4 Times Carly Fiorina Sounded Like A Feminist

As the presidential campaign season chugs along, and the candidates on both sides of the aisle try to win over voters ahead of primary season, Republican Carly Fiorina has portrayed herself as a feminist candidate — who's not Hillary Clinton. It's a familiar tactic for Fiorina, who went so far as to launch a "Ready to Beat Hillary" website, making it clear the two have little in common other than the fact that they're both female. At an event in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Time magazine reported, she took the "I'm a woman candidate" strategy a step further, drawing the attention away from Clinton and focusing on a concept that most politicians avoid mentioning: Telling an audience her thoughts on feminism, Fiorina sounded like a feminist.

Fiorina said what started out as "a rallying cry to empower women" has been corrupted by politicians on the left "and used as a political weapon to win elections," according to Time. To Fiorina, the definition of a feminist is fairly straightforward, she said: "A feminist is a woman who lives the life she chooses. ... She may choose to become a CEO, or run for president." She apparently did not mention her thoughts on whether men can also be feminists, but it's not the first time Fiorina has pushed back against what she sees as sexist stereotypes.

She Called Out Katie Couric

Shortly after she announced her presidential campaign, Fiorina spoke with Katie Couric on Yahoo News. Couric asked Fiorina if she was actually running for the No. 2 spot on the ticket, to be another (presumably male) candidate's vice president. "Oh Katie," Fiorina said, "Would you ask a male candidate that question?" In fairness to Couric, Time notes the veep question was asked repeatedly of John Edwards 2004 and Bill Richardson in 2008.

She Shot Down The Idea Of "Women's Issues"

When she spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference last year, Fiorina attacked the idea of a GOP war on women and reiterated her position as anti-abortion. But in the same speech, Fiorina made what sounded like a pitch for equality. "All issues are women’s issues," she said. "We are half of this great nation."

She Refused To Talk About Nail Polish

When she attended a Washington D.C. breakfast event back in April, a (male) reporter remarked to Fiorina "I never met a presidential candidate with pink nail polish on." Rather than confront the reporter for his sexist remark, Fiorina kept the discussion focused on issues. After the event, Fiorina explained to another reporter why she did not take the nail polish bait.

I’ve been dealing with it all my life … sometimes you choose to confront, and sometimes you choose to ignore it and just keep going.

She Doesn't Like When You Call Her Husband A "Stay-At-Home" Spouse

According to The Washington Post, Fiorina's second husband Frank retired in his 40s to support her career. But in her book, she said calling him "stay-at-home" was incorrect and "dismissed Frank's own career and contributions to our family and the community."

Whether or not you agree with Fiorina's politics, it's clear she has a firm grasp on what she believes feminism should be. Whether or not her ideas resonate with enough voters, male and female is the real question.

Images: Getty Images (3); YahooNews (1)