
If you Google search the name Carly Fiorina, the very first thing that comes up is “Carly Fiorina smile.” Not her policies, her platform, or her plans. Her smile.
Fiorina’s critics have certainly not pulled punches on her appearance since she has begun her run for presidency. “Look at that face!” Donald Trump exclaimed at a conference table with his staff. “Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!” More recently, the women on the View weighed in on her looks as well. Last Thursday, host Michelle Williams commented that Fiorina’s face is “demented,” and co-host Joy Behar agreed, saying that “I wish it was a Halloween mask. I’d love that.” Whoopi Goldberg, a third co-host of the show, later defended these comments, stating that, “You have to know the difference between when somebody’s coming for you, when somebody is paying you a compliment and when somebody is saying, ‘here’s my observation.’ If you can get that together, maybe you can be president.”
These vicious attacks on personal appearance should have no place in a presidential campaign. When one makes the decision to run for president, of course they open themselves up to criticism. However, the criticism of Fiorina’s looks and her smile have absolutely no bearing on her campaign. Some believe that criticism of Fiorina is the result of an unfair standard for women politicians. “Listen, I love ‘The View,” said CNN’s Brooke Baldwin. “But ladies, come on. Double standard much?” Fiorina agrees with these statements, stating that, “Yeah I think there’s a double standard.”
Journalists should be responsible for reporting what actually matters: a candidate’s policies. That being said, let’s talk about Fiorina’s.
First, let’s talk about social issues. Fiorina is anti-abortion, with exceptions for cases of rape and incest. She does not believe in gay marriage and thinks that the Supreme Court overstepped its bounds in legalizing it. She currently does not have any position available about whether or not she believes it is settled law.
When it comes to gun control, Fiorina is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights. She does not think we should ban assault weapons and believes that some people on the No Fly list should be allowed to have guns.
On the topic of immigration, Fiorina thinks that we should pass the DREAM Act. Though it sounds like something on a syllabus for High School Musical, it is actually an act which would give legal status to people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. What she does not believe in, however, is offering current illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. She has stated that this is “unfair” to those who have immigrated to the United States legally.
As far as health care, Fiorina is in support of repealing Obamacare. She stated in 2014 that it has not lowered the ranks of the uninsured enough, which has led to increased costs. She opposes any government run health care and thinks that instead we should have a competitive insurance market.
One of Fiorina’s most provocative positions is in regards to tax codes. She has proposed that we condense our currently 73,000 page tax code down to three pages. “Three pages is about the maximum that a single business owner or a farmer or just a couple can understand without hiring someone,” she said in the Republican debate hosted by CNBC. Her supporters praise its accessibility, while her critics question how she is going to be able to cut the code in such an extreme measure.
So, like Fiorina’s policies or don’t. Just don’t ask her to smile.