After filing to enter the First in the Nation New Hampshire Primary at the State House, Carly Fiorina crossed Main Street to join Chris Ryan and Charlie Arlinghaus at the Barley House. Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, was interviewed in this installment of the Pints and Politics: Road to the White House series. Charlie Arlinghaus is the president of the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy–a think tank which promotes limited government and the free enterprise system. A variety of topics were discussed, such as: Hillary Clinton; Fiorina’s record at Hewlett-Packard; her plans to cut government and grow the economy; problems facing the American education system; and the concerns of the millennial voters.
Carly Fiorina believes that she would be Hillary Clinton’s worst nightmare on a presidential debate stage. Fiorina stated that Sec. Clinton would be prevented from using the “gender” card and would be forced to discuss her track record, positions and platform.
Much has been made of Carly Fiorina’s being fired as CEO of Hewlett-Packard. She comes back by stating that the voters never ask her about this chapter in her life. She thinks that people accept that she had to make some hard choices when it came to creating or saving jobs. She points out that 75% of the American people think that the government is corrupt and incapable of doing anything correctly. This would explain why political outsiders have so much appeal to voters in this election cycle.
When she talks about her plans for the government, Carly Fiorina has bold plans for limiting the size of government and growing the economy. Tax reform is the cornerstone of her reform program. Her goal is to cut the 73,000 pages of the tax code down to 3 pages. She believes that the levels of complexity in the current tax code favors the rich and the powerful. Fiorina would close most loop holes except for three which benefit the middle class. A Fiorina presidency would also mean a lot of pink slips at many federal agencies, especially at the IRS and the EPA. She believes that the economy would grow if the tax code was simplified and if there was a roll back of regulatory overreach. For the economy to grow, Carly Fiorina believes that there has to be an improved climate for small businesses to flourish. She believes that the size and interference of government causes the current situation where it’s difficult for small businesses to survive. As proof, Fiorina cited that 470,000 small businesses go under each year and 400,000 businesses are formed. Fiorina mentioned several acts which are currently languishing in Congress which would cut back on the overabundance of federal regulations or achieve zero based budgeting. For instance, the REINS Act (Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act) would require an up or down vote by Congress on any government rule or regulation with an economic impact of $100 million. It has passed the House of Representatives and has been stalled in the Senate. As president, Fiorina would discuss bills like this in her weekly radio address and encourage voters to vote 1) for Yes and 2) for No on their smart phones to pressure Congress to act on these types of measures. The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard intends to use technology to focus the common sense and good judgment of the American people to put needed pressure on the political process.
The last segment dealt with education and with the concerns of millennium voters. Fiorina blames many of our education problems on government involvement. She stated that the government has taken over and ruined the student loan program. Government regulatory practices have raised costs, limited competition, and reduced choices. Fiorina also stated that government certification and regulation policies have discriminated against for profit universities. She praised Southern New Hampshire University for its being so innovative. She also touched on the unpopular Common Core program. In her opinion, it doesn’t work and it increases costs. Then the conversation segued into a discussion of problems faced by millennials. This age group feels that the American dream is over for them. Many of them are mired in college debt and working at a less than fulfilling job that is not in their field of study. According to Carly Fiorina, the remedy for this desperate situation is to create more jobs. She agrees that the United States is no longer a country of limitless possibilities because the government is crushing opportunities. Also she pointed to her own education and work experiences to encourage millennials to remain hopeful. Fiorina was a medieval history and philosophy major in college. She realized that this field had limited employment opportunities, so she went to law school. Unfortunately, she came to the conclusion that she hated it and quit before the end of the first semester. Then as many of us know, she got a job as a secretary. It was here that she developed important skills and came to the realization that she liked business. From there her education and career went on a different trajectory.
In the wrap up at the end of the interview, Chris and Charlie summed up Carly Fiorina’s candidacy. Both feel that despite being a political outsider, Carly Fiorina arrived on the scene ready to play. She always has a considered and reasoned response to any question. They also gave her credit for having answers that are much more than the usual candidate talking points.
