Former Hewlett Packard Executive Carly Fiorina brought her presidential campaign to the Tassel Ridge winery near Oskaloosa last night.
It’s part of a four day campaign swing through the state.
About seventy people showed up to hear Fiorina distinguish herself from what she calls the professional politicians she’s running against.
She gives a hard-hitting conservative stump speech. She looks ahead to fighting the likely Democratic opponent.
“If we want to win we have to throw every punch at Hillary Clinton,” Fiorina says.
Small business owner James Huyser of Pella wants to see the two women debate.
“I’d love it,” Huyser says. “I would love it.”
Fiorina spoke against a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, except, she says, perhaps for their children. She says everything about her sets her apart from the rest of the field.
“My resume is different, my experience is different, my tone is different,” Fiorina says. “And by the way I look different.”
Fiorina may not appear on stage for the first televised Republican presidential debate next month. She says that’s out of her control.
“What I can control is to work as hard as possible to make sure people know me,” Fiorina says.
Melissa Schuerer of Amana got her first look at Fiorina.
“I loved her ideas, and her demeanor,” Schuerer says. “Everything about her was a surprise to me because I didn’t know anything about her before.”
Fiorina names former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a role model.
She takes her campaign today to Marshalltown, Webster City, Fort Dodge, and Ames.
