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Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina
Reuters» http://www.ibtimes.com/election-2016-carly-fiorina-could-join-gop-field-1783704:
«(...) The former
Hewlett-Packard CEO said Wednesday that she's building a platform for a possible 2016 campaign focused on business and helping the middle class.
"I am seriously considering it. I haven't made a decision, but I
think there is a need perhaps for a different perspective, a different
set of experiences and different voices, (...) I think I'll
probably make a decision one way or another in the March, April time
frame."
Fiorina released a report in conjunction with the University of
Virginia and AOL co-founder Steve Case on how to create middle-class
jobs by encouraging entrepreneurship. For someone with a strong business
background, a report like this one is a form of campaign speech. Fiorina thinks her message will resonate with voters.
"You have to point people to their Main Streets. People see this. I
think despite the continuing good news at many levels in the economy,
that the reason a majority of Americans believe their future is not
bright and their children's future is less bright is they look at their
Main Streets and they see small-business owners who are struggling, they
see shops that are boarded up, (...) They see this, they don't see a vital, vibrant
Main Street."
The report offers insight into what her campaign would sound like." (...)
"When and if I make that decision, there will be plenty of time to
talk about my platform, but I think you heard a lot today about what I
believe is the secret sauce of the American economic miracle, (...) And I think the secret sauce is that human desire to build a better
life and to live a life of dignity and purpose and meaning."
Fiorina isn't foreign to the world of politics. In 2010, she was the
Republican nominee for Senate in California. She lost, but came closer
than any Republican had to toppling Barbara Boxer.
The Republican field is likely to be exceptionally competitive, full
of nationally known figures. As a business-focused moderate, she'd be
competing for donors, staff -- and votes -- against Jeb Bush, Chris
Christie and Mitt Romney. Becoming a candidate would resurrect the issue
of her public dismissal from HP and the criticism that surfaced about
her management methods.
But she would be distinctive. She is currently the only woman on the
Republican side who appears to be building a campaign. She was the first
woman to head a Fortune 20 company and often was named one of the most
powerful women in business. And, having started small, she has a
relatable narrative.
"I started as a secretary in a nine-person firm. It's where most people started, little business," (...)
"The discouraging sign to me is that, honestly, big government works
very well for big business and this is a town of big government, (...) I'm not quite sure we understand that to really rev up
the engine of innovation and entrepreneurship, we are going to have to
fundamentally reform. (...)We have to start undoing some of this
stuff and we have to start undoing with the goals of entrepreneurs and
small business and innovators in mind."
"Helping the middle class" is a message that other politicians in
both parties have identified as a winner. Hillary Clinton has made it a
central talking point. Romney has hinted that bolstering the middle
class could be a key element of his campaign, if he runs.
According to a Pew Research survey in
2014, 44 percent of the public considers themselves middle class and
another 40 percent say they are lower middle class. And that same group
has seen stagnant wages even as the recession has ended.
"Entrepreneurship is a profoundly human desire, (...) It's
about wanting to build something, wanting to create something new,
wanting to make a difference, for yourself and for your family» Carly Fiorina
