Golden State Showdown

Three-term California Senator Barbara Boxer debated Republican opponent Carly Fiorina last night. Conservative radio host, Mike Reagan, joined Varney & Co. this morning with his opinion.

“Barbara Boxer talked about how she wants things made in America and the problem is that she wants nothing made in California,” said Reagan. “Texas just took our last car manufacturer. To Texas, why, because of tax breaks, because they are user friendly. We’re not user friendly in the state of California. We’re shipping jobs to Arizona, shipping jobs to Nevada, shipping jobs to Oregon, shipping jobs to Texas.”

For much of the debate, Boxer focused on Fiorina’s record as chief executive at Hewlett-Packard asking Californians if they want to “elect someone who made her name as CEO of Hewlett-Packard, laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it and taking $100 million. I don’t think we need those Wall Street values right now.”

Reagan, however, has a very different view of what California needs. “I hope California wakes up,” said Reagan. “We’re absolutely controlled by the unions in the state of California. We are in trouble in this state. We are going the way of Greece.”

Fiorina responded to the Senator’s attacks saying that Boxer has been ineffective in Washington during her three-terms and has lost touch with the concerns of those in the state. “California has gone so blue it’s almost black. We need to change things here and change them now,” said Mike Reagan. “We can change the governorship all we want but we need to change everybody in the Assembly and everybody in the State Senate. There lies your problem in California.”

The race is heating up. Rasmussen Reports put Boxer ahead of Fiorina 49% to 44% last week. With a race that’s too tough to call just yet, the question is whether Californian’s think former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina is the answer for their state’s troubles. When asked if election were today, would Fiorina beat Boxer? Reagan answered, “God, I would hope so but probably not.”