Over at the Free Beacon, our old colleague Matthew Continetti is already up with his thoughts about the debate. He’s reached the conclusion that “debates basically serve to propel second-tier candidates to the top. That’s what happened with Ben Carson last time. And it’s what’s going to happen to Carly Florina now.” Not only do I agree with this, a few days ago I said that I expected a Carly surge post-debate and I’m feeling pretty darn good about that prediction after tonight. Continetti goes on to make some interesting obervations about Fiorina worth noting:
Again, I agree with Continetti about all this, but it’s worth adding how much this description of Fiorina’s public persona stands in contrast with Hillary Clinton. While Fiorina is eschewing any attempt at a soft or explicitly feminine image and rising to the top of the GOP field based on sheer conviction and her command of the facts, the New York Times recently ran the deadly headline “Hillary Clinton to Show More Humor and Heart, Aides Say.” Fiorina’s is blowing politicians with decades of experience off the stage discussing foreign policy, and the former Secretary of State is doing fluff interviews on Ellen. Fiorina is deftly parrying grossly sexist attacks so they redound to her advantage, and Hillary Clinton, allegedly a feminist icon, is palling around with Kim Kardashian and calling a woman who’s sex tape might be one of the least meretricious aspects of her career an “inspirational” and “aspirational” figure. (She made those comments during another hard-hitting interview with former Saved By the Bell star Mario Lopez, now the host of Extra.)
But more than that, Fiorina has demonstrated real political skill in that she can convincingly evolve. Earlier in the day, radio host Mark Levin’s new publication, Conservative Review, blasted out an article reminding everyone “news reports say that Carly Fiorina was pro-choice, before becoming pro-life, and she supported fetal research in her 2010 campaign.” Then in tonight’s debate, Carly Fiorina stood up and eviscerated Planned Parenthood with a speech that may be the biggest stand-up-and-cheer moment the oft ignored pro-life movement has had in years. This is certainly a contrast with the rabidly pro-choice Clinton, but it might be more instructive to compare it to the last GOP presidential candidate’s evolution on abortion. I don’t doubt that Romney had a sincere conversion when he went from pro-Roe v. Wade to pro-life, but his explanation for how that happened was decidedly low energy, to borrow the insult du jour.
Considering Fiorina has only run for office once unsuccessfully, she’s demonstrating an astonishing ability to grow, adapt, and persuade. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, just can’t seem to convince voters that she’s “likable enough” after decades at the forefront of national politics, to say nothing of whether voters believe she’s “entirely committed to telling you what she’s thinking.”
Now Fiorina is an unconventional candidate in a lot of ways, and unlike Clinton, she certainly lacks the resume that one would think is necessary to be president. But fed-up GOP voters seem incined to rewrite the rules this year, and if I were working on the Clinton campaign I’d break out in a cold sweat just thinking about the possibility of Clinton and Fiorina having to share a debate stage next October.
