May 28, 2015

Margaret Hoover tried to put a positive spin on Carly Fiorina's train wreck of a presidential campaign on this on this Thurdsay's New Day on CNN. As we've already discussed here, it's obvious why the RNC wanted Fiorina to get into the race. They're foolish enough to believe that her being a woman is going to somehow neutralize Hillary Clinton's "gender card."

After playing some footage from this week where Fiorina's anti-Hillary stunt backfired on her with the press, John Avlon explained why that should come as a surprise to no one. The only reason Reince Priebus wanted her in this campaign is troll Hillary Clinton.

Hoover pushed back at first, and then decided to embrace his criticism, calling what Fiorina is doing "a positive contribution to America." Sure it is Margaret.

Transcript via CNN:

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about Carly Fiorina. She was in South Carolina yesterday, and she is comparing herself -- I mean, she's sort of putting it out to voters that, you know, "I'm the other woman in the race. You don't have to choose Hillary Clinton if that's what you're voting on." So supporters surrounded her yesterday.

And they suggested that she was following Mrs. Clinton around, because Hillary Clinton was also in South Carolina. And Carly Fiorina got a little testy about that. So here's her response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I planned this trip many, many, many weeks ago. So perhaps she's following me. I have never been following Mrs. Clinton.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Perhaps she's following me.

AVLON: Yes, that's weird.

HOOVER: The candidates are going to crisscross paths across the country all the time. She very likely had her trip to South Carolina already planned. Maybe they didn't realize.

And then when the Greenville paper said that Hillary Clinton's going to be at this place, she clearly went in front of that hotel to do a press conference.

And by the way, how smart. There she is taking questions that Hillary Clinton won't take. That is Carly -- if that is Carly Fiorina's only contribution to this race, that she's going to take questions and put a spotlight on the questions that Hillary Clinton is not answering. Why did you support the Russian reset? Why did you call Assad a positive reformer? Why won't you talk about human rights when you're in China? You have a record as secretary of state to defend. Why aren't you talking about it?

AVLON: OK. So...

HOOVER: That is a contribution.

AVLON: So that is a contribution to take questions and those are all great points my bride just made.

But here's the thing: what Carly Fiorina really is doing with her campaign, as she e-mailed reporters, is she is trying to criticize Hillary Clinton and in sort of agreed-upon role with the RNC, because the men in the race are reluctant to do so for fear of being called sexist. So what you have is somebody following Hillary Clinton around in this case, and it is a trolling strategy.

HOOVER: That's not true.

AVLON: Let's be real. It is a trolling strategy.

CUOMO: You're sexist. You're sexist for saying that.

CAMEROTA: Is this a real sort of agreement that men are not going to go after Hillary Clinton?

AVLON: I think there's deep discomfort, because it's very obvious to see how that could backfire. But Carly Fiorina's role as the only woman in the race so far has been the self-appointed Hillary hitter. That has been the role. And following her around has a creepy quality. But the whole communications strategy can't simply be sort of attack Hillary, attack Hillary on behalf of RNC.

CUOMO: The other guys have attacked Hillary also.

AVLON: But not with a -- not with a single minded sense of purpose designed to get attention.

HOOVER: Let's be very clear: She knows full well that that's her contribution.

AVLON: Yes, that's what I just said.

HOOVER: She knows that the white guys in the race shouldn't be attacking her, because they're going to be called sexist. And she can. By the way, you're saying it's as though it's a pejorative. That is a positive contribution to America.

CUOMO: Why only the white guys? Ben Carson, he's allowed to attack Hillary and the white guys aren't?

HOOVER: I'm sorry.

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Wow. OK. The Hoovalon's on fire. Margaret, John, take care.

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