Ex-CEO says voters will cross lines for McCain

WILKES-BARRE – Carly Fiorina believes Sen. John McCain is the best choice to be the next president of the United States, and Monday she said voters will cross party lines to choose who is best for the country.

Fiorina, the ousted chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard, signed on with the McCain campaign 18 months ago and is one of the few surrogates who is not a politician. She did not dismiss, however, the possibility that she could hold a position in the McCain administration should the presumptive Republican nominee defeat Sen. Barack Obama in November.

“I guess it’s a possibility,” Fiorina said. “But I would be doing this anyway because I feel John McCain will make a great president. He is one of the most authentic leaders I have ever seen.”

She was forced out by the Hewlett-Packard board two years ago after months of infighting. Fiorina was scheduled to meet with several people Monday – including a few Democrats – who she says believe this election is more important than any political party.

“John McCain has stood up against his party and his president,” Fiorina said. “There is a hunger now in this country for a leader – a president – who is clearly bi-partisan, a leader who will reach across the aisle to solve problems.”

Fiorina was the guest of Jamie Brazil, a longtime friend of the Rodham family and a staunch supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, who lost her bid for the Democratic nomination to Obama. Brazil is serving as national director of Citizens for McCain.

“It’s my goal in this position to target Independents and Democrats to vote for John McCain,” Brazil said. “First, I have a personal reason to support Sen. McCain -- my dad was a prisoner of war like McCain. Second, like Sen. Clinton, McCain has worked across the aisle to get things done and that’s what we need.”

Fiorina said she has met with many Democrats who were strong supporters of Clinton who are now supporting McCain.

“Most of the Democrats I have talked to feel that Obama’s positions would move the country too far to the left,” Fiorina said.

“People look at this race and they realize that whoever gets this job will have a tough road ahead,” she said. “The economy is bad and there are crises all over the world. When they look at Obama’s resume, they just don’t see the qualifications there.”

Fiorina said recent polls show the race is close and attempts to link McCain to President Bush are unfair.

“John McCain is not George Bush, and I think Americans are smart enough to see that,” Fiorina said. Fiorina said McCain advocated “more boots on the ground” in Iraq long before Bush agreed.

She called Obama “a rock star,” noting that McCain could never fill a stadium with 75,000 people. “I don’t think it’s proven that fans become voters,” she said.

Fiorina said McCain can win Northeastern Pennsylvania and the state, which is critical for him to win the election. Many women that supported Clinton are now being courted by both candidates.

“Women make up 52 percent of the voting public,” she said. “That’s not a constituency; that’s a majority.”