Republican U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina recently spoke to the Wall Street Journal’s John Fund. Here are a few excerpts from his article, “She wants to reboot California.”
Fiorina led off by telling Fund”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.”
According to Fund, “The nonpartisan Tax Foundation says only New York and New Jersey have worse business tax climates” than California.
True – but quite a few Republicans in Sacramento voted for the tax increases in our state. This mess was not wrought by Democrats alone.
Fiorina says she has the answers to our problems. “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.”
Fiorina also rapped Boxer for opposing “virtually every trade agreement” and for her constant shilling for public employee unions.
While Fiorina ripped Boxer repeatedly, she actually praised her fellow California Senator, Diane Feinstein, calling her a moderate who has been productive.
On the environment, “Ms. Fiorina makes clear she takes the issue of climate change seriously. But she argues that global warming is best addressed through more innovation, new technology and energy efficiency, areas in which California has excelled.”
Fiorina is also a fan of nuclear energy, like her GOP opponent, Chuck DeVore.
DeVore has called Fiorina a “Rockefeller Republican.” She has an answer for that too. “Ms. Fiorina insists on her conservative bona fides. Her father was Joseph Sneed, a conservative law professor who served on the liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1973 until his death last year. His daughter says she inherited both his ability to work with those he disagreed with and his “common sense” views on issues.”
On social issues, unfortunately, Fiorina appears to be as nutter as DeVore. She is anti-choice and supported Prop. 8. If only the Republicans would realize that these positions will only lose them more voters – and will drive social progressives to Boxer’s camp.
But Fiorina is a bit more nuanced than DeVore. “She notes she created a strong program of domestic partner benefits while at HP. As for changing existing laws on abortion, she acknowledges, “I know, as a realist, that not everyone agrees with me. So the common ground we can find is how to reduce abortions.”
And Fiorina says she would have supported Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court. I don’t think DeVore would have done so.
Can Fiorina beat Boxer? Fiorina thinks so. She cited a recent survey that showed that Boxer had less than 50% support and only one in three voters views her favorably.
Can an inexperienced outsider win a Senate seat in California? Fund pointed out that California has a long tradition of electing outsiders to statewide office – and he mentioned Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger as examples of this.
Fiorina may be a longshot to beat Boxer, but she ought to take out DeVore fairly handily. No wonder she is talking about Boxer – not DeVore.
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