(Prezography photo)
By The Iowa Statesman
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina’s deputy campaign manager, Sarah Isgur Flores, sent out a memo to media Monday deriding Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her evasiveness, thus far, on the campaign trail.
The following is the entirety of the memo.
Carly: 8 days, 322 questions.
Hillary: 30 days, 8 questions.
Carly kicked off her campaign for President of the United States on May 4th, exactly one week ago. Since her announcement, she has been on a mission to introduce herself and her message of leadership and citizenship to voters across the country. She has sought to introduce herself through genuine, open engagement with the media and with the American people. This engagement has demonstrated her commitment to transparency and thoughtful, intellectual discussion of the issues.
In the last eight days, Carly has been interviewed almost 30 times and answered well over 300 questions. She continues to impress voters, pundits, and reporters alike with her willingness to share her thoughts and ideas – and to answer any question, from whether she likes hot dogs to how she would tackle the crisis in the Middle East. Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post is one of many who have noticed Carly’s transparency and sincerity: “She does not talk in abstract theory or try to convince you that hers is the most conservative position. She just says succinctly what she intends to do and why.”
She is joined by a long list of people and media outlets who have responded positively to Carly’s openness with the press:
· Why Fiorina connects – Washington Post
· Carly Fiorina is doing it right so far – Washington Examiner
· Why Carly Fiorina is on a media blitz – CNN
· Carly Fiorina gives a media tutorial – Washington Post
· Fiorina ‘connects’ with Dallas County audience – Des Moines Register
This is in stark contrast to many other candidates – and most especially to Hillary Clinton. As CNN reported this week, “Since her presidential campaign announcement on April 12, Clinton has not held a formal press conference. While on the campaign trail, she has responded – reluctantly at times – to roughly eight questions from journalists.” The New York Times, frustrated with her elusive, media-unfriendly campaign presence, has started running a column in which, “The Times will publish questions we would have asked Mrs. Clinton had we had the opportunity.”
This weekend, Carly brought this contrast into sharp relief when she said, “Unlike Hillary Clinton, I am not afraid to answer questions about my track record or my accomplishments or my principles.” Unsurprisingly, Carly is making waves by being herself, running honestly and transparently on her track record and unwavering policy positions.
We recognize that Carly is starting as an underdog, as she has many times in her life. Beginning her career as a secretary and eventually earning the role of chief executive of one of the largest technology companies in the world, she understands what it takes to move up the ranks on merit. She also knows what it’s like to be underestimated – and she has extensive experience overcoming low expectations. As she told Neil Cavuto this week, “People who have run across me don’t underestimate me for long.”
We’re excited to see the rest of the nation getting to know her and learning what we already knew: that Carly is a strong candidate and that her thoughtful, honest style is what this country desperately needs in the Oval Office. Rich Lowry of the National Review summed up what we’ve heard across the board: “She’s a talented communicator who can be both inspiring and barbed, and will very likely punch above her weight in this crowded field.”
We’re sure we’ll hear more of that as Carly continues to impress on the campaign trail.
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