By Thomas Lodico
When discussing Carly Fiorina’s potential influence, I am not talking about her poll numbers or her take on foreign policy compared to those of other candidates. It appears that Carly Fiorina has something a family dynasty and political connections cannot get a candidate, namely the interest and attention of regular voters. This trend could be attributed to one of two things. Either voters view Fiorina as a potential candidate who could take down a Democratic opponent, or voters do not know much about her and therefore simply want to get to knew her in order to sort her in with the rest of the candidates. Regardless of the reason, it is clear that Fiorina must be enjoying the attention of voters.
Why is Fiorina receiving all this attention from potential voters and could she become the next President? In order to answer this question, one must understand where she came from. Fiorina consistently touts herself as having come from the bottom and reached the top through hard work and effort. From the position of entry level secretary to becoming the CEO of Hewlett Packard, Fiorina has lived by example, showing Americans that anything is possible through industry and determination. This is what makes her interesting to voters, which may explain why voters in Iowa earlier this month bombarded her hotel suite just to meet her. Other suites, such as Jeb Bush’s, did not feel the love coming from down the hall.
One thing that must be addressed is whether Fiorina can beat Clinton? Fiorina has come out swinging against Clinton on numerous occasions. When talking to reporters and being asked about Mrs. Clinton’s apparent lack of transparency, Fiorina stated “Unlike Hillary Clinton, I am not afraid to answer questions about my track record or my accomplishments or my principles.” This is much unlike the other male candidates, who attack Clinton based on her time in the Obama administration. Fiorina seems to be coming out against Clinton head-on, and is not shy in joking about the Clintons as well, making a joke in Iowa about President Bill Clinton’s hormones. This shows that Fiorina is a threat to the Clinton plan to retake the White House because voters want to hear her speak and are eager to hear what she has to say.
Fiorina is not only a rising star in her own party but a force to be reckoned with amongst Republicans and Democrats alike, since she could make it more difficult for someone to grab the party nomination or could even take the nomination for herself. America could soon get to see what like to have two women competing for the Presidency. One thing, however, appears certain, and that is that she has no intention of leaving the race anytime soon.