By: Holly Robichaud, June 1, 2015

She went boldly where no man dared to go.

GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina ambushed front-runner Hillary Clinton in South Carolina, grabbing all the headlines and positioning herself as the alternative to the 2008 Democrat retread.

“The American people will not elect a woman who cannot answer for her record, who cannot explain her positions or who refuses to answer basic questions. The American people are tired of the political games that the Clintons have played for too long. The American people are ready to reclaim their government from the professional political class,” said Fiorina.

Fearless Fiorina is focused like a laser beam on the woman Republicans must beat in 2016. Who better to battle Hillary than a successful, accomplished GOP woman?

In order for Republicans to win back the White House, we need strong support among female voters. Carly’s candidacy steals the basic premise behind Hillary’s candidacy of being the first woman president along with her target market — women voters. The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard not only was a real glass-ceiling breaker, but she is also a breast cancer survivor.

Without fear of Clinton playing the victim card, Carly can call out Hillary on the email scandal, Benghazi and the unethical selling of her position as secretary of state. There will be no crying in politics like Hillary did in 2008 to gain sympathy before the New Hampshire primary or complaining a man stepped into her personal space as she did in the race for the New York U.S. Senate seat.

Since announcing for the presidency, Fiorina has differentiated herself from Clinton rather than the crowded field of Republican men running. For example, while the former first lady plays a game of hide-and-seek from the press to avoid questions on the multiple controversies, Fiorina has been direct. Fearless has answered 314 more press questions than Hillary and happily acknowledges the difference.

While initial polling numbers have Carly lagging behind, she should not be underestimated. Fiorina began her career as a secretary and 15 years later she was leading Lucent Technologies. Fiorina went on to become the first woman to lead a Fortune 50 business. That takes intelligence, determination and a strong work ethic, not a last name.

Fiorina has a real shot at being the nominee. If Carly continues to hit home runs like the South Carolina ambush, her support will grow not only among women but also male voters who want a GOP nominee with the courage to take on Hillary.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion...at_gop_needs_to