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
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And so it begins, the left's Alinsky rule number whatever – attempt to humiliate, demean, minimize. I believe the actual website is coming, that this is a placeholder until that time. So I will reserve judgment until I see the real thing, as impartial media should also do. Ya listening, CNN?
I thought CA already had a republican governor?
Why are the GOP's on this post talking about how badly CA is being run now?
This embarrassment comes as no surprise to those of us who watched Carly’s shameless campaign of self-promotion while she ran HP into the ground. Only a true narcissist would carry on in this manner after such an embarrassing run on the McCain campaign where she, in so many words, implied she would be better than McCain in running a corporation, ergo, the country…
I love it!!! It's so simple, yet eye catching....and yes it makes sense. I know nothing about this woman, but I like her style. There's somthing to be said for down to earth and uncomplicated!!
Carly Fiorina sounds as clueless as Sarah Palin.
This lady is very smart, personable, and tough. She won't cry over the classless comments of goofballs. Hope she wins!
You go Carly. The old Republicans need some life put back into them. I'm a Texan but I'd vote for you. NO MORE OBAMA TYPES.
It's Tom vs Jerry! It's Wile E. Coyote vs Road Runner! It's Elmer Fudd vs Bugs Bunny!
I' d send Carly a $50.00 campaign donation, but I spent the $50.00 on 15 milliliters of ink for my printer.
Carly has a degree in medieval history; the sophistication of her website captures that period well. It's an embarrassment for California, and an insult to Californians.
Thats a shame that the ones she thought was for her is making it a joke.If someone is acting like that then they really don't have any sense at all. Why worry about somebody else like that. As long as she knows what she's don't all i have to tell her is tell them haters get real and get a life. She's trying to make something of herself and i hope she wins.....
Carly Fiorina did a horrible job running HP, and an even worse job helping Johm McCain.
Carlyfornia dreamin' is Carly Fiorina hallucinatin' big time!
So... is the California Dreaming a Mackenzie Phillips reference? Does carly keep strange company in the sack too?
Fiorina did just as good a job building this site as she did at running HP (into the ground).
Next candidate, please!
You mean Flip-flop like McCain!! McCain sure did a whopper of a flip-flop on the economy now, didn't he? Remember... "The economy is strong?" He said that right before, during and after the economy's meltdown?
Funny how you Republicans have such massive short-term memory loss... I guess that's what makes you and Carlyfornia Dreamin' the kings and queens of STOOPID!
This isn't an issue of politics. This is a matter of professionalism. And I do not think Carly accomplished good exposure because:
1. The web site does not have her full name on the web site. Carly – OK, Carly who? Is that her first name or last name?
2. The web site only shows her picture for 1 second in a 32×32 thumbnail as part of a montage. So she does not accomplish any face recognition... even from her own web site.
3. I've seen web sites setup for completely fictional candidates be more convincing that they are not only real, but the best person for the job!
Republicans are right to distance themselves from someone who is clearly unqualified.
Carly Fiorina is the sort of entitled narcissistic corporate CEO douche bag who have given American capitalism a bad name.
You want a talking point? Carly Fiorino sent thousands of US Tech Sector job to India when she ran Hewlitt-Packard. In response to her sending the jobs off-shore Ms. Fiorino said, "There is no job that is America's God-given right anymore."
That's Republican care of the middle-class for you.
I thought her running for governor was actually a joke. You mean she's serious?
This is wonderful. This proves that Senator Boxer can relax and be assured of reelection despite all the despicable California Republicans do. Carly Fiorina is a lightweight. That's why she got fired. Don't feel bad for her though, she can always go clean houses after she loses her large fortune on this campaign.
This is silly... she failed in the corporate world... and has now decided to try her hand at politics... something she couldn't be bothered with before.... the women voted something like twice in the last 18 years.
More like Carley come lately.
She ran HP into the ground .. Dig deeper Carly. Good luck California!!
This woman ran Hewlett Packard into the ground as CEO. It took her getting fired and new management to get it back to profitability and new vision.
She also ran John McCain's presidential campaign into the toilet.
Who REALLY thinks this WOMAN can run her own CAMPAIGN.
She's as SLIMY as Kathleen Sebilius and twice as cunning!
Snakes both of them, -really.
As a former HP employee, I witnessed Carly screw up a great company. It's gonna be fun to watch her self destruct with her cutesy ideas. I would rather have Arnold another four years than see Carly in office.
Oh come on, compared to how she ran HP the site is hardly worth commenting on. If she is elected she will negotiate a merger of California with Nevada and the synergies created will drive an economic boom not seen since the gold rush, or both states will go bankrupt.
What a loser. We Californians will never elect this lady to anything, Sen. Boxer will be re-elected by an overwhelming margin.
Facts are that Carly and Sarah are proven failures and quitters, who share a common uncanny attribute of pulling the sexism card to deflect from their gross incompetence. But they know how to dress and self promote. You betcha
Having worked at HP BC (Before Carly) and as a consultant DC (During Carly) I can personally attest to the severe drop in morale during her regime. Google it up and you will find stories of employees (both Republican and Democrats, I'm sure) dancing on their desks when she was fired.
As a partially objective Canadian who tends to vote Conservative, I have to shake my head at the knee jerk defence of Carly by Republicans, without regard to actual facts and reality.
Republicans need to literally smarten up and find intelligent people to lead, instead of defending and propping up obvious morons (Bush, Palin, Fiorina).
Good luck, you'll need it.