After all, feminism is a word that could apply to most Americans. A March Vox poll found 78 percent of Americans believe in the "social, political, legal and economic equality of the sexes," yet only 18 percent consider themselves feminists. For a large number of Americans, it seems, the word is unwelcoming, not the concept. Part of that is political -- a 2013 Huffington Post-YouGov poll found Democrats were more likely than Republicans to consider themselves feminists -- but there's also concern the word is extreme, and something that pits women against men, as we've seen from some of the answers female pop stars and actresses have given when asked if they're feminists.
Fiorina's definition of a feminist is "a woman who lives the life she chooses." It's a more nonpartisan definition -- liberals would say a watered-down one -- and might be more welcoming at a time when a majority don't identify with the word but believe in equality for women.
