The GOP presidential field got more diverse Monday with the additions of Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina — candidacies who Republicans say could help their party shed its image as a bastion for old white men.
Mr. Carson, a black retired neurosurgeon, and Mrs. Fiorina, a former Hewlett Packard CEO who was once billed as the most powerful woman in business, join a trio of senators, two of them the sons of Cuban immigrants, in what is shaping up to be a wide-open nomination fight.
The field is expected to expand again on Tuesday when former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist preacher and talk show host, launches his second bid for the White House.
“Yes, I am running for president,” Mrs. Fiorina said in an appearance on ABC’s “Good Morning America” program. “I think I’m the best person for the job because I understand how the economy actually works.”
Though her announcement had been expected soon, the exact timing was a surprise — and it intruded on Mr. Carson, who had long planned his Monday entry into the race with an official kickoff in Detroit, where he cast himself as a Washington outsider.
“I think it is time for the people to rise up and take the government back,” Mr. Carson said.
Mr. Carson, a Detroit native, said that he is not — and probably will not be — “politically correct” because “I’m not a politician.”
“I don’t want to be a politician, because politicians do what is politically expedient,” he said. “I want to do what is right.”
Mrs. Fiorina, meanwhile, also announced her candidacy via a video in which she said called for an end to identity politics.
“If you believe it is time for citizens to stand up to the political class and say ’enough,’ then join us,” the 60-year-old said in the spot. “It is time for us to empower our citizens, to give them a voice in our government, to come together and fix what has been broken about our politics and our government for too long.”
Whether either is able to get much traction in a GOP field that’s already crowded remains to be seen.
“None of them have much chance at winning the nomination,” said Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. “Fiorina and Carson have no experience winning elections, which really is a historical prerequisite for winning the presidency unless you are a former high-ranking official or general (neither are). Mike Huckabee has a following among evangelical voters, but so do many other candidates, and his economic views are not in line with the supply-side mainstream in the GOP.”
The Center for Politics ranks Mr. Carson and Mr. Huckabee as fourth-tier candidates, describing them as “Evangelical Favorites.” Mrs. Fiorina, who lost her bid to unseat Sen. Barbara Boxer, California Democrat, by 10 points in 2010, ranks among the fifth tier of “Gadflies and Golden Oldies.”
The Real Clear Politics average of national polls shows that Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Carson are running near the middle of the pack. Mrs. Fiorina is running dead last.
Republicans say the good news in the announcements is that Mr. Carson and Mrs. Fiorina could help broaden the GOP’s appeal with minorities and women — groups that were a key part of President Obama’s winning coalition in the 2008 and 2012 elections.
“The perception of the Republican Party is that it is for old white men only. And while Fiorina and Dr. Carson are long shots to win the 2016 nomination, they turn that perception on its head and bring much-needed diversity to the GOP primary conversation, particularly when it comes to women’s issues and African-Americans,” said Ford O’Connell, a GOP strategist who worked on Sen. John McCain’s 2008 campaign.
Charlie Gerow, a board member of the American Conservative Union, said Mrs. Fiorina and Mr. Carson “showcase what the liberal media ignores — that the Republican party is much more diverse then a bunch of old white men.”
Mr. Gerow and other Republican strategists also hope Mrs. Fiorina can take on former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, in ways that the male candidates cannot.
“Few can directly challenge and attack Mrs. Clinton in the political arena like Carly will be able to,” said Saul Anuzis, former head of the Michigan GOP. “With Fiorina in the race, Republicans exhibit a diversity of backgrounds that we haven’t seen in our history. We can honestly stand up and say we are the party of diversity and ideas.”
Democrats doubted either Mr. Carson or Mrs. Fiorina would be successful.
“Whether it’s Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina or any of the other Republicans hoping to win their party’s nomination, it’s clear they have no real intention of broadening the GOP tent,” said Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Holly Shulman, who said the problem is Republicans’ “failed” economic policies.
Already in the race are Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida — the latter two of Cuban descent.
A host of current and former governors are still weighing bids, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former New York Gov. George Pataki, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is the son of immigrants from India.
Sen. Lindsey Graham and former Sen. Rick Santorum are also both considering entering the race.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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