Carly Fiorina Launches One Attack Site, Is Target of Another

Put this one in the "hoist with her own petard" category: in the same week that Republican gubernatorial senatorial candidate (and former H-P CEO) Carly Fiorina launches an attack site against party rival Tom Campbell ("a.k.a. Taxin' Tom"), state Democrats put her squarely in their cross-hairs with an online hit-job of their own.

Fiorina's FCINO.com ("Fiscal Conservatives In Name Only") takes Campbell to task over the mortal sin of increasing taxes, featuring a very exciting wolf-in-sheep's-clothing video that includes the Robot Sheep Of Doom shown in the accompanying image (full video clip below).

The site's basically a one-pager, with a brief summary of the charges against the accused along with the clever extra of a "Report a [FCINO] Sighting"] button, of course matched with an equally prominent donations button.

And while the Democrats' anti-Fiorina site plays off her campaign graphics on the visual side, it has even more fun with her name:

Welcome to CarlyFailorina.com. A site devoted to the 19th Worst CEO of All-Time.

Carly Fiorina likes to say that she'll run things the way she ran her business. And we believe her. As California's next Senator she would undoubtedly run government the way she ran one of our state's biggest companies: right into the ground.

Zang! Of course you can read through the site for a complete listing of Ms. Failorina's shortcomings in detail, and don't forget to submit your own suggestions. The site's more built-out than FCINO.com, but it does have some flaws -- it's way too wide for a lot of monitors (another way in which it mirrors Fiorina's site, BTW), and it buries the social networking buttons on an interior page. But like its Republican-infighting comrade, it's a fun and effective way to make a political attack.

Will either site be seen? These are probably more targeted at journalists, bloggers, political activists and others in the chattering class than at the general public, but who knows how broadly they'll resonate -- if I were in charge of either, I'd be running Google Ads pointing right at 'em.

Want more online negativity? Check out Nancy Scola's review of a new Marc Rubio site that takes on Charlie Crist's Hug of Destiny. But for now, back to the Robot Death Sheep:

Thanks to my new NMS colleague Brian Devine for passing these along.

– cpd

Cross-published from Epolitics.com

 

Follow Colin Delany on Twitter: www.twitter.com/epolitics

Comments

[joyce2]

02:04 PM on 02/05/2010

Isn't anyone and everyone sick of attack ad's like Carly's At least Campbell tried to help get California out of trouble Carly ran HP into the ground and I think it is great that they support Boxer.Seem­s she is really the wolf in sheep's clothing,j­ust like brown in PA ran around in someone else's pick up to make himself look like an everyman LOL It worked there but we shall see what happens.Th­e Republican­s in congress say they want to help this country get back on a solid footing but what they do and say behind the scenes show they want anything but that.I think if someone puts up and ad like this the opposition should be able to use the same in say Carly's name.Why can't we just have decent elections instead of all the attacks that are out there

[PhilTListener]

07:18 AM on 02/04/2010

Your first paragraph states that Carly is a gubernator­ial candidate.
I believe Ms. Fiorina is running for senator.

That other female ex-CEO is running for governor.

[Colin Delany]

03:19 PM on 02/04/2010

Hi Phil, thanks for spotting that! Will fix it right away.

[Neva Reece]

01:02 AM on 02/04/2010

Comic genius - are you sure Carly is meant to be a serious candidate?­?

[sociocanuck]

12:21 AM on 02/04/2010

Dear Mr. Delany, RE: "Robot Death Sheep".

Can I borrow that name for my planned Thrash Metal band, or would you claim royalties? ;)

[Colin Delany]

03:20 PM on 02/04/2010

Wow, hadn't thought about that. You can use it, but only if I get to play bass...

[Professorofdesire]

07:07 PM on 02/04/2010

Bass? You want to be a fish? How long can you hold your breath?