Carly Fiorina
The only woman in the Republican field has impressed audiences in the early going. But big layoffs when she was CEO of Hewlett-Packard will haunt her, and she lost her only bid for office in 2010 when she ran for the U.S. Senate in California. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp hosted a luncheon for her in Atlanta in February.
Over the first half of the year, Fiorina received 42 donations from Georgia for a total of $14,275.
Fiorina ranked 14th in the national polls Fox News used to select participants in Thursday’s first GOP presidential debate of the campaign.
Carly Fiorina quick hits
Biggest applause line: “In order to win, we have to have a nominee that throws every punch — who will not pull her punches.”
Sharpest jab at a Democrat: “Flying is an activity, not an accomplishment. What is your accomplishment? I’m still waiting for an answer.” — On a question she posed to Hillary Clinton.
Sharpest jab at a Republican: “People get captured by a system they’ve been in for too long. People get used to the status quo. I’m prepared to accept that most people who go to Washington are good people and want to serve. … But the people who protect the status quo most aggressively or those that have benefited from it.” — A response to a question on House Speaker John Boehner
Carly Fiorina’s sharp performance at Thursday night’s second-tier debate propelled her to the national spotlight. And she came to Atlanta on Friday intent on capitalizing on her momentum.
The former Hewlett-Packard chief executive impressed conservatives at the debate with her sharp attacks on Democrats — and GOP developer Donald Trump. She was greeted with a sustained standing ovation at the RedState Gathering before she took the stage, one of the loudest greetings the conservative crowd showered upon any of the presidential candidates.
“2016 is going to be a fight — a real fight — between conservatism and the progressivism that has completely dominated the Democratic Party. It’s not only undermining the country, it’s crushing the country’s engine of economic growth,” she said. “And in order to win, we have to have a nominee that throws every punch — who will not pull her punches.”
Fiorina, who has long been among the loudest critics of Hillary Clinton, kept up her assault on the Democratic front-runner.
“I know more world leaders on the stage today than anybody running, although I didn’t do photo opps like Mrs. Clinton did,” she said.
Fiorina added that she would make two immediate phone calls upon election. The first would be to Israel’s prime minister with a pledge for support. The second would be to Iran’s leader with a warning not to cross the U.S.
“We need an unmistakable signal that America is back in the leadership business,” she said.
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