MEMORANDUM
TO: Interested Parties
FR: Martin Wilson, Campaign Manager, Carly for California
RE: Pick up the phone…California is calling
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I guess it’s not a secret anymore; we’ve got ourselves a little old competitive Senate race here in California. The Field Poll shows Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina in a statistical tie, 47 percent to 44 percent. This represents a 30-point improvement for Carly since Field first matched up the two in March 2009. Most importantly, Carly has closed a 15-point gap since January 2010. Trends are stubborn things, and Barbara Boxer has found out that this trend is not her friend. Looks like Barbara Boxer has earned herself a spot on the endangered politicians list.
The political environmental assessment for Barbara Boxer is bleak. Her job performance ratings are 42 percent/48 percent approve/disapprove in this most recent poll. In previous years when she was running for re-election, Boxer has had a much stronger job performance rating. In August 2004, her job performance was 49 percent/36 percent. In February 2008, her job performance rating was 40 percent/25 percent. Even worse news for Boxer is that 52 percent of voters hold an unfavorable view of her in general. After 34 years in Washington, the people of California have seen enough of Barbara Boxer’s act and are preparing to give her the hook.
Enter Carly Fiorina, Boxer’s most formidable challenger to date. Carly has proven herself to be a tenacious and energetic campaigner who possesses a competitor’s spirit. That’s why it’s no surprise that, even four months before Election Day, she is already well positioned to win in the fall. Carly’s favorable ratings are plus five (34 percent to 29 percent), and she has the support of her own party by an eight-to-one margin. She leads in the traditional Republican strongholds of Southern California, the Central Valley and the rural north. There’s plenty of work for our campaign to do in the next four months to continue introducing her to voters and talking with them about her plan to create jobs and grow our economy, but Carly has come out of a competitive Republican primary with a unified party and an electorate willing to call on someone new to represent them in Washington.
It’s summertime in California, and the glare of the sunshine has finally put the light on Barbara Boxer’s dismal record. Meanwhile, Carly has taken to the road talking to voters about the issues most important to them, and she’s starting to shine. I guess you could say the climate is just right to finally send Barbara Boxer packing.
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