Former 2016 GOP candidate Carly Fiorina promised Friday evening that she would under no circumstances vote for Hillary Clinton, even if media and Democratic operators argue that it would be historic to elect the country’s first female president.
The Democratic establishment is worried about the lack of voter enthusiasm for Clinton, especially with women, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO told a group of conservative activists in Maryland.
“And so, now they are reminding people of the historic nature of her candidacy. That she is a woman after all, and therefore women must vote for her,” Fiorina added. “I’ve got news for you Hillary Clinton. I am a woman. And I am not voting for you.”
The former candidate delivered her address Friday evening as the last scheduled speaker for that day at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Other speakers during the four-day conference have included retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Fiorina, who prior to dropping out of the 2016 GOP primary was the sole female voice in a very crowded Republican field, continued Friday evening, “To all the women and girls across this country, regardless of your ideology or your party, let me say this: do not let others define you.”
“Do not listen to anyone who says you have to vote a certain way or for a certain candidate because you are a woman. That is not feminism. Feminism doesn’t shut down conversations or threaten women. It is not about ideology. A feminist is a woman who lives the life she chooses and uses all her God-given gifts. And, as a feminist, I will spend the next six months making sure Hillary Clinton is not our next president,” she added.
Elsewhere in her speech, the former CEO took aim at lawmakers and members of the press who have boosted and supported Clinton’s second bid for the White House out of loyalty to the Clintons and political traditions.
“The Democrat establishment, aided and abetted by the media establishment, decided that it is now Hillary’s turn. At last year’s CPAC, many in the media called me ‘mean’ because I said ‘Flying is an activity, not an accomplishment. Mrs. Clinton, please name an accomplishment,'” she said, referring to Clinton and her supporters bragging often that the former secretary of state traveled a lot when she worked at the State Department.
“During my campaign I was taken to task by Chris Matthews and others for saying that Hillary Clinton had lied about Benghazi — something everyone now says and knows is true. I was criticized for suggesting that Mrs. Clinton — far from being a trail-blazing woman who has risen through her merit and accomplishment — is in fact someone who has used her husband’s name, fame and charisma to get ahead, and has been willing to say and do anything, sacrifice everything, in the service of her own ambition. This is the Clinton Way,” she added.
Fiorina also went after Clinton’s email scandal, reminding her conservative audience that the Democratic presidential candidate is currently under investigation for using an unauthorized, private email server when she served at the State Department.
“I often joked on the campaign trail that while Hillary aims for the White House, she is better suited for the Big House. 2,000 of Hillary’s released emails were deemed some level of classified. That’s 1 out of 14. Here’s another way to think about that: Imagine that every other Friday, every single email you sent that day endangered our national security,” she said.
“I have held the highest clearances available to a civilian and worked closely with the CIA, NSA and DOD. I cannot imagine ever sending classified material over a private server. Most of us cannot,” she added.
But even with all this baggage, Fiorina continued, media and Democrats want people to believe that Clinton is an excellent 2016 candidate, and that voters would be foolish to pass up the chance to make history. Clinton has repeatedly told reporters and voters that her candidacy is special because being a woman means she would bring a unique perspective to the White House.
For Fiorina, that’s hardly a reason to vote for Clinton.
