And…. is there something specific that she’s bringing to the table that I’m missing? I’m have no idea what her raison d’être is for running.
Anyone out there in the SD Blogosphere care that Carly Fiorina has now announced for President?
(She did do a Demon Sheep ad when she was running for US Senate.)
I believe she is fishing for a VP nod.
cabinet position
Agreed. Rubio-Fiorina or Walker-Fiorina would both be pretty good tickets in my book.
I think the system is served to have a voice whose experiences aren’t primarily political. She is a proven leader and proven manager. She is both intellectually smart and street-smart. I would not underestimate the chances a distinct and unconventional voice catching fire, at least to the degree she becomes a voice to be reckoned with.
She will not be competitive in the caucus system of Iowa because it is dominated by those who value poltiical experience disproportionately to the general public. However, in NH and SC, they get business and her message might resonate.
If by resonate, you mean she might almost get 10% of primary voters?
I think she’ll be an attack dog with a pantsuit shield.
She will be defanged by the Hillary machine unfortunately
You mean Carly’s panty shield will be breached by Hillary’s billy club?
I think the VP is unlikely unless she catches fire. McCain’s pick of Palin had too much of a feeling of “token” to it, like Ferraro. This is a case where Fiorina’s gender hurts her.
She gets the VP nod only if it is part of a deal during the primaries to push someone over the top. Her business experience is such she knows how and when to cut deals. And, based on what one can gleam from her business exprerience such a deal would put her on the inside with regard to policy (ala Biden/Cheney/Bush Sr. and unlike Quayle/Gore).
I really believe she is gunning for the top job knowing it is a long-shot. But, who’d ever think a former Kelly Services secretary would become the CEO of one of the largest tech companies in the world?
Bush/Cheney is the ideal GOP ticket!
I also believe she is aiming for the top. However she is also a long shot. I believe she is turning heads, but in the end, she will be a VP nomination. I like her in that position if she is able to be part of the council of the President. I believe her executive experience will come in handy in either role.
I think Troy is correct on his assessment. A business leader who is also conservative; who is probably tougher than most of the current GOP field; and knows how to get business done. Personally, I think Cruz or Walker would be a great VP for her. The Fiorina – Cruz ticket.
And those panty shield comments by anon DBs are likely DemRats, desperately trying to make the GOP look like a bunch of sexist idiots. Which everyone (or at least the smart populace) knows is not the case.
I still trying to figure out what Jeb Bush brings to the table. I wonder if Jeb gets the Thune endorsement like Romney and McCain. It does make the Senate more powerful players to have democrat presidents, though.
More Demon Sheep!
I’d like to see a Treasury Secretary who isn’t a total Street insider or clueless Ivy League economics professor. Her CEO and California tech-cred would make a nice change.
If we as a Republican Party want to stand ANY chance of staying relevant, we need to reach out to the next generation. Candidates like Carly Fiorino and Marco Rubio are a step in that direction. It’s early yet, plenty of time for any candidate to get their information out.
Carson, Cruz, Fiorino, Huckabee, Paul – they’re all factional leaders, not coalition leaders. Jeb Bush isn’t declared yet, but he also strikes me as a factional leader. To win the nomination, one needs to build a coalition. Of these long-shots, Bush might be able to call in enough favors to win the nomination, but if he does the only way he wins the presidency is against Clinton and frankly the Bush name is not as appealing to the general electorate as the Clinton name. Nominate Jeb and Hillary’s chances improve markedly. Fiorino has her work cut out for her, but she is not tightly wedded to a narrow base as the rest are and so might be able to build the necessary coalition. She’s starting out way behind the curve, though. More power to her.
Rubio is the only declared candidate who is beginning with a broad coalition and shows some ability to make it stronger. Walker, Jindal, Christie aren’t declared yet, but also are coalition builders (different coalitions, though). Of these four, I think Jindal and Rubio have the broadest appeal. Walker will have a hard time grabbing people outside the Midwest and Christie has a hard time appealing outside the Northeast (as a politician – as entertainment, he’s golden).
Two other governors – Kasich (Ohio) and Snyder (Michigan) are reported to be considering it. Neither of them is up to it so I hope they bow out.
I think it will ultimately boil down to Jindal, Rubio, and Walker. From what I’ve seen so far, I’d guess Rubio-Jindal-Walker, win place & show.
PNR,
I mostly agree with you with only one caveat. Every primary candidate is first a factional candidate as they have a very natural base where a group agrees with them both on policy and temperament/style. The successful primary candidate is the one who builds a coalition by picking off members of another’s natural faction and picking up those who have feet in multiple ponds.
I agree with you Rubio is the one who made the best first step outside his “natural” faction. This can prove to be positive but it has a potential downside- he didn’t firmly establish himself with his natural faction first. My guess is part of the reason he did that is he himself might appeal to people across factional lines (I think this might be the essence of your point).
Regarding handicapping the race, I think it virtually impossible with any degree of confidence. While there are currently top tier, second tier, and third tier candidates, the reality we haven’t had a single race yet (vote), everyone is training (raising money and testing message/issues), and we don’t know what kind of track it will be on (what the dominating issues will be a year from now) makes any handicapping speculation.
That said (saying predictions are a fools game), I think no matter how many candidates we have now, after Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, we will have four candidates that go on. My guess today who they are:
1) Bush- To not have him on a list of pre-season favorites would be like saying that Duke or Kentucky won’t make the NCAA tournament next year.
2) Paul- Paul has better demeanor to go outside his faction than Cruz. Even if I disagree with something Paul says, I like how he says it. Opposite with Cruz as I disagree with how he says things with which I agree.
3) One of the Governors- I’m betting Walker right now with Kasich next likely. The rest have to show something with regards to muscle to go the distance.
4) Rubio/Fiorina or Huckabee. Rubio for the reasons PNR mentions, Floriina because she can without regard to worrying about how it affects her future, Huckabee because he is the only one who speaks “social conservative.”
By “factional” leader, I don’t mean to say that the others are not approaching the campaign from a base faction.
I think Ted Cruz has a lot of good things to say and much of what he believes is, in my opinion, true. But he says it in a way that makes it less likely anyone who does not already believe that will step on board. It’s great fodder for those in that camp, but doesn’t play well outside it. Same for Rand Paul. He may stick it out to the end – his followers are intensely loyal – but his appeal outside that loyal following is miniscule. Same for Mike Huckabee (this cycle’s Rick Santorum).
Fiorina comes at it from a particular faction, yes, but she is not so thoroughly identified with that faction as to be unacceptable to those outside it.
I really think Jeb Bush is severely handicapped by his family name. I don’t think he’ll make the final 4. He may line up donors, and he may be in a position to play kingmaker, but his chance to be king himself (or president, in this case) has passed.
But you’re right – anything at this point is just a guess.
There are pluses and minuses to each of the candidates. Not one of them is “perfect” for the GOP primaries/caucuses, much less the general election. One can attach a rationale why each could, or should, fail. Just wait until the scandals, real or imagined, hit each of the candidates!
Fiorina’s unique plus is that she’s a woman who can deliver effective lines about Hillary’s intellect and performance. Her response to Hillary’s being celebrated as our most-traveled Secretary of State is stellar: “Travel is an activity, not an accomplishment.”