Herman Cain gets some love from the national political press
The announcement last week that Atlanta’s own Herman Cain was launching an exploratory committee for a presidential run in 2012 may not have landed him in the pole position on pundits’ lists. But neither has Cain gone unnoticed by the national media.
The Atlantic magazine’s March issue includes a profile of Cain that is available online now. The author, Joshua Green, then dug up and posted a copy of Cain’s 1994 exchange with Bill Clinton, who was then promoting his own ill-fated health-care reform. I’m including it here:
As Green notes about the exchange,
[T]his strikes me as an enormously valuable thing for someone seeking GOP support in 2011, since health care will be a central issue in the Republican primaries. Today, every Republican is critical of the Democratic health care plan. But Cain was fighting the Democratic health care plan 17 years ago! That counts for a lot. Especially when the presumed GOP favorite, Mitt Romney, was, at that very same time, doing his best to outflank Ted Kennedy to the left on the question of who was more vehemently pro choice. (Italics and links original)
Another national magazine, National Review, published a story about Cain online last week as well — this one a longer, Q&A piece by Jim Geraghty. I thought there were two key passages regarding the obstacles to Cain’s becoming a serious player in the GOP primary race. First, about his lack of political experience:
The other response to when people say, “You’ve never held public office,” is, “That’s true. Most of the people in Washington, D.C., have held public office before. How’s that working out for you?” The answer is, we have a mess. The biggest thing that we lack is leadership. My record in business speaks for itself when it comes to my ability to identify real problems and make sure that we have the right people in place who understand how to address them.
And second, about whether he can raise enough money to raise his profile and be truly competitive:
The first criterion is whether or not I can be competitive in raising money, because, as you know, campaigns don’t run on air. The initial response has been fantastic — and not just what we’ve seen in the last two days. When I’ve traveled around, speaking to different groups, people have pledged their support, and as soon as I was ready and set up to accept funds, they were ready to write checks and reach out to others to write checks. That has exceeded expectations.
We don’t have to raise the most money. I don’t believe that, in order to win the presidency, we’re going to have to raise $750 million. That’s obscene. But we will raise enough to be competitive.
Jumping into the race so early may give him a better shot at hitting his fund-raising goals, and doing so now, before the field has begun to take shape, arguably makes it easier for him to get earned — that is, free — media exposure. How far he will make it is anyone’s guess. But with Newt Gingrich expected to form his own exploratory committee in the next couple of months, next year’s presidential race will have more of a local flavor than usual.
(Full disclosure: Herman Cain is host of a radio show on 750 AM and now 95.5 FM News Talk WSB, a corporate sibling of the AJC.)
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72 comments Add your comment
Gary
January 19th, 2011
6:51 am
I hope you run Herman.
Toby
January 19th, 2011
7:07 am
It’s not “anyone’s guess” how far he goes, he goes nowhere.
Ashlee
January 19th, 2011
7:15 am
Run Herman Run!
Will
January 19th, 2011
7:28 am
As a person is leans leftward, I am hoping and praying republicans like Cain, Palin, Spence, that nut job member of Congress from Minnesota and Gingrich all follow through with their “exploration” of running for president. This will send millions of republican dollars down the drain in wasted contributions.
In reality, most will not run or will quickly drop out. You must understand that most of these type “candidates” are only “considering” this in order to increase name recognition and publicity that leads to increased speaking fees and book deals. Their support comes from their extreme right wing base and, because their base supporters are both committed and loud, their support appears to be significant. Their support is actually a mile wide and an inch deep.
I hope I am wrong and maybe one of these radical extremists will win the republican nomination, thus ensuring the re-election of our President. More likely is that calmer heads within the republican primaries will prevail and someone like Mitt Romney will prevail, thus setting up a more serious challenge to the President.
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
7:29 am
I would have to agree with Toby. After the shrieking attack media gets through with him. He goes nowhere. I’d love to see him run.
Allen
January 19th, 2011
7:39 am
He’s going nowhere in the race, but this’ll be great for his radio career.
Ragnar Danneskjöld
January 19th, 2011
7:43 am
I think Mr. Cain is the only candidate to whom I have contributed money in the past 10 years. Excluding PACs. I will do so again, he’s a good man and competent too, those characteristics distinguishing him from most other politicians.
Aquagirl
January 19th, 2011
8:02 am
His first presidential decree: the death penalty for anyone who fails to add “and NOW 95.5 FM” to a WSB reference.
HDB
January 19th, 2011
8:09 am
There’s absolutely NO WAY that Herman Cain could ever get the Republican nomination….besides no one knowing who he is….he’d have to kowtow to the powers that be…..and we all know where that would get him!! Look at Richard Steele…..one and done!!
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
8:14 am
HDB@8:09
“he’d have to kowtow to the powers that be”
Only if he wanted to run as a liberal Democrat. There’s a reason why this is a buzz only on the conservative blogs, newsgroups, and groups in general. I heard about this guy weeks ago on a military based group. The general consensus there: “PLEASE RUN”
HDB
January 19th, 2011
8:35 am
@ Joel/8:14
Don’t be too sure….Richard Steele didn’t kowtow to the GOP powers that be…and if you listened to the GOP Committee meeting on C-SPAN (as I did!)…the preponderance of the committee voiced LOUDLY “NO” at Steele’s ernomonation! The same thing will happen to Cain!! He has NO CHANCE!!
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
8:45 am
HDB@8:35
Michael Steele hasn’t actually done a lot for the Republican party. Cain isn’t trying to be RNC chairman. How you can equate the two, I don’t know. I do know that this guy will get more response from the conservative end of the spectrum than he ever would from the liberal.
And if you had listened a little closer, you might have gotten the name.
independent voter
January 19th, 2011
8:48 am
I thoght he might have a chance until I heard his Martin Luther King speech on the radio this past Monday. The man has repeatedly displayed his ignorance about the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution which he claims is his bible. He praised MLK for fighting for life liberty and “the pursuit of happiness” found in the Declaration of Independence. On You tube he has similar speeches.
He does not understand thet “pursuit of happiness” is not a constitutional right and is in fact a liberal justification for government handouts. Nancy Pelosi used the same rhetoric in her speech introducing the health care bill for a vote – a nonexistant right to unlimited medical care.
Additionally Herman ignores the unfunded mandates and unfunded wars promoted by his own party ,
Where did the funding for free medicare drugs come from that the Republicans passed to get George Bush reelected? Like Sarah Palin the man is all rhetoric and no substance. Both are failures in prior campaigns.He is doomed to fail.
Peter
January 19th, 2011
8:56 am
Not talking Bank failures led by Republican’s Kyle, or the bilking of Georgian tax payers ?
Don’t mention what is really going on with the Republican Corruption Kyle, cause the truth is obvious !
carlosgvv
January 19th, 2011
8:56 am
So another far-right business toady wants to run for office. What else is new?
HDB
January 19th, 2011
9:06 am
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
8:45 am
How can one equate the two? Simple: Steele got dogged out by the same people who said they supported him. Steele attempted a new paradigm…and was pilloried by the rank-and-file GOP members! Same thing will happen with Cain….remember the OJays…”Back Stabbers” — they smile in your face…but the knives dig in your back!!
BTW: Reince Priebus of Wisconsin is the person you’re thinking about!
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
9:15 am
HDB@9:06
Preibus is the current RNC chairman. Richard Steele is this guy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Steele
Like I said, Cain is not running for RNC chairman. Michael Steele wasn’t doing a lot. Keeping him would be like keeping a majority leader who caused a big loss in the last elections as minority leader.
Oh…wait.
HDB
January 19th, 2011
9:26 am
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
9:15 am
Excuse me…but didn’t the Republicans capture control of the House during Steele’s tenure?? If you listened to the cacaphony about Michael Steele…and he had to do SOMETHING to geberate the recent victory of the GOP….
Just waiting for the sniping and backstabbing to begin about Cain!!
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
9:30 am
HDB@9:26
“but didn’t the Republicans capture control of the House during Steele’s tenure??”
Yes, and you can thank the tea party and the p@#$%d off American voter. The standard Republican Party deserves little of the credit. They’re just trying to ride the wave.
IMHO.
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
9:40 am
And they can still screw this up.
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
9:49 am
“sniping and backstabbing to begin about Cain!!”
I believe that will come from the left. If this guy shows any traction at all, the attack dogs of the media will swing into full umbrage. Along with the articles about the moderation and selflessness of some unnamed republican candidate. Until the unnamed gets nominated, that is. Then he’s the spawn of satan.
Liberal
January 19th, 2011
9:53 am
As Neil Boortz said last week about Palin after Obama’s speech in Tuscon:” With Obama’s speaking skills and knowledge of facts, he will beat her [or any other conservative deamagogue] like a rented mule”"” ie.Cain doesn’t have a chance just like that air head former mayor in Alaska. They and that gasbag Gingrich are all mouth and no grasp of the facts.
CJ
January 19th, 2011
9:57 am
Herman Cain is so out of touch, it’s not even funny.
When the real estate bubble was hissing, unemployment was rising, and we were beginning our descent into a serious recession, like John McCain, Cain was on the radio telling his listeners that everything was just dandy: “You might be having your own ‘personal’ recession, but our economy is strong!”
And anybody who has stumped around the country advocating replacing corporate taxes, taxes on unearned income, and progressive income taxes with a 30 percent (first year only) national sales tax on all goods and service (including taxing housing, mortgage interest, rent, groceries, and medical services) that cuts taxes on the rich while dramatically raising taxes on the middle class is doomed before he begins.
Cain might do well among the TeaGOP Partiers. But he doesn’t have a chance once people get a closer look at the vile that he’s been vomiting into his microphone for the last several years.
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
9:58 am
“he’s the spawn of satan.”
Or his vice presidential nominee is.
Thanks, Liberal, I couldn’t timed that point any better.
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
9:58 am
Peter
January 19th, 2011
8:56 am
Don’t mention what is really going on with the Republican Corruption Kyle, cause the truth is obvious !
Hey Peter; didn;t one of the left’s perennial hero’s, Charlie Rangel, just get censured? Isn’t Maxine Waters next on the docket?
What obvious truth do you speak of? And who is it obvious to?
HDB
January 19th, 2011
9:59 am
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
9:49 am
I believe that will come from the right!! If this guy shows any traction at all and doesn’t kowtow to Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck and O’Reilly, the attack dogs of conservatism will swing into full umbrage….as they did with Michael Steele!!
That’s a more accurate statement!!
Maurice Atkinson
January 19th, 2011
9:59 am
No pint in arguing with anyone, but I like Herman Cain and have definitely jumped on the the wagon. If you’re interested in moving this forward simply “get involved”. You can visit http://DraftCain.org and register. We’ve teamed up with a number of “citizens movement” organizations from across the U.S.. There are literally thousands that are working to make a Cain nomination a reality. While you’re at it, visit http://www.HermanCain.com and let them know of your support.
America has a serious deficit of LEADERSHIP. America needs Herman Cain.
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
10:00 am
“They and that gasbag Gingrich are all mouth and no grasp of the facts.”
You can really tell who terrifies the lefties…………………….
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
10:04 am
Just waiting for the sniping and backstabbing to begin about Cain!!
Lefties, who have perfected character assasination, will go after Cain with all the gusto and vigor one could expect.
Read Herman’s bio; he is actually more than a community organizer.
http://www.answers.com/topic/herman-cain
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
10:05 am
HDB@9:59
When you start changing the post without arguing the point of the post, you lost.
No More Progressives@10:00
I figured it only a matter of time until one of the Palin-haters drug himself out from under a rock.
Gotta go and stimulate the economy. Good blog, Kyle.
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
10:15 am
One more thing. I’ve been prreached at for 2 years, that (assuming I’m caucasian) disagreeing with King Barry Soetoro made me a racist. I say bovine fecal matter.
Now, all you lilly white progressives that disagree with Cain, simply because that’s what Daily KOS told you to do, are racists, too.
How ’bout them apples!
HDB
January 19th, 2011
10:24 am
Joel Edge
January 19th, 2011
10:05 am
Didn’t change things; just noted what will happen later!! Using what happened with Michael Steele, extrapolation as to what will happen with Herman Cain is made possible!!
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
10:15 am
Since I fit neither paradigm that you’ve stated, where would I fit in sine I DO disagree with Hermain Cain (opinion reached from personal experience!)??
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
10:27 am
CJ
January 19th, 2011
9:57 am
Cain might do well among the TeaGOP Partiers. But he doesn’t have a chance once people get a closer look at the vile that he’s been vomiting into his microphone for the last several years.
CJ, you don’t seem to be the kind of person who’d listen to Herman’s show. When was the last time you actually listened to his program?
Oh, you don’t listen to his show, you say.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
10:34 am
Paradigm: One that serves as a pattern or model.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/paradigm
You in fact fit the pattern of a liberal/progressive. I’ve read your tripe for over some time now, and like others, and the only reason you disagree with Cain is because it’s a liberal tenet.
HDB
January 19th, 2011
10:40 am
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
10:34 am
FALSE…the reason that I disagree with Cain is that Cain will not counterargue conservatives when they have been proven to be incorrect!! All I hear from him is talking points!! To fully understand many of those who oppose him…read this: http://www.blackcommentator.com/154/154_thindwa_black_conservatives.html
Del
January 19th, 2011
10:51 am
I think Herman Cain would make an excellent candidate. I don’t think Obama can sufficiently recover with Independents to win a second term in 012.
Joe the Plutocrat
January 19th, 2011
11:40 am
Kyle, you disappoint me. Cain is a pundit, not a politician. He is an employee of the private sector, and his delsuional musings have no bearing on the status quo in DC. I will say this, I’d love to see him run because he will “create a job” when he has to abdicate his position with Cox Enterprises. Perhaps you can fill the slot? Seriously, as with Palin, Huckabee, Gingerich, and all the other media whore, shape-shifters, he lacks substance and depth. He knows little of “governing” or “leading”. Talking heads are good at “talking” and little else.
Joe the Plutocrat
January 19th, 2011
11:56 am
my screed disappeared. bottom line, Cain (like many GOP ‘12 “explorers” is a pundit, not a politician. he lack the substance and leadership skills to govern. let’s look at it this way; a General leads armies into battle. a General maps strategy, employs tactics and makes decisions in real-time. among these decisions to use air support, infantry, reserves or snipers, etc. Cain is not a general; he is a soldier. he may be a dedicate soldier, and he may have served thus far with distinction and honor as far as the right-wing goes, but it’s one thing to sit behind a mike in a Cox Enterprises radio studio, and sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. and Cain and others are nuts if they think the plutocrats running the show would offer him such a seat. I guess the good news (for Kyle) is, if Cain declares, he will “create” a job for some other right of center pundit at WSB. Kyle, you might want to dust off your resume.
Del
January 19th, 2011
12:03 pm
Joe you evidently missed Cain’s experience as a business leader in the private sector. On the other hand your 11:40 and 11:56 made a pretty strong case against Obama sitting in the White House.
AmVet
January 19th, 2011
12:56 pm
To Allen’s point, Mr. Cain, if you want to be taken seriously – outside of the (f)right-wing fringe – DO NOT sit in as a guest host on moronic talk-radio programs.
DebbieDoRight
January 19th, 2011
1:04 pm
Oh please!! This is too funny!! All those on this blog who holler (loud and proud), “I’d vote for Hermain in a heartbeat!!!” What happened to your vote(s) for the following republicans in 2010?
Cory Ruth, Georgia- District 4 (House of Reps.)
Deborah Honeycutt, Georgia- District 13 (House of Reps.)
Rupert Parchment, Georgia- District 13 (House of Reps.)
Melvin Everson, Candidate, GA Labor Commissioner
Keep up the PC Repubs, it’s really, really funny!!
reebok
January 19th, 2011
1:42 pm
2012 will be a redux of Clinton crushing Dole. Whoever the GOP puts out there will be a sacrificial lamb while the party tries to re-position iteslf for 2016. Might as well be Cain…
@@
January 19th, 2011
1:50 pm
YESSSSSS!
And his profile should appeal to everyday Americans regardless of race. A middle-class American who dared to succeed.
Nothing in his background that would indicate Herman’s ethics could be called into question. He says what he means and means what he says with no apologies offered.
Among my many friends, black and white alike, I know of none who would reject Cain on the ballot.
I used to worry that Herman would be attacked by the liberal media as a token black, an Uncle Tom, but ‘ya know what…I now think he can withstand the labeling that the left has so embraced…the vitriol that has become all to apparent to the majority of Americans.
GO HERMAN!!! Ask and you shall receive. Knock and the door will be open unto you.
And no, you left-wing moonbats. I don’t think Herman is God…just a man to be admired and respected.
Thanks Kyle. I’m glad to see him getting the recognition he deserves. Americans will like what they see. I certainly do.
@@
January 19th, 2011
1:57 pm
HDB:
Look at Richard Steele…..one and done!!
Did you mean to type Michael Steele. What I appreciated most in Michael Steele was the fact that he kept the Republican’s 11th Commandment. The party’s concern was financial, nothing more.
get out much?
January 19th, 2011
1:58 pm
Speaking of 1994, did we ever get that alternative that the republicans were supposed to provide after they defeated Hillarycare? 2011 – still waiting.
No More Progressives!
January 19th, 2011
1:59 pm
That’s funny, ScamWet referring to a talk radio show as moronic.
All the while wishing he could be like Ed Schultz when he grows up.
Is it truw what they say about the Nebraska football team, Scamster? The N on the helmets stands for kNowledge?
liberal
January 19th, 2011
2:07 pm
Mr. “No more progressives”- what terrifies all of us are demagogues like Gingrich, Palin and Cain that have people blindly following them with no attempt to determine if they are hearing the truth or just a bunch of rhetoric. Kind like Georgie boy’s speech about wmd in Iraq and then claiming “mission accomplished”. That’s why he had a pair of shoes thrown at him.
Peter
January 19th, 2011
2:15 pm
Alabama Governor another Republican Liar…..How does this guy even en-body a Christian Spirit ?
Linda
January 19th, 2011
2:17 pm
I mentioned Cain on this blog months ago & have been behind him ever since I head his name as a possible candidate. I am impressed with his upbringing, his intelligence, his long, successful business experience & his policies.
He has rock solid principles & common sense. He is not another lawyer or a professional politician. He is problem solver, desperately needed in DC. He is articulate, a leader & a motivator.
The liberals on this blog are as afraid of him as Palin. That says it all.
Georgians should support him & help him at the grassroots level NOW.
AmVet
January 19th, 2011
2:20 pm
NMP, I see you are still perfecting your blogging persona as a petulant 14 year old brat, who can’t figure out why nobody likes her.
Lucky for you, Kyle still allows childish unprovoked personal insults.