Thursday, September 18, 2008

Fiorina Fired - For Telling The Truth!

Her caveat didn't work. After suggesting during the course of several interviews that none of the Presidential or Vice Presidential candidates could run a major American business, Carly Fiorina was (ahem) "taken out of circulation". Of course her mistake was including John McCain in that analysis.

Well, she should know for a couple of very good reasons. One, she had been one of McCain's top economic advisers. She was also the failed CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Failed? Yep. She shoved the disastrous merger with Compaq down her board's throat and when it failed she was out. Who would know better who has the know how to run a major American business? And why, since she failed, was she chosen to be an economic adviser in the first place? .

The argument regarding Palin is reminiscent of the same one made when Clinton ran. It was said his executive experience was akin to running a company no larger than Toys R Us. He had, I might add, been Governor of Arkansas a mite bit longer than Ms. Palin has been Governor of Alaska.

She really got in trouble with her caveat by saying, "It's fallacy to suggest that a country is like a company." How so? What part of chief executive expertise does one need the other does not?

I think it's time for especially we women to be careful which of our own gender we choose to lionize. Ms. Palin hasn't been around long enough to have even earned a grade. Hillary did many things but her executive prowess was found to be lacking by her failure to take the reigns of her own campaign.

Ms. Fiorino was iffy at best at Lucent Technologies before she moved on to Hewlett-Packard. When she was fired in 2005 she walked away with a $21 million severance package. $21,000,000!

Is this not the type of "reward for failure" the candidates are now railing about?

Strange. When Hillary was following her dream all those years she tied her coat tails to an immature and undisciplined Bill Clinton because women needed the front man. Now we find John McCain tying his coattails to the "Hi guys and gals" and "First dude" speak inexperienced Governor of Alaska and a failed CEO of a major American business because he needs the "front woman".

Senators are notoriously bad Presidential candidates for the very reason few have any practical business experience in the real world. In John McCain's case, his wife has more than he does!

We've a President now who surrounds himself with yes men. Is McCain just more of the same waiting in the wings? Even his much needed women cannot speak the truth. The choices of Palin and Fiorina have already told me more than I need to know about the judgement of this man. Firing Fiorina for speaking the truth just confirms it.

4 comments:

Linda said...

I didn't think I could be shocked by John McCain but I have been. I can't figure out who he is, certainly not anyone we need for president. I don't know how he can still face the American people. I've lost all respect that I ever had for him.

Sylvia K said...

I feel the same way! Years ago I was a McCain fan, that was years ago and I have become so disgusted with him and his campaign. She should never have been a part of his campaign to begin with, but he doesn't seem to have a lot of judgement these days about anything and talk about a liar!!!
Great post! Give'm hell!

Margie's Musings said...

Agreed....and yet we may get him by default. I was so sure we would get Gore in 2000 and was terribly disappointed to get the brainless president we now have, who has bundled everything he has put his hand to.

Anonymous said...

I'm beginning to think "experience" is just one factor of many. I don't think Obama has the most experience, but I do think he has the temperament and intelligence to grow into a great President.

I'm impressed by the people who were students with him at Harvard Law School who speak of him with respect. Even then, they saw in him something they didn't see in others.

I've mentioned this before, but I think forcing presidential candidates to announce who would be in their cabinets would tell us reams about how they operate.

Would anyone feel reassured if McCain announced tomorrow that Phil Gramm would be his Secretary of the Treasury?