![\"http:\/\/latimesblogs.latimes.com\/photos\/uncategorized\/2008\/07\/07\/mccainandfiorina.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/latimesblogs.latimes.com\/photos\/uncategorized\/2008\/07\/07\/mccainandfiorina.jpg\")
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Former HP executive Carly Fiorina is trying to convince conservative California voters that she is one of them.<\/p>\n
As she seeks the Republic nomination for U.S. Senate, Fiorina is feeling compelled to detail her views on abortion Part of the reason is that, Her The week before that, when asked for an
\nand same-sex marriage as she tries to appeal to the right, according to Times political writer Seema Mehta. [Corrected at 3:53 p.m.:<\/strong> A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that Fiorina was a candidate for governor.]<\/p>\n
\nunlike her primary opponents, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore of Irvine and
\nformer U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell, Fiorina is an unknown political
\nquantity. She has never sought election to public office before now, so
\nshe doesn’t have a paper trail of legislation, statements and votes, Mehta reports from the campaign trial. <\/p>\n
\nprepared speeches and written statements on taxes, federal spending and
\nthe deficit are consistently conservative. But when asked about
\nnon-fiscal issues, she sometimes veers into more moderate territory. She
\nsaid last week that she supported President Obama’s effort to repeal
\n"don’t ask, don’t tell," the policy excluding openly gay individuals
\nfrom military service.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\nassessment of the president’s first year in office, she said that
\nalthough she disagreed with him on the economy and the decision to
\nclose the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, "I agree with many of the
\nthings he’s done. … I think that he is doing everything he can to
\nkeep the nation safe and I applaud him for that." That same
\nweek, a recording emerged of Fiorina praising the Rev. Jesse Jackson
\nand saying that the nation will not be a "truly representative
\ndemocracy" until women make up half or more of elected officials.
\nConservative pundits pounced, and people are still angry.<\/p>\n