Forget Hillary, HP's ex CARLY FIORINA 'wants to be next US Prez'

Carly Fiorina – the former HP chief executive who presided over the firm's $24.2bn merger with Compaq – is mulling a run for the US presidency in 2016, Washington insiders claim. The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Fiorina has been recruiting campaign staffers and holding private meetings with potential donors, and …

[Shannon Jacobs]

Obviously as a neo-GOP

Speaking as a shareholder of HP, I am unable to conceive of voting for her against ANY conceivable Democratic nominee. She has NO qualifications for executive leadership at ALL. I have a fuzzy recollection that I thought she was qualified when she took over HP, but unlike the neo-GOP, I often admit to and sometimes even learn from my mistakes.

I've never been a member of the Democratic Party, and long ago there was actually a period when I voted based on a 'least represented constituency' basis. However, these years, thanks to the neo-GOP voting restrictions and gerrymandering, I don't even have a vote to play with. Heck, in this last election, they couldn't even be bothered to send me a ballot. WTF did they even send me my voter registration card?

It's getting hard to remember when we actually used to pick our Representatives. Now they rig the game and pick the voters they want, and no guest voting permitted (which would destroy most of their manipulations). Today's neo-GOP is just a brand hijack. NO relationship to Lincoln's Republican Party or the GOP of Teddy and Ike.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Obviously as a neo-GOP

I'll take the neoconservative warrior princess Hillary over the fail whale Carly.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Obviously as a neo-GOP

"I'll take the neoconservative warrior princess Hillary over the fail whale Carly."

Why? Both women have no qualifications for leading the country. Both are devoid of any compelling vision.

Both US parties have let down mainstream voters. Both have neither clue nor grip on matters of economics or foreign policy. Both are fully owned by the 1%. Both are in thrall to Wall Street.

You need a proper protest party that at least speaks somewhat for the common man, but certainly from the right side of the pond I don't see any political disruptors in the US. Here in the UK (and true of much of Europe) we are seeing political disruptors emerging, and rising support for regional secessionist politics - often focused against the dead flesh hand of the EU, or national governments. It's not clear that these will ever be a government, but the rise of these parties is at least starting to frighten the established political elites of Europe.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Obviously as a neo-GOP

Hillary led the State Department just fine. She has qualifications. You don't need a vision if you can repeat the "historic moment" of 2008 by running as the first XX candidate. Which is the plan.

You answered your own question. There's no third party, there's no Ross Perot. Best case scenario is Rand Paul, a softcore libertarian.

Millions of Americans hit the road yesterday, and today they are eating 4500 calories each. Gas prices are low. There's no campaign finance reform in sight. Good luck with things on your end.

[Lars]

Oh dear

Oh dear,

[skeptical i]

Let the crazy parade commence

as anyone looking for a job decides to run for president. The old lottery ticket jingle -- "all you need is a dollar and a dream" -- may need some adjusting ("all you need is a fat donor list and a delusion") but is generally still apt. Cushy chair and bucket of popcorn at the ready, awaiting the starting gun.

And a beer, gotta have beer. ==>

[dan1980]

I don't see the problem

• Unshakable belief in her own ability, righteousness, track record and likability, despite any and all evidence to the contrary
• Monumental amounts of cash thrown into less-than-stellar projects which are then bigged-up as though they were unparalleled successes
• Dwindling employment rate
• Characterisation of opposition and criticism as motivated by pettiness and small-mindedness

Methinks she has in great abundance all the qualities a politicians needs to succeed, including and especially the 'golden bricks'.

And anyway - which politician doesn't buy their way in to these races - be it for a senate seat or governorship or indeed the presidency? It's a broken system, of course, but it's so broken that it seems the only way to compete is to join in.

[agricola]

The problem is--the inordinate number of psycopaths in high places.

"The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them.

To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it.

To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

[I would add a personal comment, except for the following sage advice:]

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place,‭ ‬but far more difficult still,‭ ‬to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.‭"

‬--Benjamin Franklin‭

[Anonymous Coward]

Mitt Romney Redux

Wow, tough choice between her and Mitt. What we need is an extended middle finger icon. As for between either of them against Hillary, I'll vote for Hillary. She has principles from her Marxist days and I understand those. We just have a different set of ideas on the solution. (Hint, I'm a libertarian, small l.)

[Epobirs]

She should make another Senate or House run before aspiring so high. Zero experience in elective office is a huge negative. The last person to even come close was Ross Perot with vast resources and far more buzz generating (for good or ill) policies ideas. Given, he was also a third party but it's hard to imagine either of the two major parties giving a shot to someone, again, who has never held office or even a major appointed position.

Is it just here in CA or is there a severe lack of decent political talent everywhere?

[Mark 85]

On the other hand...

Can she possibly be any worse that recent batch of bozos that have inhabited the Oval Office? Hmm... I think the answer is "probably". Oh well.. so much for being devil's advocate. She's seems to be a bigger twit and ego than they were.

[Kharkov]

IT'S CHRISTMAS!

Christmas has come early! Hallelujah and so on and so forth...

Most serious Republican candidates stayed away from the last election because unseating a sitting President is hard and, historically, doesn't happen that often. They held off until this time when you can expect fewer Klown Kandidates like Cain, Bachmann, Santorum & Gingrich.

But gosh-darn it! I'm tremendously entertained by Klown Kandidates!

So we are going to have Klown Kandidate Number 1? Three cheers, hooray & have a banana. Heck, it's the Internet, have two!

But while I'm wishing, could someone, somewhere, please (oh please, please, please!) get Cain, Bachmann et al to throw their hats in the ring again?

And even, and yes, I know this is a biggie, can someone urge The Alaskan One to run?

[George Capehart]

OMFG . . . Sarah Palin redux

I first started using HP equipment in the mid '70s in grad school. At the time, HP and DEC had a lock on the lab and mini-computer market. To this day, I don't think that there has ever been equipment as well made and as of high quality as HP gear. And I mean both lab equipment and business and scientific computing. As my career evolved, I became more involved with the HP culture and "The HP Way" . . .

There had always been a tension between the technical side and the marketing side of HP. Along with that was the tension between the entrepreneurial psyche inspired by Bill and Dave and the realities of running a large and successful corporation. HP was forever undergoing restructuring of one sort or another, to the chagrin of the techies, the sales team and the customers. Having said that, it was all "in the family" and everyone realized that the universe was changing and everyone was struggling to deal with the changes. But there was always, way down deep inside, a sense of "family" and, well, here we go again, but we'll get through this one, too.

All of that changed with Carly. Looking back on it, the real problem was the Board of Directors. They were then, and are to this day, incompetent. They took an incredible organization and ruined it. When Fiorina was named CEO I was gobsmacked. Her track record speaks for itself. She is as qualified to run for president of the US as Palin was to run for VP. At least Palin had the sense to quit before she got fired . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: OMFG . . . Sarah Palin redux

It is not Sarah Palin redux. Sarah Palin was electable as she was quite cleverly pretending to be significantly dumber than she really is (ala Dubia). So she was appealing to the same lot which voted for Dubia previously.

Carly is not electable regardless of how much money is thrown behind her. She does not appeal to the smart people as they know what she did during her HP tenure and she "does not connect" with the hillbillies.

So any way you put it, giving her campaign money is most likely a form of tax scam and should be investigated as such.

[John Sturdy]

The timing is right

Perfectly timed for her to oversee her country falling behind its competitors, just like she did at HP.

[Anonymous Coward]

YES!!!

Dear Ms. Fiorina:

Please run for President. You will be running against Governor Rick Perry (R) - Texas.

To paraphrase a famous Silicon Valley ex-CEO: "It will be like two garbage trucks colliding".

Something tells me you have plenty of experience with garbage truck collisions.

[Socorro]

She doesn't understand the scope of the job...

I don't think she realizes that the US president cannot order summary executions nor can he or she have wayward, disobedient members of the ruling class attainted and/or banished from the realm. And none of us graced to reside in the good old US of A would be her subjects.

But if we could buy her for what's she's worth and sell her for what she thinks she's worth we could end poverty and hunger world wide and then divvy up what's left and all be 1%-ers like her.

[It wasnt me]

Re: She doesn't understand the scope of the job...

Buy her for what she's worth? You might get more if you rendered her down into more useful materials.

[Anonymaus Cowark]

the donors must be democrats ...

... because if she is the presidential candidate for the republicans, Clinton is set to win

[Anonymous Coward]

From her track record at HP

She'll give pink slips to 50% of federal employees and have no backup plan for delivering the services after they have been laid off. This will allow her pals in the GOP to pass a Federal budget.

Then she'll cut all welfare benefits (like she did with HP worker benefits) by 50%

I am glad that I don't live in the USA. IMHO, with her at the helm, the US will be applying to the Wrold Bank for a loan by yr 3 of her tenure as the become a 4th world power.

[Ant Evans]

O Canada

If anyone is qualified to oversee the acquisition of Canada, it's Carly. Canada has a great brand name (although you wouldn't necessarily have to use it!), some great products, and an educated and capable work force (regrettably not a good enough reason to retain them all post merger, but needs must). There are clear potential synergies, in the jargon, for example, who needs Montana AND Alberta in the same country? I'm not even sure you need New England and Ontario. Redundant areas could be sold to an independent Quebec, killing two albatrosses with one stone, or in M&A doublespeak, releasing value to shareholders.

Carly for President. Everyone's an 'American' now.

[Securitymoose]

Anyone can be president...

…in America. That's the problem. So why not have a nice looking lady? Let's face it; she can't do any worse that some of her predecessors, now can she?

[Version 1.0]

Re: Anyone can be president...

No - you have to be rich to be President, that's the unspoken requirement - but on the other hand, she's white and not Hillary so that's more than enough to get the GOP nomination.

When election time rolls around again over here remember the cardinal rule of American Politics - you never vote for anyone, you always vote against.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Anyone can be president...

I've met a number of politicians across the spectrum and without fail they have been individually good company, often charming. When I worked for HP I met Carly on 6-7 occasions, and again she was individually charming, just bloody useless which when you looked at her pre-hp cv should have been obvious to the board. She elevated the Peter Principle to the Petra Pricnciple - several pay grades a over her ability (on a logarithmic scale)

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Anyone can be president...

No, you have to be born in the USA.

We have a chap who'd be ideal once he's been UK Prime Minister...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27371673

[kain preacher]

Re: Anyone can be president...

"No, you have to be born in the USA."

You must be native born. One is considered native born if

one of your parents must be a US citizen and asserted you US citizen rights before you turn 18.

http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-child-born-abroad.html

http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/citizenship-through-parents

[Michael Wojcik]

Re: Anyone can be president...

"No, you have to be born in the USA."

You must be native born.

Yes. And at least 35 years old, and there's a 14-year residency requirement.

[Frankee Llonnygog]

It makes sense to have an ex-HP CEO as Pres.

Politicians are like Windows PCs. You can't get enthusiastic about them, only use them when unavoidable, and only ever buy them with other people's money.

[Version 1.0]

Re: It makes sense to have an ex-HP CEO as Pres.

I guess by that logic Obama is Windows ME then?

[Frankee Llonnygog]

Re: It makes sense to have an ex-HP CEO as Pres.

I'll give you that if you'll agree that George Bush was Bob

[Ralph B]

Cool

Expect to see the USA merge with China and have the combination shrink to the size of Germany.

[Youngone]

This Title is Optional

I think it's charming how various commenters keep trying to make distinctions between Republicans and Democrats, as if there's any difference.

It's just rich people buying the levers of power.

[DToma]

I have already forgotton about Hillary; but, I'm sure not thinking about Carly.