As the 2016 presidential campaign has picked up in recent weeks, Republican-hopeful Carly Fiorina has broken onto the scene with respectable force. Considering her lack of political experience, she has drawn attention as an unusual candidate for the Republican Party. As a female contender polling 7th out of 15 Republican candidates as of October 20, Fiorina is a candidate to watch.
Fiorina’s sole political experience rests in a failed attempt to displace Barbara Boxer (Democrat) as a California senator in 2010. Nonetheless, a strong driving point of Fiorina’s campaign lies in her extraordinary business success. Beginning as a secretary, she worked her way up to serve as chief executive officer of technology company Hewlett-Packard for over five years. Her rise to CEO highlighted her ability to navigate difficult challenges; she is associated with extensive reduction in the work force and stock prices that took a nose-dive throughout her tenure.
These experiences have shaped Fiorina, and influenced her platform as a center-right Republican.
Though she does not personally sanction same-sex marriage, Fiorina has notably voiced her support of same-sex couples receiving government benefits. She has also distinguished herself from many Republican candidates in acknowledging that human activity contributes to global warming. However, she does not believe government intervention can meaningfully impact climate change. In the past, Fiorina supported the DREAM Act, which provides a legislative path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. This support does not extend to illegal adult immigrants. Like many Republicans, she has expressed concern over stricter border security, arguing that serious immigration overhaul cannot take place without it. On the hot-button issue of abortion, Fiorina has declared support for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The bill outlaws abortion 20 weeks after conception, and allows for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother.
Her candidacy plays an important role for women in American politics.
Despite her moderate stance on many issues, Fiorina shows more right-leaning ideals as well. She opposes banning assault weapons and maintains that second-amendment rights are critically important. If Fiorina were to take office, she would take the serious step of repealing the Affordable Care Act, which she has argued has led to increased costs. She has expressed the belief that the health insurance market should become more competitive. Fiorina would like to overturn net neutrality, the idea that Internet service providers should treat all data the same and not discriminate through blocking websites or raising prices) which she feels will ultimately create obstacles for tech companies and enable unnecessary government involvement.
Fiorina will have the opportunity to expand on her ideology in the continuing Republican debates. Regardless of your political affiliation, her candidacy plays an important role for women in American politics.
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