lately to differentiate herself in a way that matters to voters. As a woman, she has positioned herself as the female non-Hillary who has a particularly fine perch from which to attack Clinton, since Fiorina can’t easily being accused of being against women (although they can certainly try).
I wish Fiorina well. Perhaps, as so many have suggested, she might find her best role as VP nominee. It’s early, though, and she has time to regroup. But more lightness such as the following might be in order. I’ve cued it up to start at a part towards the end that shows her humor, but if you watch the whole thing you’ll see her exhibit her ability to speak succinctly and clearly on a problem:
At the link I also assert that Carly needs some new issues and one that I suggested was a tariff on OPEC oil. Thanks blert!
Didn’t she say she was coming out with a position paper on Wednesday? I’ll be eager to read that.
I am currently down to Cruz and Fiorina for my caucus vote. IMO both would be a strong CINC, which is the primary role of a president. I believe this because IMO both would clear out the bho sycophants in the Pentagon, and actually listen to the right people. When it comes to the emotional issue of which one I would enjoy inviting into my home Fiorina has a slight edge.
However, come February I will vote for Cruz or Carson if it looks like either is the one who will defeat the donald.
Something else in that video clip just now struck me — she comes across as rather sexy, and in a man-pleasing kind of way. I don’t believe that’s ever been the case with Hillary. It’s just possible that would diminish Carly in the eyes of many voters, and may also help explain why she sticks to that “stiffness” in the debates.
Wow..what a smile!! Why doesn’t she ever let that show in the debates?? The way her eyes light up she could win over the country easily.
In person she is pleasant, warm and funny. Quick too.
Focusing on Carly because of her failure to rise in the polls is misdirected. The failure is not hers. It is the failure instead of the brainwashed cretins we dignify as voters, and of the Ministry of Propaganda.
Keeping her going, supporting her with contributions, must be our task. Hers is a noble effort. Getting the truth out is hard. If you can’t do that, well….you’re part of the problem, are you not?
Ann:
I’ve seen her in person and I would say that she definitely seems to have a certain amount of sex appeal, if I’m any judge of that. She’s got a fabulous figure, particularly for a woman her age but also for any age. She can be quite playful in her humor.
None of this came across at all in the debate. I think it was a conscious decision on her part. But I don’t think that decision has ultimately helped her.
Neo:”Trump is of course the celebrity businessman reality-star outsider with the big mouth. Carson is the gentle, healing outsider. Cruz is the inside-outsider. That leaves Carly as struggling lately to differentiate herself in a way that matters to voters.”
Succinct and to the point, much like Carly. 🙂
The GOP nomination process this year is a conundrum. Who knew so many talented Republicans would want to be President? February draws closer and, when the voting actually begins, there will have to be a winnowing out. I predict that things will be all over the map until the end of March. It will be the candidates with the money and votes who will remain standing after March. We know Trump may stay in all the way to the convention as long as he can hold his 25-28% constituency.(He’s got the money and I think he would like to be the Kingmaker, if it is a brokered convention.) Add up all the non-Trump votes and you get about 72%. It’s possible there could be two or three other candidates (I can’t guess who) who will go all the way because they have a decent sized constituency (18-25%) and they have enough money.
I love Carly, but I don’t think the stars are aligned for her. I do think she would make a great VP, if she would accept the job.
I agree with Parker.
I have not seen her in person, but I recall seeing a video of her wearing a gingham blouse and faded jeans and she looked so normal and good. Hillary wears the most awful pantsuits constantly and looks like she could order my murder without a second thought. Carly could stop Hillary, and stop her in style!
I like most of what Carly says, but am still very concerned about her blind spot with respect to Islam and its compatibility with the Constitution. She was all into that “where would we be without Islam” stuff right after 9/11. This is a serious problem for me with her.
Carson shows he understands Islam, as does Cruz. I think Carly is awesome, in that she can smack Hillary right in the face, and no one is going to scream “Sexism!!!” (maybe they’ll scream “Mean Girl!!!”, but it’s not the same).
I have looked at her website, where you can find her answers to many questions. Her answer about Islam is unsatisfactory to me.
Either Cruz/Jindal or Cruz/Fiorina have been my first choice for the ticket for many months. Been a Cruz fan since I heard him on Mark Levin’s show when he was an underdog in the race for Senator, and then he won going away against the big money RINO Establishment candidate, running a positive campaign while being smeared by the RINO.
Both tickets would put articulate, very intelligent, highly accomplished conservatives in both the debates in the national race against the Democrats, none of which is any of the above.
Of course, Preibus has probably already agreed to have those debates moderated by Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, George Stephanopolous and Candy Crowley.
I like Carly. I trust Carly. I will vote for Carly, given the chance.
Other wise, I am torn between the outsider Cruz and, the more or less main streamer, Christie.
What a weird campaign in that the men I thought best qualified to be President; e.g., Walker and Perry, were eliminated without a single vote cast.
Neo:”Trump is of course the celebrity businessman reality-star outsider with the big mouth.”
I usually define him as “a major flip-flopping, Hillary!-loving, Democrat-donating, illegal immigrant-hiring, attention-wh*ring crony capitalist demagogic former Democrat” or somesuch in response to all the Trumpistas that have infested Breitbart to attack whichever candidate starts to close in on him, especially Cruz lately.
It’s funny that I don’t even have to mention Trump’s name and all his fanboys know exactly who I’m talking about.
They’re so stupid they don’t understand they’re alienating a significant portion of the conservative base by smearing Cruz, who wins all Breitbart’s online polls, voters Trump would need in the general elections.
It actually would make more sense if they were all really Democrat trolls trying to get Trump the nomination, because, with the thousands of hours of videos in the public domain of Trump running his mouth about everything, the oppo ads will produce themselves.
Not a huge fan, but she is better than the likes of Bush, Rubio and Kasich.
Her HP record is not good. Expanding sales is not the objective of a CEO unless it serves the purpose of increasing shareholder value. The Compaq deal failed that test miserably. Has she did what IBM did with Lexmark, and sold off HP’s printer division as a separate business, before buying Compaq, she might have fared better. Despite that, she at least has business experience at the highest levels and know hows Government gets in the way.
Her views that Islam was the greatest civilisation in the world are deeply troubling. We already have a President on the side of the Muslim Brotherhood and all its toxic off-shoots. Seems like her views haven’t changed much, given what she said about the attack on the Pamela Geller’s exhibition on Mohammed. I’m sick of this white-washing Islam crap, while the truest Muslims in the world, the ones who exactly follow Mohammed’s words and deeds, are murdering and enslaving Christians and Yazidis and Shiites.
Actually, Carly, not a fan at all. I put Cruz, Carson and Trump way ahead of you, just on that issue.
I too have a problem with Fiorina’s previous statements with regard to islam, but IMO if she is CINC she will actually read the daily intel report and quickly get up to speed. With a potential republican POTUS, you don’t know what they will do when the proverbial phone rings at 3 AM. OTOH, you already know how a dem POTUS will react.
@Parker: At least she wouldn’t ignore them, as our current CIC does. 🙁
She’s ideal as Vice President.
At the head of the ticket — she’ll get pounded.
She beats Carson hands down — as it’s mighty obvious that she’ll pull female voters.
Cruz ALSO pulls strongly with women.
The subconscious mind of a woman gravitates towards a tall, strong, vigorous man… especially if she’s got security worries.
This happens often enough to lift Cruz’s numbers much more than anyone wants to admit.
It also goes far in explaining why the taller presidential candidates have such a chronic edge.
Truly short fellas are handicapped.
Carson’s other killer problem is that he’s too soft in his speech — even if the content is fine.
0Bomba speaks well — from a teleprompter — but his content is insane.
He’s more like Adolf every day.
As I’ve posted before: tryants really go off the rails ONLY after they feel they can do so without the polity going bat crazy.
This usually takes five to six years.
The panic really sets in when the end is nigh.
For Adolf, it was the Red Army.
For Barry, it’s January 20, 2012 when he turns back into the Great Pumpkin.
Carson’s other killer problem is that he’s too soft in his speech – even if the content is fine.
yeah… dont ya love it when he decided to repeat what the left was saying about the abortion clinic deaths? nothing like a person so used to dealing with the left by giving them what htey want in order to keep his administrative career, its a practice that dies hard…
Obama Blows Off Time Limits, Holds Forth Like Fidel Castro at Farcical Climate Summit
Event organizers hit the buzzer as Obama’s address neared the nine-minute mark, blowing past the U.N.’s requested time limit of three minutes.
Organizers buzzed Obama every 30 seconds for over two minutes for a total of five buzzes, a Free Beacon analysis shows. The buzzer operator evidently gave up for the last three minutes of Obama’s 14-minute address, which exceeded the requested time limit by 11 minutes.
Warning – applied socialism can be a little gruesome:
DEMOCIDE: Socialism, Tyranny, Guns And Freedom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVK0yZAhBKM
Trump Card: New Report Points To DC Media Cover-Up of 9/11 NJ Muslim Celebration
http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/12/01/trump-card-new-report-points-to-dc-media-cover-up-of-911-nj-muslim-celebration/
In the New York Post in September of 2011, Fred Siegel wrote,
Here in New York, it was easy to get angry listening to Egyptians, Palestinians and the Arabs of nearby Paterson, N.J., celebrate as they received word of the murderous attack in New York and Washington. But Mayor Giuliani (who has been tireless and magnificent in this crisis) rightly warned New Yorker-ers that is would be wrong to take their anger our on the city’s Arab and Muslim residents. Attacks on Arab-Americans in Paterson or elsewhere are utterly indefensible.
In an interview on CNN, Giuliani conformed there were pockets of celebrations on 9/11. “New Day” co-anchor Chris Cuomo just admitted, “Were people celebrating on 9/11? Yes.”
Ted Cruz on Monday equated Democrats with violent crime.In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Monday, the Texas senator said that “the simple and undeniable fact is the overwhelming majority of violent criminals are Democrats.”The Republican presidential contender was discussing the attack that killed three people at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Friday. The shooting suspect, Robert Lewis Dear, was being held Monday with no bond with an initial charge of first-degree murder. The suspect’s reported mention of “baby parts” at the time of the shooting -as well as the location of the shooting…
from the WTF column
“Hardball” host Chris Matthews argued that “some people’s words are encouraging this kind of behavior” and “Carly Fiorina seems to be” “enjoying it” while discussing the shooting at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs on Monday.
Ted Cruz Won’t Rule Out Legalization for 11 Million in U.S. Illegally
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz declined to close the door to a potential pathway to legal status for the 11 million people in the U.S. illegally Friday, saying he wouldn’t elaborate on his plans for them until after the border is secure.
Sen. Marco Rubio, who co-authored the Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill that included a pathway to citizenship, Cruz would not explicitly rule out a pathway to legal status
Artfldgr:
That puts Cruz in a position similar to Trump, who wants to somehow deport people and then let the good ones back in, but doesn’t specify how he will do this or any details of it whatsoever.
This is a good analysis and I appreciate the insight into Carly as a human — something it is hard to see during the campaign.
I like the idea of publishing an issue and using it as a way to push the Democrats to either put up or shut up. I don’t like the OPEC tax — it is an effective subsidy for the domestic petroleum business and if there’s one thing Carly has stood for it is an end to crony capitalism.
How about focusing on the climate change debate, and how it is a payoff to the greens who support Dems overwhelmingly? And how about, at the same time, calling for freeing up the nuclear power generation field? Peter Thiel called for a nuke push in a NYTimes op-ed this week, and it makes good sense to me. Generates jobs during the construction period and moves American electrical generation away from dependence on coal.
A part of this would probably be to go to numerous small generation plants so you decentralize, thus making it harder for terrorists to take down the entire grid, and reduces the need for long transmission lines with all their problems.
I think if Carly began putting out position papers like this it would work like the “shadow cabinet” principle of the parliamentary system and it would force the MSM to address real issues with all the candidates instead of trying to pick them off with “gotcha” questions.
F
Don’t agree that OPEC tariff is crony capitalism. But that’s what many think; wrongly in my view. An OPEC oil tariff is more like putting all of America first (for a change) and stop their freeloading on our Navy, Army and Air Force as they have for years. (Free riding must stop.)
The Sauds are some of the worst people in the world and it is payback time!
PatD: If Carly had sold off HP’s printer division, there would be nothing left of HP today but a small instrument company, just as it was before the PC Revolution. If you think Carly’s record isn’t so hot, think of this:
Control Data
Digital Equipment
Wang Laboratories
Gateway computers
Packard-Bell
Data General
Atari
Amiga
Commodore International
Sinclair
Xerox Data Systems
Radio Shack
and those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head.
And Islam WAS the greatest civilization in the world — when it allied itself with the Jews in Spain, North Africa, and the Ottoman Empire. After 1600 or so, pffft like a balloon.
blert — Carly won’t pull female voters if she’s the Veep nominee — nobody cares about the Veep. Does anybody remember Geraldine Ferraro? Anybody? Bueller?
Carly will be online live tonight answering questions from the American public. You have to register at
https://www.carlyforpresident.com/rsvp
Why is it that the women presidential candidates are usually referred to by their first names, and the men by their last names? Seems condescending to me.