ST. PAUL, Minn. – OK, so with the GOP convention ratcheting up, Obama, his Omama and all their ODemocrats may learn for the first time, from me my very own self, what evil lurks.
You know the name Carly Fiorina. Fortune crowned her America’s top businesswoman. She not only has great credits, she also has perfect makeup, good clothes and a great handbag. This nifty-looking blonde was VP of AT&T, launched Lucent (then civilization’s most successful IPO) and went on to become chairwoman/CEO of Hewlett Packard until the board stuck a shiv in her Chanel.
A McCain adviser, she and I had a little talk. Carly said: “With my title as Sen. McCain’s ‘victory chairman,’ I have my own skybox at the convention. Such a skybox is usually filled with the party faithful. However, instead of all devoted Republicans, what you will meet in my individual skybox is many Democrats.”
I stared at her. She was telling me something but, not being overly bright, I just wasn’t sure what.
“And at this moment,” added Carly, “Nobody – but you – knows this.”
For some reason – lack of time, lack of a proper spot to get together quickly, lack of I don’t exactly know what – this hastily put-together meeting was in a small car. A moving car. She had a driver. It was Carly, a staffer, me in the middle scrunched up tight with pad and pencil, jammed into the back seat. Driving around the streets.
“Look, in terms of Democratic women, there’s an intensity of feeling that the party passed them over. I’ve not been politically active before. Never had an affiliation before. Didn’t even know the key issues. But John McCain asked me to reach out because I can talk about economy and I can talk about women’s issues, so I got involved.
“I’m meeting with these women everywhere – Colorado, Ohio, Nevada, Scranton, Penn., where Joe Biden‘s so big. Every important swing state, every place where Hillary ran big. Not New York because we may not win New York.
“These women are right now being told, ‘The party doesn’t own your vote.’
“And because of what happened to me at Hewlett Packard, women empathize with me the same way they empathize with Hillary. We’re both fighters.”
So, Carly, about these women you’re reaching out to. They’re not Republicans you’re massing for McCain? They’re all Democrats?
“Yes. I’m a primary advocate, but a very public spokesperson in getting new votes. Pulling Democratic women’s votes into the Republican fold. I am infiltrating the Democratic Party. Going behind the lines. However, I’m not an enemy. I’m helping them. They’re welcoming me, delighted to learn about issues that concern women. Especially the economy. After all, women start small businesses. And, don’t forget, we women are the majority.”
So Hillary knows this?
“I’m not sure I know that answer. I can’t say whether Hillary knows or not.”
As much as I could squiggle around in my tiny space to face her, I did. “So, basically, what are you saying?” I asked.
“Look, put it this way. Hillary’s people are working with me. My people are meeting with Democratic activists, Hillary activists, party activists who have been in her campaign. We’re going to places where Hillary won handily. Specifically targeting those areas. And before Obama’s expected bounce from the Democratic convention, you’ll notice John McCain‘s numbers were creeping up.
“That was all because of us. What we’re doing. The inroads he’s making are with Democratic women. It’s grass-roots. We’re connecting with the undecideds. We began to reach out as soon as Hillary lost.”
So, Carly, hon, does Hillary know or not?
Carly Fiorina’s diamond and pearl earrings bobbled as she turned head-on to me. “People very very close to Hillary are heavily involved in this operation. And I just had lunch with a huge Hillary supporter who’s onboard.”
And how might she and this team plan to handle the Republican candidate’s biggest hurdle with women – abortion.
“Abortion is a scare tactic. The Democratic Party has used Roe v. Wade to hold women hostage. There are many issues concerning women that must also be addressed – security, education, health care. We have to help them get over this hurdle.
“We’re co-opting Democratic operatives who will not be turning out votes for Obama. The Democrats will realize how effective we were the day after the election. And lots of the big-time organizing and heavy-duty financing for our singular effort has come through the fine hand of people very well known to Mrs. Clinton.”
Carly Fiorina’s consorting with the enemy is somehow gaining members. One particular ladies lunch in Denver had hundreds of women. I was allowed to attend. I was not allowed to write about it.
Sarah Palin, Carly Fiorina . . . Camp McCain is clearly staking out the female vote.