Update: McCain has chosen someone from outside Silicon Valley: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
As John McCain prepares to unveil his selection for a running mate today, Mitt Romney seems to be a favorite. But two former Silicon Valley CEOs are also on the short list, and they are both women: Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman. Picking Romney would help McCain solidify his position with the Republican base, but it would also be predictable and boring. Picking a woman with executive experience would show that McCain is as open to change as Barack Obama.
Other women also have a shot at the VP slot, including Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. But if it came down to Fiorina and Whitman, who would make the better Vice President? Both are whip-smart and have managed large organizations. Fiorina, of course, was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard and Whitman was the CEO of eBay.
Both, however, left their CEO posts during troubled times for each company (although Fiorina was forced out, while Whitman stepped down voluntarily after a decade at the helm). Looking at each one’s performance at each company, you’d have to give Whitman the upper hand. The vast majority of her years at Bay were spent overseeing its meteoric rise. (She is also co-chair of McCain’s campaign). But Fiorina (who is the “Victory Chairman” of the RNC) is perhaps more adept at the political arts, and has proven she feels comfortable on the world stage. (Listen to our recent interview with Fiorina—she certainly has a good grasp of the issues that matter to Silicon Valley).
Who would make the best VP—Whitman, Fiorina, or someone else? Who would give McCain the biggest boost at the polls?
The chances of a non-politician woman being selected as the Republican VP are zero. Well, maybe Beyonce has a shot. Otherwise, forget about it.
I’d vote for B. LOL
They’re Republican. It’s like asking if I’d like to be poked with a sharp stick or smacked in the back of the head with it. It’s going to be painful no matter which one I choose.
I joined a group in Facebook after the new VP nomination this morning. It had nearly 5000 members and now it’s gone. Am I missing something? Now the first group that pops up is anti Sarah Palin. What gives?
I vote for whoever the one on the right, she’s not as good looking, but I think she’d be more willing to get nasty.
However, I think the real selection that would help McCain is Gary Coleman.
Holy crap! I’ve been following HP since 2000 and I I have to say that I think Fiorina is not the best solution to VP. She lacks the talent to manage effectively and what may be successful for one company (alcatel-lucent) may not be successful for another (HP-Compaq). Therefore, I am of the opinion that Fiorina, who was ousted in ‘06, would not make a good VP because she is only booksmart. She lacks that ability to keep things rolling as we have seen with Alcatel-Lucent.
Meg Whitman on the other hand, she seems much more likable. eBay was a really awesome place when she had the reins, but I must add, it did stagnate towards the end of her career with eBay. And when I voted for Bush back in ‘04, I did so not because I liked him or thought he was more capable than Kerry, but because I saw that he was smart enough to surround himself with smarter people. For McCain, he’s smart, but to pick Fiorina (who sticks to less innovative methods to achieving her goals) or Whitman (who may only be successful for 4 years), would not be the best way to go. I’m all for running the country like a business, but to hire ex-execs goes beyond the boundary of running the country like a business. In this election, with both Obama and McCain being strong candidates, I may just have to vote for Obama if this is the case.
What are you talking about? She was a brilliant leader and her changes are the reason why HP is now number one PC manufacturer in the World! She got a lot of bad press because she didn’t like the status quo and she ruffled a lot of feathers and implemented a lot of changes. Had she not done that, HP would have been in a position that Sun’s in right now!
As for Alcatel-Lucent, SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT! You don’t know what you’re talking about so quit while you’re ahead, Mr Luu. She took Lucent PUBLIC making it the BIGGEST IPO at that time!!!
Carly Fiorina!!! My husband works for HP. Carly took on a loser Compaq!! What did Carly get 17 MILLION!!.That was just for the merger, and 21.1 MILLION severance. What did the employees get NO RAISES!,NO BONUS, LONGER WORK HOURS FOR 4+ YEARS!! Carly did not turn company around, she outsourced and shipped jobs overseas. Dell shot up because HP customer service and response tanked. she was asked to leave by board, of be fired. Her choice. HP is were it is now because of William Amelio and other former Dell executives. As a rebublican I am sick, that Mcain would have Carly as is financial advisor.
I’m sorry, did you really just say McCain and Obama are both strong candidates?
Every election is more “are-you-shitting-me?!” than the last, and this one takes the cake. The Executive Branch is fucked no matter which one we choose. It’s been said that Obama is the lesser evil; however, between his tax plan and his choice for friend-of-Hollywood Joe Biden, I can’t bring my self to tick him off on the ballot. Thankfully, NV has a “None of the above” option.
“None of the above” is then a vote for McCain. People who say there’s no difference between the two candidates are the same who claimed that there’s no difference between Gore and Bush. Do you seriously want 4 more (at the minimum) years of Bush II?
Go Sarah!!
Excellent point ZT. The other issue is they both have to be stupid as hell. Being a woman and a Republican is like being a black guy and voting for the KKK. Then again they are rich women, and if they or their kids need an abortion, they’ll have no trouble getting them one, so might as well vote for the guy who will put more money in their pocket.
Romney all the way, however, it doesn’t sound like it is going to be him. McCain may have caved to the class-warfare rhetoric the left is dishing like he did when he dumped Phil Graham. I like Whitman and Fiorina, but politicians are uniquely qualified to work in that field. They have to know how to play the game. Things were very, very ugly with the H-P Compaq merger. Whitman, respectfully, inherited a successful business, and it could be said, didn’t leave it in better shape than whey she arrived.
which one is better at shooting their friends in the face?
I wish it was Huckabee and Colbert for President and VP.
Well her real last name isn’t Fiorina, and that might lead to some stuff about her not being open about her true identity and such…I just think that she’d be a bad choice, you have no idea how people can spin stuff. Additionally it is a losing battle, Obama/Biden is going to win.
In western culture when two people get married, the women often decides to take the surname of her husband. Dumbass.
Meg would…:-)
http://www.ShawnDrewry.com
Obama picking Biden was not a change. He picked the old guard. The same old boring liberal who is a spokesman for hair plugs for men. I’ll say it again Boring! I hope McCain picks Palin. It would blow OB and JB away.
I thought this was a tech blog.
News are reporting, there is a high chance it could be Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Don’t both of these CEO’s have lackluster records of running their respective enterprises? What would make them a better choice as VP? McCain must be really hurting on the Economy polls because I can think of a ton of people from the private sector who would bring a better resume than these two.
**** techcrunch selling politics
We all thought it was a tech blog, but since Fiorina was tied to tech, this is somehow claimed as relevant. Blaming a slow Friday news cycle more than I’m blaming lazy reporting or posting on a manufactured situation.
Up next: Who is the better astronaut: Sun Tzu or Glenn Gould? We’ll even give you a poll to choose!
McCain choosing a female VP candidate would significantly hurt Obama. All of those loyal Hilary fans who wanted to see a female president would vote Republican because as they say, “The VP is only a heartbeat away from being President”, (and McCain is old remember).
Right, the only quality women voters care about in a president is whether the candidate has boobs or not. I have news for you. Hilary fans are like her not just because she’s a woman. They like what she stands for, what she has fought for, and what she believes in.
We’ve already tried voting for president based on things other than the candidate’s judgment and competence. It gave us 8 years of the worst president ever. How many of those who voted for Bush because he would be “more fun to have a beer with” ever got to have a beer with him? The answer is a lot fewer than the number of people who died due to his incompetence and terrible judgment.
How about talking about ideas, judgment, policy, political skills and other things that would make someone a good president for a change? We can’t afford to continue putting less thought into choosing the American president than choosing the American Idol.
“…would show that McCain is as open to change as Barack Obama.”
The only thing this shows me is that McCain is being strategic. Regardless of the gender of his VP pick, he is trying to win an election.
McCain has already made his pick – its Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
You were way off
what a curve ball this is.
Are you joking? After what Whitman did to eBay? Have you ever seen this woman speak? Although her public speaking is somewhat more… continuous… than Mr. Bush, her motivational and leadership scores are negative. Seriously though, someone with some charisma and a proven track record of success might be a good idea.
Trend – Well, since we all have to be “politically correct,” Fiorina and Whitman would be fine: a woman for VP.
If you think about it and keeping in mind that VPs don’t do much and are not allowed to have other jobs, either woman would be prevented from screwing up fine technology companies…
Fiorina now is also partly responsible for Revolution Health slow death.
McCain is crazy and whatever his choice for VP is, it would surprise everybody — I even heard on TV that Condoleeza is on the short list!
Joe
pick MEEE.. pick MEE.. I’m right here.. Pick MEEE…
Picking a woman with executive experience would show that McCain is as open to change as Barack Obama.
DEAD WRONG.
“Picking a woman with executive experience would show that McCain is as open to change as Barack Obama.”
That makes no sense. It may be a wise pick and they may be good VP candidates, but it certainly doesn’t mean what you suggest.
Anyone who votes for the oldest man ever to run for president (72 today) who has selected a VP candidate who is 2 years out of being a mayor for some Alaska city is missing some important brain cells. How desparate is McCain?
Come on folks, is it really worth saving your capital gains taxes? I also cannot believe that woman supporters of Clinton are that dumb to validate such an act of desperation by McCain.
Game over.
Go Fiorina, GO!
I voted Palin now that it is public news. Do I win something?
Do any conservatives read techcrunch? Aren’t modern technologies like round globes, child vaccinations, electricity, and computers against some fundamental religious belief?
Yes Vincent, you win the right to go and cry in your room,,,
As I wrote above: “McCain IS crazy and whatever his choice for VP is, it would surprise everybody .”
In about a year, after McCain keels over, we would have as president a white woman with no political experience at all, as opposed to a black man with no political experience at all!!!
Moving to Canada has just become very possible…
P.S. We are all screwed!!!
Joe
What a dumb ass.
damn, with McSame’s age we can’t face the prospect of having Palin become president.
Joe Biden probably can’t wait for his debate… this should be funny…
Absolutely! McCain just shot himself in the foot and both knees… What a clown!
It seems that it is Obama-Biden all the way.
Joe
My vote is for Meg! Other than skype, she did an amazing job at Ebay. It would be refreshing to have someone in the new administration that had real business experience.
The first metric for selecting a VP is their ability to be president. She doesn’t pass. Mcsame made a political move to win the election and shows he puts himself first and not the country!
McCain’s site does not display properly in the Firefox!!!!!!!!
and Sarah Palin won
Yeah.. i noticed it recently.. earlier it used to work fine..
But doesn’t matter.. I am always on my.bo
There are people outside of silicon valley?
The Palin-Biden debate should be fun.
“The first metric for selecting a VP is their ability to be president. She doesn’t pass. Mcsame made a political move to win the election and shows he puts himself first and not the country!”
Glad I’m not the only one thinking about this.
PURE PANDERING.
Sarah Barracuda!!
Nobody can match La Fiorina’s expertise at putting people out of work, combined with her ability to get the HP Board to pay her $21M to go away. That much money is just barely enough for her to get into the Republican club. Sixteen years from now, she’s still be young enough to run against Patrick Kennedy and Chelsea Clinton.
I just got through reading a bunch of democrat talking points in the comments. Are there any original thinkers in the bunch?
i dunno, by original thinkers do you mean only people who agree with you?
Look at Republican blogs, early in the morning everyone hated McCain’s pick, now 6 hours later, everyone thinks she is the best thing since sliced bread. Where are the original thinkers?
Original thinkers do not conform or relate to the environment they operate in. “Republican blogs are also not thinking originally” is a weak argument.
well, fortunately they chose someone deeply qualified instead of one of these two unaccomplished women. phew. Once again, the American political apparatus demonstrates that it focuses primarily on substance and eschews focusing on perception.
Is this a google Keyword game on TechCrunch or is it just me that thinks that an ” IT Blog” is going Political now and not only that, but also shows 1 side who they are for.
To answer your poll, NONE ok? Why don’t you add that as an answer?
Barak Obama Would be my vote, if I could vote
doesn’t matter now does it!
mccain picks gov of alaska!
Sarah Palin, Republican VP Candidate, in Vogue
Obama selects Biden for experience. McCain selects Palin for Hollywood appeal. What a great race!
Eric et al, after the announcement of Palin as GOP VP and the subsequent flurry, we posted a quick survey to find out what everybody thinks:
http://blog.agoracom.com/
Wishing everyone a safe and happy LD long weekend.
Best,
George
Sarah was a great pick and it’s driving the Dems nuts, because with all the talk about experience she actually has more executive experience than Osamo. Osamo showed his true colors by picking a Washington insider who engenders as much excitement as paint dry. Change? please, more of the same.
Osamo should have picked Clinton. If he loses… and it’s ridiculous that this election is this close given the last 8 years, it’s because he lacked judgment and let his over sized ego get in the way. maybe he can drag out those Styrofoam columns for his next book tour “The Audacity of Stupdity”
btw.. Sarah rocks!
Speaking of Chelsea Clinton:
There is bad news about her father.
It is opined that Bill Clinton committed racist hate crimes, and I am not free to say anything further about it.
Respectfully Submitted by Andrew Y. Wang, J.D. Candidate
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
(I can type 90 words per minute, and there are probably thousands of copies on the Internet indicating the content of this post. Moreover, there are innumerable copies in very many countries around the world.)
_________________
“If only it were possible to ban invention that bottled up memories so they never got stale and faded.” Off the top of my head—it came from my Lower Merion High School yearbook.