Herman Cain isn’t legitimate presidential candidate
It’s been a good month to be Atlanta’s own Herman Cain.
As May began, Cain was declared the clear winner of South Carolina’s GOP presidential debate. Last week, a Zogby interactive poll of Republican primary voters put Cain in second place, behind only New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who isn’t even running. And at the Georgia Republican Convention in Macon over the weekend, Cain basked in cheers and standing ovations that dwarfed those drawn by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
But for all the fervor, let’s be honest: Cain is not a legitimate candidate for president.
That doesn’t mean Cain should be dismissed or ignored. Quite the contrary; he’s important because he is giving voice to the fears and resentment of millions of Americans who see this country and their place in it diminished by powers beyond their control. His support is drawn from the same part of the GOP base that once embraced Sarah Palin and, briefly, Donald Trump. Like Palin and Trump, Cain may not be well-versed on policy, but he knows what he knows, and he’s willing to put it bluntly:
“The objective of the liberals is to destroy this country,” he told a conservative conference in Washington in February. “The objective of the liberals is to make America mediocre. … That’s their objective. Well, let me tell you something about mediocrity. It’s not in an American’s DNA to be mediocre.”
To Americans worried that their country might be losing its status as an economic and military superpower — a fear that’s all too justified — such words resonate. However, it is not the rhetoric of a man capable of becoming president. It is the rhetoric of a talk-radio host, armed with the one-liners, pat answers and applause lines honed by sitting night after night at the microphone.
As Rush Limbaugh put it after watching the South Carolina debate, “Herman Cain made me think I was listening to me in every answer.”
As his backers are quick to point out, Cain is more than a radio talker. He enjoyed a successful corporate career, rising to CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and serving as chair of the Federal Reserve Board in Kansas City. While that’s impressive, politics and business are very different fields. Michael Jordan was the best basketball player in history, but as athletic as he was, he couldn’t hit a curve ball. At the top echelons of any endeavor, skill sets don’t transfer easily.
Finally, there’s the added dimension of Cain’s race. Conservatives are not merely proud to be seen as supporting a black man for president, some see his race as a club to be used to bludgeon their opponents. Cain understands that aspect of his appeal, and he’s not shy about milking it.
In that February speech, as in many of his speeches, Cain sympathized with fellow conservatives for being “called racist simply because you disagree with the president, who happens to be black.”
“Well, I got a breaking news announcement for you,” Cain told them. “You are not a racist; you are patriots because you’re willing to stand up for what you believe in. Patriots.”
Like Cain, blogger Andrew Breitbart has risen to prominence thanks to a willingness to voice what traditional conservative leaders will not. And he makes no bones about embracing Cain as a way to blow the minds of those who label conservatives as racist. He even envisions Allen West, an extremely conservative black congressman from Florida who also was raised here in Atlanta, as Cain’s 2012 running mate.
“That ticket would blow up the death star of political correctness that the left uses against the right,” he said, and it’s hard to argue that point.
In fact, the only thing more surreal than a black Atlantan heading the GOP ticket would be two black Atlantans heading the GOP ticket.
– Jay Bookman
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1,291 comments Add your comment
USinUK
May 17th, 2011
7:13 am
““The objective of the liberals is to destroy this country,” he told a conservative conference in Washington in February. “The objective of the liberals is to make America mediocre.”
DAMMIT!!! who leaked the memo???!!!
USinUK
May 17th, 2011
7:15 am
oh, and good morning, Jay!!
Jay
May 17th, 2011
7:18 am
Top of the mornin’ to ya, USinUK.
C
May 17th, 2011
7:18 am
So, let’s see if I have this right…If you are from the left, inexperienced in business yet certified in public service from community organization to big city politics, can speak eloquently and surround yourself with PR guru’s who tell you exactly what to say and when, even providing the tele-prompter for the campaign, then you are perfectly capable and a legitimate candidate for president. If you are from the right, a conservative, have actually been a successful business person for say, I don’t know, 20+ years, hold various positions of leadership both in public companies and charitable public endeavors, can speak eloquently without aid, tend to get a little bombastic at idiocy and have a legion of followers from your radio show and various other speaking engagements you’ve commanded over the past decade, then by god you are not worthy – because, you know, you’re not a political insider, who knows how this works…Jay, you are way off base with this. And I’m afraid as the campaign gets heated up through the fall, and winter, you’re going to see that this man connects with quite a few people – both from the far right, and from the middle, independents who are craving a legitimate business savvy, experienced leader, who knows how to fight the fight, and talk the talk, equal to what we know our “speaker – in- chief” will do during his campaign to keep the oval. Plus, the added caveat, it takes the racism claim right off the plate…Just an observation of course, I’d vote for Herman if the man was green, yellow or purple…He has some good ideas, and to suggest he is unworthy of even consideration at this point, is disingenuous at best.
Jay
May 17th, 2011
7:20 am
Time will tell who is right here, C.
I have to say I like my odds.
#1 Foxy Lady
May 17th, 2011
7:23 am
Herman Cain isn’t legitimate presidential candidate
This is just like typical liberals – delegitimizing a black.
Granny Godzilla
May 17th, 2011
7:24 am
“No, I will not [appoint a Muslim to my cabinet]. And here’s why. There is this creeping attempt, there is this attempt to gradually ease Sharia law and the Muslim faith into our government. It does not belong in our government. This is what happened in Europe. And little by little, to try and be politically correct, they made this little change, they made this little change. And now they‘ve got a social problem that they don’t know what to do with hardly.”
Herman Cain
Like we need a paranoid bigot in the oval office.
Ain’t gonna happen.
Doggone/GA
May 17th, 2011
7:25 am
“This is just like typical liberals – delegitimizing a black”
Was Jay delegitimizing a whitie when he criticised Gingrich yesterday?
Mick
May 17th, 2011
7:25 am
**Michael Jordan was the best basketball player in history, but as athletic as he was, he couldn’t hit a curve ball. At the top echelons of any endeavor, skill sets don’t transfer easily.**
Great anology, mr. cain is most likely another flash in the pan…
#1 Foxy Lady
May 17th, 2011
7:27 am
Was Jay delegitimizing a whitie when he criticised Gingrich yesterday?
Well is he black? … well is he? then there you go.
Bud Wiser
May 17th, 2011
7:27 am
Oh yeah, Herman Cain isn’t right because he isn’t chained to the Democrat party like most of his ethnicity.
He actually has a brain and a mind of his own, not some mush-mill stuffed with the continual promise of ‘hope and change’ that is never fulfilled, a belief that something is really being done and not promised, looked at but never seen.
Media stooges are snarling and drooling in the attack mode against Cain, because he doesn’t fit the mold of the perpetually enslaved democrat, just doing your chores and voting like you’re told, and tossed the occasional crumb.
Recon (2nd.and 3rd.)
May 17th, 2011
7:27 am
Good Morning-Jay, I don’t know how you can argue that Cain isn’t a legitimate candidate without acknowledging that Obama wasn’t either based on the inexperience criteria you’re raising. I think being a true political outsider will appeal to voters, particularly in the time we’re in now.
TaxPayer
May 17th, 2011
7:29 am
It looks as though C has a candidate in mind. Go for it.
TaxPayer
May 17th, 2011
7:30 am
I wonder if the racists in the Republican party will vote for Cain. That’ll show those Democrats.
Haywood Jablome
May 17th, 2011
7:31 am
Well Cain be better than a crypto-kenyan-hawaiian-chicago-DC-via-harvard communities a’organizing.
Mick
May 17th, 2011
7:31 am
A little tuesday morning comic diversion-
http://www.credoaction.com/comics/2011/05/the-true-story/
Jay
May 17th, 2011
7:32 am
So all black Americans who don’t agree with you, Bud, are stupid slaves on the Democratic plantation, right? I imagine we’ll be seeing several variations on that theme here today.
And people wonder why so few blacks feel welcome on the right.
Brosephus
May 17th, 2011
7:35 am
In fact, the only thing more surreal than a black Atlantan heading the GOP ticket would be two black Atlantans heading the GOP ticket.
Even Brosephus knows that ain’t about to happen….
Cherokee
May 17th, 2011
7:38 am
“He actually has a brain and a mind of his own”
Not in a thousand years. He’s gotten rich by parroting Boortz.
Southern Comfort
May 17th, 2011
7:38 am
Media stooges are snarling and drooling in the attack mode against Cain, because he doesn’t fit the mold of the perpetually enslaved democrat
Said by the non-Black man who knows nothing about the Black community.
Good Grief
May 17th, 2011
7:42 am
Jay,
What I’m noticing is that people say that this man isn’t sufficiently politically knowledgable, he hasn’t been in the game long enough to know how the political game works, he… wait, those same things could’ve been said about Obama.
By your own logic in your article, though, no one other than a career politician should ever run for high office. I personally believe that a long line of career politicians is what got us into this mess (economy, military, etc.) and I feel fairly confident that another career politician won’t be able to solve it. Or am I missing your point, Jay? I’d really like to know.
To jump on one of the last quotes you have from Mr. Cain, I have personally been called a “racist” because I disagreed with Obama over the health care reform. The person I was discussing with said “You just don’t want to see a black man succeed.” I stopped talking then and there, because it’s hard to debate with those that go straight to name calling. Then again, I’ve also been called “unpatriotic” because I didn’t feel like the government was adept enough to handle health care reform.
Jay
May 17th, 2011
7:43 am
He’s just looking out for you guys, SoCo.
Bosch
May 17th, 2011
7:45 am
USinUK,
We are going to have to revise our secret handshake. It could have been Paul — I knew he was shifty.
And…..Arnold! You naughty boy !!!
Bosch
May 17th, 2011
7:45 am
“He’s just looking out for you guys, SoCo.”
I’ll second that SoCo — cause, you know, you guys are just too stoopid to know who to vote for and all.
Ron
May 17th, 2011
7:46 am
Hmmm… Cain meets all the qualifications of the Constitution and yet is not legitimate? Yet another journalist who pines to make up his own rules along the way for everyone to follow. Must be an arrogant progressive liberal. Fits Obama’s profile completely!
stranger in a strange land
May 17th, 2011
7:48 am
you sure nailed that one Jay – since hope and change is working out so well – certainly no need for someone (be they red, yellow, black, or white) with some actual ideas to be considered.
USinUK
May 17th, 2011
7:49 am
“We are going to have to revise our secret handshake. It could have been Paul — I knew he was shifty.”
seriously! I always thought he was a mole!
Jay
May 17th, 2011
7:49 am
Stranger, what are these “actual ideas” of which you speak?
USinUK
May 17th, 2011
7:51 am
stranger – let’s see … economy improving, Osama dead … yep. you’re right, hope and change IS working out pretty well!
thanks!
Jay
May 17th, 2011
7:53 am
From Cain’s website, here’s his policy prescription for national security, chosen solely because it is listed first:
“The primary duty of the President of the United States is to protect our people. In fact, it is the principal duty of a limited federal government. They must ensure that our military and all of our security agencies are strong and capable.
Unfortunately, national security has become far too politicized with our elected officials using the issue as a means to polarize our country as the “war hawks” and the “peace doves.” In response, the safety and morale of our brave men and women in uniform are often at risk for political gain. The judgment of our military experts on the ground is often underutilized in exchange for political purposes. National security isn’t about politics. It’s about defending America.
While diplomacy is a critical tool in solving the complex security issues we face, it must never compromise military might. Because we are such a free and prosperous people, we are the envy of the world. Many regimes seek to destroy us because they are threatened by our ideals, and they resent our prosperity. We must acknowledge the real and present danger that terrorist nations and organizations pose to our country’s future.
Further, we must stand by our friends and we must not be fooled by our enemies. We should never be deceived by terrorists. They only have one objective, namely, to kill all of us. We must always remain vigilant in dealing with adversaries.
We must support our military with the best training, equipment, technology and infrastructure necessary to keep them in a position to win. We must also provide our men and women in uniform, our veterans and their families with the benefits they deserve for their tremendous sacrifice. These heroes have served us. We must never forget to serve them.”
There’s a lot of hoorah and nice sentiment, but an “actual idea”? Actually, no.
stands for decibels
May 17th, 2011
7:53 am
what are these “actual ideas” of which you speak?
oh, you know, calling liberals poopie-headed America-destroyers. important stuff like that.
Cherokee
May 17th, 2011
7:54 am
“wait, those same things could’ve been said about Obama.”
And have been, ad nauseum.
The difference is, Obama had a coherent strategy and plan and communicated that plan. You may not like it, but a majority of the voters did.
Cain simply repeats tired talking points from talk radio – which will of course appeal to the 10% or so of the population who think that Boortz, Hannity, and Limbaugh can do no wrong.
But it won’t appeal to a majority of Americans, and to the point of the article, Cain won’t be elected President.
stands for decibels
May 17th, 2011
7:54 am
oh, and hi, UnU. Don’t you just love the nuanced, thoughtful analysis of the IMF we’re getting of late from well-informed online conservatives in our midst?
AmVet
May 17th, 2011
7:54 am
I think being a true political outsider will appeal to voters, particularly in the time we’re in now,
I agree, but in and of itself, that fact is fairly meaningless. Didn’t George run as a Washington outsider? And arguably the nation could not have done worse.
Cain will be the new Keyes. He will be proudly trotted around as the token minority GOP candidate. But if you want to see the REAL face of the modern Republican Party, turn that camera around to the audience. I suspect that as is the case almost everywhere, that crowd in Macon was 99.9% white.
And once again, when people hear some of the moronic stuff he has said (hat tip to Granny for one of them) as a rabid, right-wing, talking head, radio putz, he is done before this thing gets started…
carlosgvv
May 17th, 2011
7:54 am
Granny
You will find that many Europeans totally agree with that “paranoid bigot”. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that sometimes they really are out to get you? You are so politically correct that you cannot see the forest for the trees. But, then, you think that 12 million plus illegals in America is a great thing.
Whacks Eloquent
May 17th, 2011
7:59 am
C summed it up pretty well I think.
Let’s face it – liberals will not like Cain and will try to delegitimize him much as the right tried to question Obama’s legitimacy. Cain may not have political office experience, but he also won’t have to deal with idiot birthers either.
For me, I finally, for the first time in my life, see a candidate for President that I can truly and honestly support with no qualms.
How many people really believed Barack Obama would be the Democrat candidate for the 2008 election when it all started 18 months before? No, it was assumed by many to be Hillary’s candidacy to lose and that she did. Just like President Obama, I think that Herman Cain has a chance to take the nation by storm, by talking to them as regular people, not down to them as so many in our elite privileged political class do.
Rck Patel
May 17th, 2011
7:59 am
The most “legitimate”, qualified, interesting & attractive potential Republican nominee is obviously the Alaskan Aphrodite, Gov. Sarah Palin.
ty webb
May 17th, 2011
8:01 am
Jay,
Good job vetting the current GOP candidates. Now if you know any good steakhouses recommended by vegetarians, please feel free to share. Thanks.
stands for decibels
May 17th, 2011
8:01 am
So, let’s see if I have this right…If you are from the left, inexperienced in business
I guess I could ask folks how “experienced in business” were Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford, since a scan of those guys’ CVs reveals pretty much nothing but teat-sucking government work (oh, and a bit of private ambulance-chasing, in Nixon’s case.)
Or I could just remind myself that the blather about how we ought to “run government like a business” generally comes from people who are either a) lying or b) fairly ignorant about how government OR business is generally run.
Bosch
May 17th, 2011
8:03 am
Isnt he like boortz front guy?
Jay
May 17th, 2011
8:03 am
And then there’s this October 2008 column in which Cain embraced TARP, characterizing those who criticized it as “the mainstream media and free-market purists.”
http://004eeb5.netsolhost.com/hc133.htm
“…. the mainstream media and the free market purists want you to believe that this is the end of capitalism as we know it. It is not for several reasons that they have conveniently not explained….
The free market purists’ objection to this is that it smacks at government control of the banking industry, which is called nationalization. They are correct. It smacks, but it is not nationalization because that would require the government to own at least 51 percent of the entity for an indefinite period of time.
The ownership by the taxpayers is going to be relatively small and nowhere near the amount needed to be called nationalization. So what’s the problem?
The problem is economic illiteracy and media incompetence. Some people want to continue to fan the flames of anger and outrage over how we got into this mess in the first place. Anger and outrage will not solve the problem.
Unprecedented problems require unprecedented solutions. The actions by the Treasury are a win-win for the taxpayer. But the mainstream media does not get brownie points for reporting win-win solutions for the taxpayers. Their focus is doom and gloom.
Now don’t tell Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, but if this works, and I believe it will, the Bush Administration will have gotten this one right. “
Of course, Pelosi and Reid weren’t the ones opposing TARP. Nor was the mainstream media. The people who opposed it, the ones whom Cain accused back then of “economic illiteracy,” are the same ones who support him today. But in a talk-radio world, speaking and writing to a talk-radio audience, such things can’t be admitted. In that world, Pelosi, Reid and the mainstream media must somehow be blamed for all things evil.
In order for these collective actions to work, the media needs to calm its crisis rhetoric, and Congress needs to just shut up with its political rhetoric.”
Peadawg
May 17th, 2011
8:04 am
““Well, I got a breaking news announcement for you,” Cain told them. “You are not a racist; you are patriots because you’re willing to stand up for what you believe in. Patriots.””
A-F*CKING-MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
“There’s a lot of hoorah and nice sentiment, but an “actual idea”? Actually, no.” – Sounds a lot like Obama’s campaign speech a few weeks ago on how to cut the debt/deficit, eh?
A Democrat calling someone else out on lack of experience after voting for Obama last year…too funny, Jay. Too funny.
Jay
May 17th, 2011
8:07 am
Peadawg’s reaction is common, I think.
The most important thing they want in a presidential candidate is someone who makes them say “a-blanking-men!” And Cain does that for them.
Irwin M. Fletcher
May 17th, 2011
8:09 am
I demand to see his Long Form Birth Certificate!
jackj
May 17th, 2011
8:09 am
Racism is rampant at the AJC! Just because Cain is black does not mean he is qualified to be president. Shame on AJC.
TaxPayer
May 17th, 2011
8:11 am
Cain is pushing the Fairly Odd Tax so that should drum up another handful of supporters for him.
@@
May 17th, 2011
8:11 am
And a junior senator from Illinois was promoted as what by the media? America’s FIRST BLACK president…no real life experience required…the dem’s sacrificial lamb.
I can recall that when I pointed to his lack of experience, there were those here who said it was his cabinet appointments that would determine his success. Initially, he got two right…maybe three. The jury’s still out on Arne Duncan.
The majority of his cabinet appointees have zero experience in the private sector. It would be interesting to see where Cain would look for his appointees. I’m betting they wouldn’t be government lackeys.
The conservatives I know were Cain fans long before Obama even showed up on the radar.
Whacks Eloquent
May 17th, 2011
8:11 am
Jay at 8:07,
I am pretty sure people won’t be writing songs and sonnets about Herman, even if he does get elected president.
O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma
RB from Gwinnett
May 17th, 2011
8:12 am
I’m sure Herman doesn’t think you’re a legitimate journalist either Jay. And I would guess he really doesn’t care what you think!!
stands for decibels
May 17th, 2011
8:12 am
The most important thing they want in a presidential candidate is someone who makes them say “a-blanking-men!” And Cain does that for them.
to paraphrase Leo Durocher: “They’re nice guys. They’ll finish last.”