E-mail a friendCarly Fiorina
airdate September 2, 2008
At age 23, Carly Fiorina was a law school dropout who had no idea what to do with her life. By age 52, she had been named among the world's most powerful business leaders by many publications, including Forbes and Fortune. Fiorina became Hewlett-Packard's CEO after 20 years at AT&T and Lucent Technologies, where she held senior posts. After leaving HP, she remains on the top 10 list of women in business. She's currently a senior advisor to Sen. McCain and was rumored to be on his short list for VP.
McCain senior advisor discusses her statement that Sarah Palin’s treatment as the VP candidate is sexist and echoes Sen. Clinton’s treatment during the primary season. (4:29)
Full interview. (10:53)
Carly Fiorina
Tavis: A short while ago I sat down with former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, a senior adviser to John McCain and a name often mentioned on his list of possible running mates.
Carly Fiorina, nice to have you back on the program.
Carly Fiorina: It's great to be with you, Tavis. Thanks for having me.
Tavis: Glad to have you here. Let me go right to the obvious - your sense of the Palin pick.
Fiorina: Oh, I think it's really energized the Republican Party, and I can tell you, having been out there talking with lots of Democrats that it's energized a great many women, as well. So we're very excited about his pick.
Tavis: I thought I saw a quote from you the other day that suggested something about the fact - and I'm paraphrasing here - that sexism might rear its head in this instance, and that if so, you wanted to get on record early on saying it would not be tolerated. What prompted that statement?
Fiorina: Well first of all, I think one of the things that happened during Hillary Clinton's historic run for the presidency is women became very attuned to sexism. We know, although it still exists, we know that racism and racist comments are unacceptable, but unfortunately still sexist comments are tolerated.
Whether it was guys holding up the signs "iron my shirt" or commentators saying about Hillary Clinton, "The probably is she reminds men of their first husband," women were outraged. And so because they're tuned to that now, anything that is sexist about any other woman is far less tolerated.
And so when people try and, for example, dismiss Sarah Palin's executive experience, I don't think they would be doing that if she were a male governor. And so I wanted to put on record to say, "You know what? Let's talk about the issues, but let's keep this political dialogue at the level it needs to be at."
Tavis: I guess the question is whether or not it is, in fact, sexism - and the same would be asked of Barack Obama; could be asked of Barack Obama - is it racism - let me start with Obama first. The question is whether or not it's racist to question, depending on one's perspective, of course, to question his lack of experience, his very little time in Washington, the high point of his resume, being a community organizer.
When Republicans raise those questions, I would not think the Republicans are being racist to ask questions about his experience or lack thereof. To ask questions about his understanding of foreign policy - that's why he picked Joe Biden, because Biden has it and he doesn't. So I wouldn't consider that racist.
Fiorina: I would agree with you. I would agree.
Tavis: Exactly. So where I'm going with this is whether or not it is on surface sexist to talk about her lack of the same thing - foreign policy experience, only been a governor for two years, etc., etc.
Fiorina: Well, first of all I completely agree that to ask questions about somebody's track record or their stand on the issues is not racist. I think you have to remember the context in which her record as a governor was questioned.
Fundamentally, what the Obama campaign was saying was that it was equivalent experience for Barack Obama to run a campaign for president for two years - and by the way, he, like John McCain, has a campaign manager who's running the campaign - that that was somehow equivalent experience to being a governor for two years. That's dismissive of a governor, and I don't think it would have happened to a man, frankly.
Tavis: How do you respond - I asked this question of Newt Gingrich on this program last night - what's your sense of the McCain camp picking her in part because it was a blatant attempt to pick up those disenfranchised, those disenchanted women supporters of Hillary Clinton?
Fiorina: Yeah. I've known John McCain for quite some time, and John McCain just doesn't pander. It's not in his DNA. And if you doubt that, all you have to do is look at his record and realize that for example during the Republican primaries when all of his Republican opponents were saying, "Yes, we think Guantanamo Bay is a great thing, yes, we would torture," John McCain was the only Republican candidate who stood up and said, "Guantanamo Bay should be closed, and no, I don't believe in torture."
So he won't pander. I believe he picked Sarah Palin - I know, having spoken with him at great length about this - he picked Sarah Palin because he wants someone who will join him in his efforts to reform Washington. He thought it was important to bring someone who had not been in Washington, and yet he also felt it was important to bring someone who has a zeal for reform and a track record of reform.
The fact that she's a woman is also a wonderful thing, but he is picking the person that he thinks will be the best partner for him in Washington.
Tavis: And yet you've seen the same stories I've seen - the stories are, over the last 48 hours - 24 hours, certainly - that she was a last-minute choice, that who he really wanted was his dear friend Joe Lieberman, and that part of the reason why we're getting these stories now that have come out of her not being vetted, clearly, and the McCain camp has admitted that they, 24, 48 hours ago, sent a team to Alaska to do more research into her background.
So that would suggest that she wasn't properly vetted, which would suggest that she was picked at the last minute, and that it really wasn't as comprehensive a decision as you suggest that it is.
Fiorina: I don't think any of those reports are true. I think that this was a very - I know this was a very deliberate process, and I think one of the things that's really important to bear in mind is that secrecy is not the same as haste. I think frankly one of the reasons the media's reacting the way they are is because they were truly surprised.
And so I think many people think well, I was surprised; therefore, it must have been a surprise decision. It was a deliberate decision, and yes, it was a very well-kept secret.
Tavis: How do you think the baby issue is going to play?
Fiorina: I hope people will -
Tavis: Or in her case, grandbaby.
Fiorina: Yes. I hope people will heed Barack Obama's very sage advice. Barack Obama did exactly the right thing in standing up early and often and saying families are off-limits, and particularly children are off-limits. Every family that I know has issues, and clearly this is a family private matter and we ought to leave it alone.
Tavis: The numbers indicate, over the last number of elections - I can't even go back that far - that Democrats do a really good job of picking up women voters. Is Palin enough to change that this time, or do you sense that there's something else going on in the atmosphere that gives Republicans a real good chance this time to pull women over to their side?
Fiorina: Well one of the things that I've been doing over the last several months in particular is reaching out to Democrats and Independents and reaching out to Democrats and Independent women.
Tavis: You were in Denver, as a matter of fact.
Fiorina: I was in Denver as well. So I've been talking with a lot of women and a lot of Democrats and Independents, and I think we held a press conference today, as a matter of fact, of a number of Democrats - one of whom is an ambassador appointed by Bill Clinton - men and women who are stepping forward and saying, "We're going to support John McCain."
And I think what's going on is that I hope everyone who votes, not just those who vote for John McCain, I hope everyone who votes realizes that a party doesn't own their vote - they own their vote. And ultimately, the vote for the president of the United States is the most important vote that we as Americans cast. So don't vote for a party, vote for a person - whoever that person is.
And I think a lot of Democrats, Independents and Republicans are realizing that this isn't about their party; this is about their country.
Tavis: You've been making the rounds, as you've mentioned earlier. I've seen you on TV shows and being interviewed here and there. There are a number of high-profile businesswomen at this convention. You, of course, are here; former CEO of Hewlett Packard. Meg Ryan -
Fiorina: Meg Whitman, yes.
Tavis: Meg Whitman, I'm sorry - Meg Whitman. Meg Ryan - got Hollywood in my - I live in Los Angeles.
Fiorina: I know you live in Hollywood. (Laughter)
Tavis: Yeah, Meg Whitman, from eBay. What's happening that is pulling these types of women, these corporate women into the John McCain camp, and not just into the camp, but out front stumping for the guy?
Fiorina: So first I know also many, many small business owners who are big supporters of McCain, and I think what they see in John McCain is a guy who gets that small business is the economic engine of this country. Two-thirds of the jobs in this country are produced by small businesses, and so they're attracted to his platform for helping small businesses form and grow.
And just to add, small business is one of the most diverse segments in America. African Americans are starting small businesses at a very rapid rate. Women start small businesses at twice the rate of men. So I think there is an appreciation for an agenda that's focused on job creation and making America a great place once again to start a business.
I also think, however, that women look at John McCain. They look at the women in his life, in his personal life. The strength of his mother and his wife, the way he has hired women around him all his life - in his Senate office, in his campaign office and now in addition his vice presidential pick, and they see a man who gets it, who gets how valuable the contribution of women is.
And when women represent 54 percent of the voting public, we're not a constituency; we're a majority. And so I think these women are attracted to his attitude about the contribution of women, as well.
Tavis: Finally, one of the things that you see - the naked eye can see this just walking around this hall - one of the things that you see on display here is, to your point, there are a lot more women present at this convention than there are people of color. What say you about the outreach the Republican Party has to do not just to women but indeed to women who happen to be of color and more people of color broadly?
Fiorina: Absolutely, and it's one of the reasons, honestly, why I was so delighted to come back on your show. Look, one of the reasons that I support John McCain is because I believe he will be the standard bearer for this party and return us to our best traditions. This is the party of Abraham Lincoln. This is the party that believes that people should be empowered to make their own choices.
This is the party and this is a man who believes that the role of government is to unlock and unleash the potential of every single American, and that every American should have an equal opportunity. And we have not done a good job of reaching out to the African American community, to the Hispanic and Latino community. In some cases, we haven't done a very good job of reaching out to women.
And so I think the election of John McCain is not just about moving the country forward, although it is clearly about that. It's also about, in some ways, returning the Republican Party, if I may say that, to its best traditions.
Tavis: I'm delighted to have you on the program again. Nice to see you, have a great rest of the convention.
Fiorina: Nice to see you, Tavis. Thanks for having me.
Tavis: It's my pleasure.
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