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Media gets Carly Fiorina wrong on national security and the economy

And they help out Boxer... Who\'d think?

By: Soren Dayton (Diary)  |  June 5th, 2010 at 12:58 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Over the past 72 hours, the online left has collectively ripped into Carly Fiorina  for an ad that shines a spotlight on Barbara Boxer’s assertion that “One of the very important national security issues we face, frankly, is climate change.” Naturally, the media has been carrying Boxer’s water in wildly distorting Fiorina’s point.

Ultimately, this election is going to be fought over questions about who can address the problem faced by our national economy (hint: taxes and debt bad) and who can address the real problems faced by Americans. That’s why it is important to get Fiorina’s point right on both national security and the economy.

Fiorina’s first point is that our country and California face very significant proximate challenges, like the economy, what does Barbara Boxer focus on? Climate change. But she has got nothing to say about the economy, other than more taxes and money for the public sector unions that are bankrupting her state. Right now, California’s unemployment rate stands in excess of 12 percent and has shown no signs of falling.  According to the US Department of Labor, 11 of the 14 metropolitan areas currently suffering from unemployment rates of at least 15% are located in California. 

Fiorina’s second point is that on actual national security issues, she is an embarassment. Her record:

Even if you grant that there are national security implications to climate change, and that’s not a point I really dispute, even Matt Yglesias called climate-change-as-security-threat a form of “threat inflation” that leads to “bad foreign policy decisions.” See above, for examples of “bad foreign policy decisions.”

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COMMENTS

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  • joecollins

    . . . and I will vote for Chuck . . . but I believe Carly will win the nomination. So on we go with Carly as of Wednesday. Better Carly than Boxer.

  • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

    The problem is that her record makes it tremendously easy to do so, with no defense of Boxer necessary. One of the main lines of attack on Fiorina over this climate-change ad has been Fiorina’s past support for cap-and-trade, her past refusal to say whether she’d oppose mandatory carbon caps, and her past statements in favor of taking climate-change “science” seriously.

    In other words, there’s only been meaningful daylight between her and Boxer on this issue in the past few months. And that’s a problem.

    As you might guess, as a member of Chuck DeVore’s campaign, I’ve been documenting Carly’s liberal past rather assiduously. And what I’m doing, rest assured the California Democrats are doing too.

    What we’re seeing now with the Democratic/media response to Fiorina’s ad is a preview of exactly what we’ll see through November should she become the nominee: any conservative critique of Boxer from Fiorina will be countered with loud, copious, and well-documented references to Fiorina’s own liberal record. In this light, Carly Fiorina would be a gift to the Democrats: she’s the only one of the three CA-Sen candidates who offers Boxer the opportunity to talk about something other than the issues.

    Instead, the Democrats and a compliant media will have a field day talking about Carly Fiorina’s liberal record — and her massive contradiction of it in this campaign as she sought to reinvent herself as a conservative.

    California Republicans should take note, be warned — and vote accordingly on Tuesday.

    • redtillimdead

      Usually the media and Dems attack the candidates they fear. They fear Carly.

      • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

        What you’re seeing in this specific instance is a result of two factors:

        1) Democrats’ (erroneous) calculation that Fiorina will be the nominee.
        2) Barbara Boxer reacting to a direct attack on herself from Fiorina.

        On point 2, among the many things Boxer and Fiorina have in common is a psychological inability to let critiques go unanswered.

        If the Dems really feared Fiorina, they would have done what Gray Davis did to Riordan, and launched the campaign to raise her negatives long ago, when it would have mattered.

        • ffc99

          any reason to believe that the Dems fear Devore? I suspect the answer to that is “no”, and for good reason. Chuck seems like a good guy and a good conservative (certainly much more “consistent” in his ideology than Carly), but CA Republicans have tried running candidates like him for the past two decades and have consistently lost.

          • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

            The only full-spectrum conservative whom the CA Republicans have run for major statewide office in the past 15 years has been Tom McClintock, in his ’06 LtGov campaign.

            He lost by 3.9%, because of a deliberate decision by the Schwarzenegger wing of the party — which controlled the statewide apparatus — to starve his campaign of funds and support. Sabotaged by his own. (Meanwhile, social-conservative issues like ’08′s Prop 8 passed independently of the party.)

            That same crowd is now backing Fiorina, by the bye. And McClintock is backing Chuck DeVore.

            Don’t buy into the myth, please. The implosion of the CA Republican party in the past decade coincides almost exactly with the rise of the lie that only “moderates” can win. They don’t, and they haven’t.

          • ffc99

            we will have to respectfully agree to disagree on this. While no longer a California resident, I know enough about state politics to feel quite comfortable in stating that candidates with Devore’s ideology just can’t win state wide. I wish that wasn’t the case, but…

            Regardless, I wish you luck in the primary this week and admire your forceful advocacy for Mr. Devore, who certainly seems to me like a decent man (and someone who would serve CA in the Senate with honor and dignity).

          • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

            Though I am saddened you buy in to the myth of inevitable conservative defeat in CA. When you’re afloat off Dunkirk, the imperative is to reach shore and keep fighting.

          • SteveLA

            McClintock lost because he has no appeal outside of the very hard core conservative base in CA. The rest is a straw-man to explain why his wing of the CA Republican party can’t win state wide elections. Throw in the fact that McClintock during the Grey Davis recall was anything but a team player for the Republican party, refusing to drop out when it was very clear he stood zero chance of winning the recall, effectively staying in for his own ego. Why should the rest of us CA R’s given a darn about him or for that matter the Girlyman Governator after that McClintock’s actions in the recall?

            The rest of your comment about losses in the last 10 years being blamed on moderates in the party is a long simmering argument between the wings of the party out here in CA and is slowly being settled as people who can actually get elected in a state wide general election winning nominations in primaries despite the protests of the McClintock wing of the party.

            But let’s step back and see what the McClintock wing of the CA R party does after the primary. My guess, standing on the side pouting because they were ignored and beat in the primary instead of working to elect a R governor, and a R Senator who is going to throw BABS out on her ****. It’s what I would be doing if DeVore had won the Senate primary, even though I disagree with him on some issues.

          • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

            McClintock lost because he has no appeal outside of the very hard core conservative base in CA.

            Which is apparently only 3.9% smaller than the total Democratic vote.

            Yeah. Good analysis, Steve.

          • SteveLA

            Yep about as good as the fantasy island excuse of the dog ate me homework, or “because of a deliberate decision by the Schwarzenegger wing of the party ? which controlled the statewide apparatus ? to starve his campaign of funds and support” to explain why McClintock lost in his run for state controller, the recall, his run for Lt. Governor and barely won the Congressional seat he’s in today.

            Could it be that McClintock was not an especially effective or well liked member of the CA Assembly even by Republicans, and could not be counted on to work with anyone in his party towards any sort of compromise on legislative matters in the assembly and was in no way shape or form a leader of the CA R party in the Assembly? Guess that and his actions in the recall played no role in why Republicans in the state outside of the base really don’t care much for McClintock now does it?

            But hey, I proudly voted for Pete Wilson and George Dukmajian, so I’m definitely not part of the McClintock wing of the R party as Neil likes to point out.

        • calical

          The Dems launched their attack site around the beginning of February, and have had their staffers following her around for many, many, months. Meanwhile, they and liberal talking point machines like ThinkProgress and TPM produced anti-Carly talking points on a regular basis. The left also had a very effective distribution platform for these talking points: your campaign, which has been repackaging Boxer’s/the Dems/the leftist movement’s attacks in a fashion that gives them credibility with conservatives. Thus, they did launch their negative-raising campaign long ago, and not in response to her ad against Boxer.

          Now you could fall back on 1, saying that the Dems were very sure that Carly would win, despite her being behind in the polls at the time, but you’ve already stipulated that if they were attacking Carly early, that means they fear her.

          Also, there is no psychological flaw required to want to set the record straight when people are saying negative things about you that you consider false or misleading. You and the rest of the DeVore campaign responded forcefully to the very negative profile in the LA times, as you should have. Carly is merely behaving similarly.

      • SteveLA

        redtillimdead

        The MSM attacks on Carlie for being a bit of a flip flopper on these issues probably is a net plus for her in the General election. CA is a fairly liberal state and being seen to not be an ideologue, my way or the highway, on issues will not harm her chances. It’s actually one of the ways she can hit back at BABS, her rigid ideology.

        In the primary where Carlie must at least try to appeal to the base, who was never going to support her with DeVore in the race, she tried to play the role of hard line conservative, which she’s not. Looks like endorsements and the latest polling shows that she succeed in appealing to the decline to state (I’s and D’s) and non base Republicans.

        We’ll know Tuesday who’s the winners and losers in the race are though.

        • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

          There is no race, anywhere, in which being perceived as a “a bit of a flip flopper” ever helps. I defy you to name me a winning candidacy in which the win was assisted by voters saying, “Wow, he’s inconsistent and self-contradictory — I like that!”

          Here is an example of what the bloodbath will look like if Fiorina is the nominee. Multiply this times a thousand.

        • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

          Here’s the actual link to the preview of the Fiorina/media bloodbath.

          • securitymom

            Name a conservative that has won a statewide race in California in the last 20 years? While I will be voting for Carly I have no illusions that she is as conservative as I am.

            As for anyone who runs against Boxer, all that’s needed is a continual tv add of the “please call me Senator” loop.

          • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

            For all Fiorina’s efforts to pretend she’s conservative, her own voters don’t buy it. At least they know the score.

            Look, if Prop 8 and the sabotaged-by-his-own McClintock campaign don’t convince you conservatism can win in CA, I’m not sure what would. Suffice it to say, a conservatism that conservatives don’t fight for isn’t worth much. And 2010 is our best shot since 1994.

            As for “call me Senator,” Fiorina has her own similar moment from just last week. I’m sorry to report there’s tape of this incident.

          • securitymom

            That being said, I went over and read the link you provided. Unlike you, I was actually looking for additional info. The link you provided didn’t change my mind, nor answer the questions I ask. As for her “moment” I didn’t read it as such.

            By the way I am open to be persuaded, I have no hidden agenda in this race. Up until this weekend my husband was undecided. He has more of a libertarian bent.

            I must to admit to being for Carly because I believe she can beat Boxer.

          • http://joshuatrevino.com Joshua Trevino

            …. then consider that polls have consistently revealed that pretty much everyone can beat Boxer. They’ve fluctuated, but you might note that the last Rasmussen showed Fiorina doing worst against her.

            The knock on Carly is that she brings structural and personal baggage into the race that neither DeVore nor Campbell do. And it’s huge stuff. Be warned.

          • calical

            You’ve been saying all of these things in the primary for months, and in that time, Carly has taken a commanding lead, while in the last six weeks, you folks haven’t moved much.

            Carly was backing Cap n Trade as a surrogate for McCain. As a party, we cannot start eating our own for loyally supporting our imperfect nominee. Republicans have to be able to back our candidate choice once we’ve made it. I know that if somehow Chuck pulls this out, I’ll be behind him 100%.

            And of course you predicted that they would trot out the false claim that anything was illegally exported to Iran by HP. It was an Obama Democrat attack on McCain before you started recycling it.

          • Aaron Gardner

            So, I am not sure why you would expect him to be looking for additional info.

            Besides, you began your comment stating that regardless of any additional info you would be voting for Carly.

            If you were sincere about your search for more information, you wouldn’t preemptively discount that information.

          • securitymom

            No where did I state that regardless of any additional info I would be voting for Carly.

            While I SHOULD have known his position I didn’t…until I went to the link provided. And, you’re correct that was a stupid comment on my part about him looking for additional info.

          • Aaron Gardner

            You stated plainly that you will be voting for Carly. That was after your request for info. How else do you expect that to be taken? Especially when the first thing you did when Josh provided more info is outright rejection of that info.

            It didn’t fit your narrative so you rejected it. That’s fine, but be honest about it.

            Don’t act like you are being objective when you clearly are not.

          • securitymom

            No, the link he provided didn’t change my mind. Perhaps other info would…that didn’t though.

            Please don’t act like you know what I believe, Normally at this late date I wouldn’t be asking questions. I am not invested in this race. I have come to a conclusion that Carly would run best against Boxer. That doesn’t mean I am not open to other info. Addtionally, I will be conpletely invested in the general election.

          • Aaron Gardner

            I read your words. You said you were voting for Carly. Are you now saying that you are undecided?

            That would be a change in position for you. I welcome that change, but I don’t see any evidence in your posting that that change has occurred.

            If you don’t want me to assume you are voting for Carly then you shouldn’t say “I will be voting for Carly”. Pretty simple really.

            Also, the information that I was referring to when I said you rejected Josh’s information had nothing to do with what he linked to. It referred to the answer to your question that you chose to ignore withing the text of his response to you.

            In fact, you never even addressed it, almost as if you didn’t even read it, or read it and then purposefully ignored it while complaining that he didn’t answer your question.

            Either you are awful at expressing your true opinion, or you are playing games.

          • securitymom

            So if we take your word for it I must be “awful at expressing your (my) true opinion.”

            I just hope for the DeVore campaign you aren’t actually a volunteer.

          • Aaron Gardner

            Seriously, you ignore information when provided and then try to slam the DeVore campaign using me as a proxy, all the while saying you will vote for Carly.

            I see. Yeah, you aren’t playing games at all. /sarc

          • SteveLA

            securitymom

            I can save you some time. You’re arguing with a Holiday Inn expert who does not live in CA, and it’s not even clear has ever been in the state.

            As a CA voter, read everything you can about the candidate positions taken on the issues you care about, and vote for who best represents your views and in my opinion vote for the person you agree with the most and who is best equipped to do one thing, BEAT BABS.

            If that’s DeVore, great, if that’s Fiorinia, great too, just make sure you vote Tuesday, something you and I can do and Holiday Inn express experts can’t.

          • Aaron Gardner
          • SteveLA

            Do you live in CA?

            Have you ever been to CA?

            Do you know the voters in CA?

            How about them goal posts?

            You can tell us what qualifies you an expert on why Mr. DeVore is the best choice for voters in CA and can win the general election based on your vast and deep knowledge of the state based on your personal association with the state?

          • Aaron Gardner
          • SteveLA

            But do get that Bernie Sanders yard sign ready for the fall….. Oh no Mr. Bill!

          • Aaron Gardner
          • http://andrightlyso.com/ civil_truth
          • calical

            Prop 8 is proof that opposing gay marriage can eke out a win in CA.

            However, it got a great deal of support from hardcore Democrats, particularly hardcore minority Democrats, who oppose gay marriage but are generally not realistic pickup opportunities for Republican candidates, let alone particularly extreme ones. Those with a strong Democrat identity could vote for the proposition without the much, much, more psychologically difficult and unlikely task of cross-party voting, and while still being rather liberal overall.

          • SteveLA

            Like me, who thought that having judges determine what our laws should be instead of respecting the will of the people who passed Prop 22 was pretty bad.

            Put a clean vote of the issue to the citizens of CA or any other state on what the meaning of marriage is, let us decide. I’m pretty sure that the measure would fail, which is why Donks and Liberals like to run to court to force their way around the will of the people.

          • IJB

            Try this instead – name a REPUBLICAN that has won statewide in CA in the last decade and a half in a “normal” race where they weren’t the incumbent? (i.e. the Recall doesn’t count).

            You can’t do it, can you?

            Thanks because the problem with CA isn’t “liberal vs. conservative” – it’s “Democrat vs. Republican”.

            2010 is the first year since 1994 where being a Republican may not automatically disqualify you for statewide office in this state…

          • ffc99

            Matt Fong (State Treasurer, mid 1990′s).

          • IJB
          • ffc99

            6 months. Close enough for me.

          • IJB

            …Which is that 1994 was the last year Republicans could win statewide in CA.

          • ffc99

            which is actually incorrect…

          • proudgop

            I made comment of how much the ad riled the left

            The question is though is this a winning issue for Republicans in CA? Boxer runs on wedge issues: abortion, guns, environmental issues, etc

            Can anyone not deemed green friendly win CA? I think Carly has gone too far to right

            How does a Republican win CA now? What parts of the state must they do better? start to win now to offset huge margins dems rack up in San Fran, LA, and Sacramento?

          • ffc99

            Steve Poizner fits your criteria (Ins. Commissioner, 2006).

          • IJB

            The ONLY one.

            And Poizner basically *bought* his office (he vastly outspent his opponent…), a lower-rung office that’s virtually non-partisan to begin with.

            But Poizner points up something about CA politics – the order of importance of a candidate’s qualities are:

            1. MONEY (in CA, this is the single most important factor by far – no $$$, no ads, no chance.)

            2. Partisanship (if money is equal, a Democrat will always beat a Republican)

            3. Presentation – being “hip” is far better than being “square”

            4. Ideology (by far the least important factor – IOW, being a Democrat is *much* more important than being a “leftist” – in CA, a conservative Democrat would pretty much always beat a liberal Republican).

          • SteveLA

            IJB

            Your observation of the $$$$$ it takes to run state wide in CA is spot on. I’d probably argue that the biggest factor in defeats at the state level for R’s for the last 10 years out here has been underfunding of campaigns. You can argue why campaigns are underfunded, but the fact is it takes big bucks to run state wide in CA.

            Arnie won the Governator recall as much on using the free media that his stardom attracted as anything else. I remember all the coverage and all the media attention that just about everything he did getting coverage on the local news. That sure as heck did not hurt his run. Heck I remember Ariana the Greek crashing one of his events just to get the free media, that was great political theater.

          • calical

            …against the shady and increasingly unpopular Cruz Bustamante, whom even plenty of liberal Democrats were sick of and really wanted to get rid of.

          • SteveLA

            I googled around a bit, could not find out what ended up doing after leaving office? Back to being a Butcher in Fresno?

          • taxmaiden

            Sorry; ADHD moment…

          • SteveLA

            Rest assured, lots of People Eating Tasty Animals branches here in CA. Today is country pork ribs on the BBQ….Yummmmm

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • SirGladiator

    Is that this is a REALLY good year for Republicans, either Fiorina or DeVore could beat Boxer this year. I like DeVore the best, but with Campbell in the race my top priority has been to make sure he doesnt win, so Ive been cheering on Fiorina. But certainly if DeVore pulls a stunner and leapfrogs them both into 1st place that would be awesome, and no doubt he could win. I do think Fiorina would have an easier time winning, with her big money and being reasonably well liked already and all, but this is our year, we can win with either one, no doubt about that. So whoever we’re supporting, I think we should stay positive, cause whether its Fiorina or Devore in November, we’ve got a WINNER!