Experts Expound

“U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, the Democrat who Republicans love to hate, is up for reelection next year and former HP exec Carla Fiorina is making moves to take her on. How do you assess Fiorina’s chances?”

She’ll crash like an HP computer.

Don’t forget the Devore effort – it is nuclear powered.

Did Fiorina even vote the last time Boxer was on the ballot? Checchi hadn’t voted in either the primary or general for governor the time before he ran, and it was a disqualifier for a lot voters.

Fiorina is one tough lady. The GOP base will embrace her and chuck that other guy in the primary to the curb.

She will be better funded than any Boxer challenger since Herschensohn. She has a shot.

This is a moderate, yet Democratic state, and to be successful, Fiorina will have to distance herself from conservatives in her own party. This means taking on some of the more vocal whack jobs who see themselves as guardians of Republican orthodoxy. Still, the notion that Republicans could be running two dynamic women (Fiorina and Whitman) at the top of their California ticket next year is intriguing, especially if Obama is trending down.

She must first get past Chuck DeVore in the GOP primary, which is no sure thing. If she thinks that a rich moderate is a lock to defeat a conservative, she should have a word with Governor Riordan.

Zero. Fiorina or whoever the nominee is has no chance. To win a Republican primary today, you need to be a borderline psychotic right-winger who hates immigrants, gays, minorities and women. Because if you don’t, the talk radio guys will put your head on a stick.

But if you’re nuts enough to satisfy that narrow extremist constituency, you can’t possibly win California in a general election.

She has an ego that is even larger than Barbara B’s, and that, combined with her hubris, will ensure Boxer gets another term. Lucky us—and I say that as a Dem!

Fiorina could be the first serious challenge that Boxer’s ever had. But abortion’s going to be tough for her to deal with.

Better chance of getting through than Obamas health care reform package has got.

…Obama politics has made (Boxer) vulnerabe to a positive moderate Republican. Unfortunately the state’s demographics make beating her tough.

Hovering just above 0 percent…

Much will depend on how Obama and the economy are doing by this time next year. Fiorina carries considerable baggage herself — she did get fired after all — and will have to spend a ton of money.

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