Carly Fiorina has gotten good reviews for her performance in the undercard debate this past week. As a result, her fundraising is picking up.
But there are two reasons why she still would make a poor nominee for president or vice president.
The first is her complete lack of government experience. Every president from Washington through Obama has had experience in elected office, appointed office, or the military. Fiorina does not. Yes, many people say that they want somebody from outside the Washington establishment, but at some point in the fall of 2016, they will start focusing on issues of basic qualification. In 2014, Pew reported on survey results: "And despite a decline in regard for extensive Washington experience, a presidential candidate who has never held any elected office would have little appeal: 52% say this would make them less likely to vote for a candidate compared with just 9% who say this would increase their likelihood of supporting a candidate."
The second is her business record. As Mitt Romney learned four years ago, candidates who've been corporate executives have to answer for unpopular layoffs. In Fiorina's case, we know exactly how Democrats would attack her on this point, because they've done it before. In her 2010 Senate race, Barbara Boxer ran these ads:
Divided We Stand
New book about the 2020 election.
