WASHINGTON (CNN) – As former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina prepares to enter the 2010 California Senate race on the GOP side, her quirky new Web site is being ridiculed by the online community - and not just by those on the political left.
Republicans are also snickering about her bare-bones site, CarlyforCalifornia.com, which launched Monday and welcomes visitors with an animation describing a potential showdown between Fiorina and Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in curious terms.
"It's Day and Night," the bright red Web site reads. "It's Dogs and Cats. It's Good and Bad. It's Carly vs. Boxer."
After hinting that the Republican's official entry into the race is "coming soon," the animation concludes with a pun: "Carlyfornia dreamin!!!"
The left leaning Huffington Post called the site "really the most insufferable thing she's ever done in her life." Democrats on Twitter bashed the as site "embarrassingly awful" and told Fiorina to scale back her use of exclamation points. And a YouTube video mocking the site has so far eclipsed 15,000 views.
But several Web-savvy Republicans are also taking aim.
"It's the most singularly awful political website I have ever seen, and I am including all the old, basic HTML websites that were the rage 10 years ago," conservative blogger John Hawkins of the site RightWingNews.com said in an e-mail to CNN. "Why not toss in G.I. Joe vs. Cobra, Ninjas vs. Pirates, and Kennedy versus Kruschev if it's going to be a goofy joke? There's very little information on it to appeal to voters."
Blogger Dan Riehl joked about the site's color: "It made me think I had been re-directed to Macy's."
"Wheres the beef?," Riehl asked. "It's not on that Web site ... If I were a high school senior and I designed that Web site, I would be extremely proud."
Several of Fiorina's GOP critics are conservative activists who support her primary opponent, California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, who has carved out a position on the party's right.
Erick Erickson of the influential conservative blog RedState, for instance, is encouraging his readers to donate to DeVore and three other conservative GOP candidates in 2010 Senate primaries around the country. He also criticized Fiorina's site, writing that DeVore has been active on Twitter and Facebook, while Fiorina's site had "non-functional links to both services" when it launched.
But Scott Graves, an Orange County-based conservative blogger and new media consultant, claimed the site's problems are basic. He said it lacks crucial tools that helped the Obama campaign "set a higher standard for features, functionality, design, and the role of community in online initiatives."
Graves called the site "amateur" and said it fails to provide the kind of basic information about the candidate and issues that might make a reader want to get involved with the campaign.
"The fact that this was approved by the communications team, and perhaps the candidate herself, indicates a severe misunderstanding about the direction and role of online political communication," Graves said in an e-mail.
Beth Miller, a spokeswoman for Fiorina, said the new site is "a splash page only and is part of her exploratory effort." Miller did not directly address critics on the right side of the political spectrum.
"We were amused at the frenzy a splash page for an unannounced candidate generated and are appreciative of The Huffington Post and other left wing blogs for driving traffic to the page," she said in an e-mail. "Clearly, Barbara Boxer is vulnerable and the Democrats know it and are worried."
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Palin/Fiorina for 2012!
Ack.
What a surprise! Another daily left-leaning article by CNN. Keep that credibility up! Tune in tommorrow to find out about Limbaughs latest drug prescription and how the President reads bed-time stories to the girls every night.
Are you kidding me?! It's a great idea. It's got everyone talking about her! (!!!)
Is there something in the water or does it just seem like most of the nut jobs are republicans? They can bash the president all they want but it still comes back to all the political crazies in their own party. She may be smart but something happens when they get into politics. They really think this is the stuff we want to see and hear? How insulting can you get. But maybe she is just talking to her party's base. Then I can understand the stupidity.
Carly failed at Lucent, she failed at HP, she failed as a McCain advisor, and now she wants to fail as a senator? Lets hope her record speaks for itself and she never gets the chance to fail as a senator. Even, and I can't believe I am saying this, even Palin would be better at that job.
Fiorina is another overpaid CEO who was rewarded for failure with a 21 million dollar severance package. Her reputation as a brilliant and successful financial leader is a myth.
You know when somebody tries to put their name in the state's name, no matter from which party, they are really just asking to be made fun of.
For all or rather in spite of her education< Carley is the
same kind of moron as Palin, who has no education.
She couldn't get elected the California dog-catcher.
Isn't this the same CEO who drove HP into the ground and left in disgrace? Thought so.
am i the only one who actually likes the site?
regardless, what a fantastic news story to cover. good work CNN!
I went to the site. I would say it is entirely unsubstantial. She does not even give the normal, vague ambiguous positions politicians give. "Vote for Pedro" was more informative. Now that guy had a platform. This lady is saying... well, that she is running against Boxer. I am not sure she has even won the right to say that yet, so the only thing it even implies, is not actually the case?
Anyway, I am on the politcal right, but I am not a hack. Bad is bad... and this is bad in so many ways.
As a feisty, liberal Democrat (who does try to play fair–at least I hope), I say: "Give her a break!"
There are many really tasteless not to mention scary websites out there!
I luv it, did she ask Sarah what to do?
Not a surprise from the lady who almost destroyed HP and actually said none of the presidential candidates could run a company. Does she share the same advisors as Sarah Palin?
A lot of you guys are hacks though. Your criticisms are no more substantial than her ad. JUst quippy cheap shots that have relevance to anything in the article or in her background. Don't get me wrong, there were insight comments, but when all you can do is call all Republicans "terrorists" and add quips like "typical Republican "corny and Clueless" come to mind. This is shameful discourse. You are making such widereaching and stereotyping statements insulting whole groups. If it was witty, or insightful, ok... But that is just not very much fun to read and is not stimulating good conversation.
P.S. Hey Republicans promote fear to win guy, what in the world? Maybe a liuttle over the top with the paranoia? A little pot calling the kettle black as well? Come down off the ledge and back to a society where people don't just throw out hateful speech and yell at each other... OR keep leading the way there...
So Carly ran HP into the ground? How many states have the Democrats run into the ground? California, Illinois, Massachusetts, etc... If Carly truly did run HP into the ground and the shareholders of HP kicked her out, at least they had more sense than the moronic voters who keep putting Democrats in control of these washed up states.
Go, Carly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never mind the DemocRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sweet! There is someone dumber than Sara Pilon, looks like this is the best the GOP has to offer. The said part is that people actually vote for these idiots. Doesn't say much for the GOPer's.
So she was the CEO of HP, one of largest computer companies and makes a joke of a web page. Goes to prove all these corporate CEOs are a joke and not worth the millions they take form their share holders. All they are good for is sending millions of American jobs overseas.
im a republican.
all i gotta say is . . . ummm what? seriously. i dont get it.
"There's very little information on it to appeal to voters."
–Well, duh, She's a Republican!!!!!!! Since when do facts and information matter to Republican voters.
I laugh at all the idiots who say Fiorina has done nothing of note. How many of you became CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Let's also examine who brought California to it's knees. Fix the stupid inane legislative system and maybe things can get done. We've had a Democratic Governor get recalled and a Republican Governor in a headlock with a Democratic Legislature...
This woman had no idea what she was doing at HP, so why in the world does she think she can be a Senator. As a pundit for McCain, she totally messed that up too. Come on Carly, go find a real job that's not above your abilities.
CNN does it again! Run a story about a Republican's web-site that is much to do with nothing on their web sites front page. But nothing about school children singing praises to Obama! You CNN, show your hand every day. Every day I see how you hide anything that is a story, but one that would be negative to the Democrats. You where slow about the ACORN and a no show about Obama's green czar. But this "Republicans" web-site... You should rename yourself to say... the Obama News Network or maybe The Democrat News Network.
Is there anything we can do to just get California to succeed from the Union? I promise nobody would start a Civil War to bring them back.