Carly Fiorina praised for US debate

[webfact]

Fiorina looks to turn debate accolades into dollars, votes
By JULIE PACE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Propelled by her standout debate performance, Carly Fiorina sought on Thursday to turn accolades for her crisp, confident showing into actual support from voters and donors. It's a quest that will determine whether her breakthrough moment is a turning point in the Republican primary or simply a footnote.

After a few hours of sleep, Fiorina blitzed through six morning-show interviews, an on-air victory lap of sorts. In early voting states, her small staff fielded calls from local officials eager to pledge their support.

"After last night, I'm with Carly Fiorina," said Bryan Gould, a New Hampshire lawyer who was among those reaching out to Fiorina's team. Gould had also been considering Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, or retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, but he said Fiorina displayed the maturity he's been looking for in a candidate.

Fiorina's Iowa chairman Christopher Rants spent the day trying to make sure the candidate's upcoming events in the state had space for bigger crowds. "We wanted to hold 150 people, better make sure it holds 200 — maybe more," he said.

For Fiorina, this burst of attention will spur fresh scrutiny of her business record while she ran the technology company Hewlett-Packard — and a deeper examination of her current statements and policy positions.

The origin of one of her most attention-grabbing debate moments — her description of a video showing a fetus with legs kicking and heart beating — was already being questioned by abortion rights groups, given that the scene she referenced apparently was based on a verbal account rather than a video. According to both Planned Parenthood and anti-abortion activists, there is no scene matching her description in any of the undercover videos at the heart of the debate over the disposition of fetal tissue from abortions.

Still, the debate's immediate results were overwhelmingly positive for Fiorina, the only woman in the Republican field. That was all the more remarkable given that her campaign had to aggressively lobby debate host CNN to change the participation criteria just so she could qualify for the event.

"We feel like last night reset the race," said Keith Appell, a senior adviser to CARLY for America, a super PAC backing Fiorina.

At least in the short-term, Fiorina's strong performance could jolt a Republican race that has been dominated by the unexpected rise of Donald Trump. Her sustainability will hinge on her ability to raise money for a long campaign and build a broad enough coalition of voters to have strong showings in early contests.

Appell said the super PAC, which has been running the bulk of Fiorina's operations in key states, will keep trying to generate attention through free media and campaign appearances, while holding off on paid advertisements for now. The outside group is also looking to bolster its roster of "community captains" that can help recruit volunteers and organize voter turnout next year.

Even before Thursday's debate, Fiorina had quietly garnered positive reviews from voters in early voting Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. She's been among the most aggressive Republican candidate in taking on Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, arguing that if the GOP nominates a woman, it would block Clinton from being able to turn her campaign into a history-making quest to become the first female president.

Still, she's struggled to translate praise into support in national polls. Just as concerning for Fiorina has been her lackluster fundraising. Her super PAC raised about $3.5 million in the first half of the year, while her campaign raised about half that.

Fiorina's strong performance in last month's undercard debate for low-polling candidates and her recent critiques of Trump helped give her campaign an extra spark heading into Wednesday night's main contest. While Trump's assertive, confrontational approach has confounded some of his rivals, Fiorina has been fearless in taking him on.

In one of the debate's standout moments, she delivered a sharp rebuttal to derogatory remarks Trump had made about her appearance, a comment he later tried to walk back.

"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," she declared.

Fiorina's broader strategy — both in the debate and moving forward in the fall campaign — is to draft off Trump's outsider appeal, while presenting herself as a more substantive alternative to the billionaire showman. She whipped through detailed answers on both domestic and foreign policy and also spoke movingly about her daughter's death during a discussion on drug policy.

"I think she is rapidly becoming the more authoritative voice for the outsiders, the one who speaks with class and dignity and details," said Mike Dennehy, who ran Rick Perry's New Hampshire campaign until the former Texas governor pulled out of the race last week.

Still, Fiorina needs only to look back to the 2012 Republican primary to see how quickly a burst of momentum can fade. Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann parlayed a strong debate performance into a victory in Iowa's summer straw poll, but she faded by the time actual voting got underway. A slew of other longshot candidates also had moments atop the polls before collapsing.

Fiorina aides say she's realistic about the impact of a single debate, but still came off stage visibly pleased with her performance.

And after the candidate stood throughout the three-hour debate, Fiorina's deputy campaign manager Sarah Isgur Flores added, "She wanted to take those heels off."

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-18

[thaibeachlovers]

At the end of the day, she still sacked a lot of people at HP. Any decent Dem would make mincemeat of her in a real debate.

As Christie pointed out, none of them, including her, give a monkey's about the common citizen.

Edited September 17, 2015 by thaibeachlovers

[JakeSully]

Really hope she's the nominee, she's the easiest to beat.

She had Americans training their H1B replacements before they were laid off. Imagine how that will play compared to Willie Horton.

[Loptr]

Who wants a failed CEO as POTUS? When she ran AT&T and HP, she lost over 50% of stockholder value in these two companies... We already have a POTUS with zero business experience, the only thing worse would be to put a failed CEO in his place...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/yale-professor-carly-fiorinas-business-193457030.html

Yale professor on Carly Fiorina's business record: She 'destroyed half the wealth of her investors yet still earned almost $100 million'

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/carly-fiorina-s-record-at-hewlett-packard--by-the-numbers-184234108.html

[Usernames]

She is an open borders shill. She's already endorsed amnesty in the past. This is the Republican Establishment's candidate in place of floundering Jeb. I would actually vote against her and FOR Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden if the Republicans put something like this mad Chucky doll up.

[up-country_sinclair]

She's running for V.P.

[thaibeachlovers]

She's running for V.P.

Who'd be foolish enough to have her as VP? Be looking over shoulder constantly expecting a knife in the back.

[up-country_sinclair]

A cynic would argue that she would help balance a ticket that will likely be running against Secretary Clinton.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Who wants a failed CEO as POTUS? When she ran AT&T and HP, she lost over 50% of stockholder value in these two companies... We already have a POTUS with zero business experience, the only thing worse would be to put a failed CEO in his place...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/yale-professor-carly-fiorinas-business-193457030.html

Yale professor on Carly Fiorina's business record: She 'destroyed half the wealth of her investors yet still earned almost $100 million'

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/carly-fiorina-s-record-at-hewlett-packard--by-the-numbers-184234108.html

So considering Trump's companies have filed for bankruptcy no less than 5 times you would not want to see that business man as POTUS either?

And just how does a casino need to file for bankruptcy anyway? If you can't make money running a casino then something is REALLY wrong (or at least corrupt).

Edited September 18, 2015 by ALLSEEINGEYE

[h90]

Really hope she's the nominee, she's the easiest to beat.

She had Americans training their H1B replacements before they were laid off. Imagine how that will play compared to Willie Horton.

And than you get Hillary instead and a couple of more wars....

[quandow]

[razer]

News spin folks. They like to frame and manipulate US presidential elections. The general consensus in the business community and academics as well, she was not a good CEO and made a lot of bad decisions.

[Harsh Jones]

She's running for V.P.

Just like Obama was running for some name recognition.

Don't underestimate how flawed democracy is.

[Harsh Jones]

She is getting all of this praise for the same reason women in general get praise in the west for doing manly things. Emasculated men in the west like macho women who try to be men.

[up-country_sinclair]

She's running for V.P.

Just like Obama was running for some name recognition.

Don't underestimate how flawed democracy is.

A very interesting point. >_>

Back in 2007 I never would have guessed that he would be the eventual nominee. However, he didn't have a paper trail, and she definitely does.

[stevenl]

She is getting all of this praise for the same reason women in general get praise in the west for doing manly things. Emasculated men in the west like macho women who try to be men.

I gather you're a Trump supporter?

[Jingthing]

The fact that she's being looked at, a lady who didn't even win the one political race she was in before, simply highlights how weak her republican competitors are. Except for Kasich. He'll be surprising people when the results come in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Looking at history, there generally isn't any great benefit in peaking early. The nominee won't be Fiorina and it won't be Trump and it won't be the creepy weirdo soft spoken virulently anti-gay doctor Strange who I won't even dignify by naming. It might be Bush, Rubio, or Kasich though.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Jingthing

[quandow]

I had an Aunt who worked at HP when Fiorina started her demolition job. At the time, I was a government IT purchasing agent, and HP was one of several choices we could buy.

The FIRST thing she did was eliminate profit sharing - good for stockholders, but horrible for employees. From there, she made bad decision after bad decision and ground them down to failure. She was fired, but still given a $22 million severance. Faaaawk!!!

Within a few years, HP was taken off my list of available companies to purchase from. You want her doing THAT to our COUNTRY?!?!?

[up-country_sinclair]

Ms. Fiorina's stewardship is just one of many reasons not to purchase HP products. ;-)

[Baerboxer]

At the end of the day, she still sacked a lot of people at HP. Any decent Dem would make mincemeat of her in a real debate.

As Christie pointed out, none of them, including her, give a monkey's about the common citizen.

And she really screwed Lucient.

Has she had any successes?

[Srikcir]

It would be a historic Presidential race between two women.

The press would be hamstrung - no more questions about underwear.

[Jingthing]

That would be good for Hillary. Compared to Fiorina, she's the more likable!

[lifeincnx]

On top of her disastrous career failures at Lucent and HP, Fiorina repeatedly demonstrated in the debate she wants to position herself as an angry isolationist, refusing to talk to Russia or China (how un- Reagan like). Even worse, she wants to dramatically cut taxes at the top end while drastically expanding the military. She'll carry a big stick but she surely won't walk softly.

Once her wrong-headed ideas cut through the debate noise, she'll hopefully fade away.

[Jingthing]

She does come off as authoritative and competent which is better than most on that stage. Which explains why she is being looked at.

Trump is very authoritative but in a buffoonish way.

I am feeling that the U.S. is seeking a kind of strong man (or woman) president now, like a U.S. version of Putin.

If that's true on the democrat side, Hillary can probably pull off that act better than Biden.

Edited September 18, 2015 by Jingthing

[h90]

She does come off as authoritative and competent which is better than most on that stage. Which explains why she is being looked at.

Trump is very authoritative but in a buffoonish way.

I am feeling that the U.S. is seeking a kind of strong man (or woman) president now, like a U.S. version of Putin.

If that's true on the democrat side, Hillary can probably pull off that act better than Biden.

She told she would not even speak with Russia.....

Trump told he is sure he can get along with Putin....

Considering that these people have nuclear weapons....

She mismanagement HP. He made himself rich with many mistakes but even more smart things.

Hillary lies too much and is too much into starting wars....

[notmyself]

Running for V.P. lol. It was said when she entered the race that it was because it is more 'seeming' for a woman to throw BS at HRC than a man. Aside from a small spat with Trump and a rather strange 'lady justice' diatribe, that is exactly what she done in GOP #2.

Obama bad, Obama bad, Obama bad, worked in last year's mid terms but is HRC bad, HRC bad, HRC bad, going to work in 2016? She said nothing worthwhile on policy but then nobody else did either so she didn't do bad in that context. She did, yet again, go on about the 'doctored' PP videos which everyone else has backed away from for the most part. The bit about a baby on a table with heart beating and legs (or was it arms she said?) did not exist on the doctored video nor on the raw footage. She made it up 100 which admittedly was not unusual during the debate. Autism is cause by vaccines etc. etc.

Anyway. Fiorina did better than most but this video will still remind me of her. Can't find the previous one I watch ages ago which contains video of her with the same sound track. Copyright I guess.

[Pinot]

Carly Fiorino, who couldn't beat Barbara Boxer is considered a viable candidate is rising in the polls. That's crazy. The entire Republican party is crazy. If you're not crazy you're a RINO.

Paul Krugman in his column this week nails it.

"Over the longer run the point is that one of America’s two major political parties has basically gone off the deep end; policy content aside, a sane party doesn’t hold dozens of votes declaring its intention to repeal a law that everyone knows will stay on the books regardless."

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/02/paul_krugman_madness_of_the_gop_is_the_central_issue_of_our_time/

Edited September 18, 2015 by Pinot

[Jingthing]

Yeah, that's a given. The current republicans are so far right that Ronald Reagan would be booed off their stage now.

[Ulic]

I was not able to watch the debate as I don't get CNN on my cable package. I did see highlights and read with interest what the pundits have reported as to who won the debate. I am surprised how much the pundits view differs from several (unscientific) web polls I have viewed. Seems the pundits pick Fiorina whole the polls pick Trump. Personally I just cant see the American public

picking Fiorina after she ran HP into the ground as badly as she did. I mean even Regan's acting was far superior to Fiorina management of HP. Can't see the rank and file getting behind Ben Carson either. Too many closet racists and he is really pretty far out there when it comes down to it. So I think it will comedown to Trump (which the GOP does not like, as they cannot control him)

and Bush (many anybody but Bush out there) Rubio, ???????.

Personally I think many in the polls talk Carson, Fiorina, so the GOP does not get slammed as the party of old while rich guys and when push comes to shove they will vote for the old white rich guy. We shall see.

[notmyself]

?

Fiorina is there because the GOP need a token female for a number of reasons. Carson (remember Herman Cain?) is needed because he is an African American. Rubio in there for obvious reasons. Trump is there to make all the others look less insane. All a bit obvious to be frank.