The Daily Gamecock

Student endorsement: Carly Fiorina

Carly Fiorina's Twitter is very clearly run by her campaign staff. (Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS)
Carly Fiorina's Twitter is very clearly run by her campaign staff. (Richard W. Rodriguez/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS)

Although the South Carolina Republican presidential primary is quickly approaching, far too many college students have lost confidence and interest in our democracy before even casting their first votes. Students have come to expect a government that does not represent them.

Though repairing this relationship will not be simple, I hope that USC students voting in this month’s Republican primary will join me in taking the necessary step of supporting Republicans whose candidacies promise a brighter future for both the Republican Party and for our generation. Most promising, in my opinion, is businesswoman Carly Fiorina, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination whose more positive approach to the race is one of many reasons to support her.

Relying on divisive rhetoric and bigoted declarations may appeal to some voters, but I am confident that these tactics are both wrong and an unsustainable approach to building the future of our party. And though Donald Trump’s attractiveness is often justified in terms of his outsider appeal, those frustrated with politics have a much better option.

Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, is quite the opposite of the career politicians at the source of many frustrations with government. Experience is crucial, however. Fiorina’s work in the private sector alone is valuable, but she has also utilized her expertise by serving as chair of the CIA’s External Advisory Board, for example.

I much prefer a candidate whose experience with a government agency has resulted in increased transparency— instead of an investigation. FBI investigation aside, what has recently troubled me most about Hillary Clinton’s campaign is her supporters' shaming of women who do not support her. Though I am inclined to agree with the message behind Madeleine Albright’s statement, and Gloria Steinem has apologized for implying that young women support Bernie Sanders to attract men, the message that Republican women are betraying their gender will likely continue into the general election.

I, however, look forward to supporting a woman whose gender has shaped the challenges and experiences that have led her to a run for the presidency — instead of relying on the politics of division all too familiar in this election cycle. Steinem may have apologized for her most recent comments, but she has not done the same for labeling Fiorina’s candidacy “bad for feminism.” As I look back on the speech Fiorina gave last year at the College Republican National Committee’s Biennial Convention, I remember her embracing feminism, which was nice to hear. But what resonated even more with me is simply that Fiorina showed up to a gathering of college students.

Fiorina is certainly not the only candidate who has taken the necessary step of reaching out to college students. Indeed, I am pleased by many campaigns’ comprehensive outreach efforts. Likewise, I am not suggesting that Fiorina is my perfect ideological match. But in choosing a candidate for both the primary and general elections, I encourage USC students to join me in voting for the candidate who not only listens to the challenges we face, but who also presents the best opportunity for a chance to overcome them and, in turn, create a better future for ourselves and our country.


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