What Herman Cain’s 2012 run has already accomplished
If this GOP presidential campaign has taught us anything, it’s not to write any candidate’s political obituary before its time. (Hello, Newt Gingrich.)
So, today I come to praise Herman Cain, not to bury him beneath the opinion polls that show him slipping. No matter how the Georgia businessman’s candidacy turns out, it has done three important things.
As Cain’s popularity surged, there came a stream of allegations that he had sexually harassed women in the past. At first, the charges were vague and anonymous. Later, two women publicly accused Cain.
Depending on your point of view, or your allegiances, the allegations were either part of the vetting process or the lowest kind of character assassination: a he-said, she-said situation in which neither side can definitively prove its case.
While Cain’s poll numbers dipped slightly, donations to his campaign funds also rose. So, ultimately, while voters weighed the stories against what they previously believed about his character, Cain successfully avoided the trap of letting unproven accusations redefine his character or his fitness for the job. That’s one.
Eventually, though, Cain’s fitness for the job came into greater question — due instead to his unfortunate record of stumbling over issues that ought not to be “gotcha” topics for someone who aspires to the White House.
Cain’s line last month about not knowing about “Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan” grew less funny this past week after he appeared stumped — or unable to remember his lines — when asked about President Barack Obama’s policies toward Libya.
It was of a piece with his earlier confusion about the “right of return” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; his serial punting when asked what he’d do in Afghanistan; his inability, in Miami, to comment on the “wet foot, dry foot” policy toward Cuban immigrants; and his over-reliance on his 9-9-9 tax plan to explain how he’d improve things at home.
Voters often say they want candidates who aren’t career politicians. That’s particularly true on the right — which is one reason why Rick Perry, who’s held one state office or another in Texas since 1985, bashes Washington; why Mitt Romney, who’s been running (mostly unsuccessfully) for one state or federal office or another for 17 years, talks up his business experience; and why Gingrich, the former speaker of the United States House of Representatives, calls himself a Washington outsider.
But Cain’s occasional slips have revealed the tension between wanting someone who hasn’t spent a lifetime trying to become president, and wanting someone who has spent considerable time thinking about the things presidents have to think about. That’s two.
Finally, Cain’s 9-9-9 plan may be, at once, overly simplistic and more complicated than he lets on. It’s unlikely to become the law of the land, even if he becomes president.
But Cain’s boldness pushed his competitors to produce their own tax plans. Whoever emerges from the primary will have a serious proposal with which to oppose Obama’s mine-mine-mine plan for your money — and will be harder to peg as part of a “party of no” that only opposes Democrats’ policies.
That’s three. Together, those three things helped to make for a better contest.
(What, you thought one of the three would be that Cain proved conservatives could support a black Republican? Nah. Only liberals thought otherwise before.)
– By Kyle Wingfield
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264 comments Add your comment
Oduma and Dumber Company
November 19th, 2011
7:32 am
Ron Paul supporters are too smarter than to ever think in a failing moment of dementia about voting for Obama, let alone even utter a mummer privately where anyone might over hear them suggest casting a vote for Obama under any circumstance.
LAMO!!
Bill
November 19th, 2011
7:35 am
The big question around Newt is likely to be: Can he carry Georgia?
Bill
November 19th, 2011
7:35 am
Oduma,
Before you LAMO, try constructing a coherent sentence.
dave
November 19th, 2011
7:46 am
“…Cain proved that conservatives could support a black Republican?” I hardly think 23% qualifies as support: The perception still stands.
Oduma and Dumber Company
November 19th, 2011
7:46 am
The big question around Newt is likely to be: Can he carry Georgia?
The big question around Newt winning the general election. Carrying one state means nothing, ask Jimmy Carter who carried Georgia. Best try to concern yourself with constructing a coherent thought LAMO!!
Oduma and Dumber Company
November 19th, 2011
7:55 am
“…Cain proved that conservatives could support a black Republican?” I hardly think 23% qualifies as support: The perception still stands.
Cain had as much Republican support as any of the white candidates in the GOP running. Your prejudiced still stands.
dave
November 19th, 2011
8:04 am
Why is it so hard for you Republicans to pick the most qualified and moral candidate? Huntsman is the only proven candidate that really has a chance to win the general. I like him, as do all my independent friends.
???
November 19th, 2011
8:22 am
Huntsman cannot win the general election with you and your small number independent friends. Romney is the only GOP candidate most qualified that can win nationally. The others are either too extreme, or they’re too poorly recognized by name with most voters.
Road Scholar
November 19th, 2011
8:23 am
Kyle: “.. to oppose Obama’s mine-mine-mine plan ”
And I thought that you were better than this!
Did you see Maddow’s commentary as to where your well read/spoken Cain was getting his quotes from? While they are catchy, they are mostly from cartoons. Ah the “educated” conservatives strike again!
Straight Talk
November 19th, 2011
8:29 am
Herman Cain is a proven leader…one who has successfully turned around failing organizations [our country is now one]. If verbal missteps during a campaign are grounds to dump a candidate, then why did we elect Obama, who told us there are 57 states in the U.S. A woeful lack of knowledge of U.S. geography should be of far greater concern than in-depth knowledge of Obama’s failed Libyan policies.
carlosgvv
November 19th, 2011
8:30 am
Kyle, you left out another important accomplishment of Cain’s candidacy. He is an African-American who is still in the running and may be our next President. This will make it harder for the professional victims who blame everything bad that happens to them on the White man to make anyone believe them. Slowly but surely we will reach the time when blaming whites for all your troubles just won’t fly.
Rogue Squalor
November 19th, 2011
8:46 am
Funny how leftwing schoolyard childish trash talk is applauded by these dirt-bag pinkos on the left with a highly over inflated opinion of themselves and their ilk when it is one of their lot making cute quips but let a conservative make use of their garbage against them or their leftwing bunk, then it is Rachel Maddow’s condescending “you are better than this!”
Maybe they’re right for once Kyle, we really shouldn’t stoop to their level schoolyard childish trash talk so often used by the likes of a Jesse Jackson. But it is funny watching them choke on their own tripe when it is fed back to them.
ragnar danneskjold
November 19th, 2011
8:46 am
Dear Lib @ 7:04, “Many Republicans were complaining 4 years ago that President Obama lacked government experience, eventhough he had been in Illinois State Senate for 7 years. Those same Republicans, perhaps you, are now supporting a candidate who has NO government experience and is clearly not qualified. How do you square that?”
You err in your memory. All republicans, and all thinking democrats (yes, both of them) were distressed by Chauncey’s lack of executive experience – he had never managed anything, other than a street rally maybe. Never had to juggle a budget, since Soros funded all of his whims. In all fairness, his administrative abilities proved equal to his background in same.
Further, your language suggests you don’t know conservatives (as opposed to Republicans) very well – excessive government orientation is a disqualifier for those of us who accurately perceive the utility of the bureaucracy. From a rational view, a person (a) with significant executive experience, (b) with an understanding of private markets, and (c) without a romaticized view of the activities of the bureaucrats, would be a perfect candidate. Herman is pretty close.
ragnar danneskjold
November 19th, 2011
8:49 am
Dear Mom @ 7:15, good morning, I disagree. While Herman is my first choice, I would vote for Ron, I would vote for Mitt, I would vote for Newt, I would vote for Michelle, I would vote for Rick P, I would vote for Rick S. If Hugo Chavez got the nomination, I would vote for Hugo, as he is both more conservative and more competent than the empty suit in the Oval Office. So you intrigue me: what has Chauncey gotten right over the past four years that would cause you to vote for him instead of the one person who has balanced a US budget in the past 40 years?
ragnar danneskjold
November 19th, 2011
8:52 am
Dear Mom @ 7:15, I forgot one line, “I would even vote for Jon.”
Centrist
November 19th, 2011
8:57 am
What Cain proved is that you can be a complete imbecile and rise to the top of the Republican pack. I think/hope there are some reasonable Republicans/conservatives still left, but the vast majority of the conservative base needs to get out of the fringe right “bubble” and face reality. The only one of your candidates who is grounded in something resembling reality is Huntsman. He’s actually pretty conservative, but unfortunately anything left of Rush is communism for most Republican primary voters.
Atlantan
November 19th, 2011
9:15 am
@CainWreck – why do you hate African-Americans with a conservative bent? Must you always use Uncle Tom to describe an African-American conservative? The white created “war on poverty” has been a bursting success for African-Americans hasn’t it. If this were the 1850’s your job would be to chase down and return to the plantation run away slaves…….
spaceman109
November 19th, 2011
9:17 am
ragnar: the eventual starting point for the balanced budget was the tax increase from the early 90s which so angered conservative voters that they chose to sit on the sidelines in 1992, which resulted in president bush the elder being booted from office.
tax cuts by themselves are foolish. a far better approach as advocated by comrade marxist on this blog and myself on another blog would be to close off those nifty tax breaks and cool loopholes. but i guess i should not talk like that since the present g.o.p. powers-that-be do not want to broaden the tax base. politicians in general live in fear of such an approach since they would not be able to hand out tax breaks and loopholes in exchange for campaign donations.
What Herman Cain’s 2012 run has already accomplished | WhyHermanCain.com
November 19th, 2011
9:24 am
[...] Read More This entry was posted in Comparison by Jacob. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
Halftrack
November 19th, 2011
9:25 am
Whether or not you like Herman Cain, all candidates have trouble pronouncing foreign spellings, it is very evident these charges against Mr. Cain is a dirty trick by the Liberals. At one far end of the scale; why are there only white women from Chicago that are involved, and would this prove he is prejudiced against black women or other races. Lastly why isn’t Obummer vetted like Mr. Cain in the news media – - – just asking for fair & balanced reporting instead of biases.
Comrade MarxistV
November 19th, 2011
9:36 am
The Democrats powers that be don’t want to broaden the tax base either and they too, hand out targeted deductions, subsidies, tax breaks and loopholes in exchange for campaign donations.
If everyone in this country was a taxpayer, instead of a tax consumer and our government was cost effectively affordable, achieving balanced budgets with low tax rates would not be impossible.
GT/MIT
November 19th, 2011
9:48 am
Young Mr. Wingfield, please enlighten me. Are you the AJC’s pseudo, somewhat conservative? I read your opinion’s and am left wondering just where you stand. It’s like you’re operating under the threat of expulsion. If that’s not the case, then I’m stumped.
Anyway back to you piece in which you state that one of Herman’s problems stems from the fact that he stumbled when asked about Obama’s policies toward Libya. I defy anyone to answer that since to my knowledge, he had no actual policy. He had a tactic by which he hid in the shadows, waited for some sort of outcome, and when it’s over, go on TV and claim success.
joe
November 19th, 2011
9:52 am
all cain did was to make it easy on stand up comics and writers like me.
Welcome to the Occupation
November 19th, 2011
10:09 am
9-9-9 is now officially a punch line.
Letterman confirmed it last night.
Darwin
November 19th, 2011
10:16 am
“stream of allegations” OK – let’s right this ship. The restaurant association “paid” out thousands of dollars to two women who accused Cain of sexual harrassment. This was simply reported by Politico. There were no allegations made by Politco. It was simply reported as a fact. As a defense, you right wingers have tried every way possible to demonize the women and turn this into “unproven allegations.” Let’s stick with the facts and not some kind of spin. Why were these monies allocated to these women? If this is the best you can do, you need to rethink your strategy.
Progressive Humanist
November 19th, 2011
10:25 am
Comrade,
I’m not interested in the opinions of those who put the site up. Those are irrelevant to me. The numbers tell the story and they are as I described. Instead of basing your response on an opinion, why don’t you look at the numbers and refute my statements based on the data? You didn’t do that because you couldn’t. It was much easier for you to ignore the data and repeat what someone else said. Classic right wing lemming.
Ross Perot
November 19th, 2011
10:27 am
It has become obvious that every liberal in these blogs are name calling, stereotyping,mindless Oscama lemmings who have an obvious need for a cranial rectal removal operation. I’m sick of them throwing the race card at every turn. When you do it identifies your skin color, and shows that you are in fact a racist. You people can’t admit what an abject failure your boy is because of his skin color.
Marc
November 19th, 2011
10:36 am
Herman D. Clown embarrassed himself and his family….all to get a TV show on Fox News…cha-ching!!….in the next year…..sad.
Ross Perot
November 19th, 2011
10:37 am
I think you got that wrong.
-Remember, its the do nothing Republican crooks who will not comprise.
-Remember, they said NO to the Jobs Act, NO to hiring veterans, NO to infra-structure spending, on and on and on.
Remember, they said they would create jobs. WHERE ARE THE JOBS?
-Remember, they hate Obama more than they love America!
-56% of Americans say the Republicans are the problem.
Where is Obama’s “laser focus on jobs”. He was too busy flushing taxpayer money down the drain for campaign cash, see Solyndra. Also they submit proposal after proposal to the senate only to have the senate say no, without compromise or EVEN A PROPOSAL OF THEIR OWN. Typical liberalism though, sit on your a$$ and let others do the work for you!
GT
November 19th, 2011
11:01 am
PLEASE run Cain for the Republican side. I think I may just send in some money myself. Is it legal to let O contribute too. We got so much money collected and as the Republicans weak characters are unfolding we may not need but a quarter of it so how about the Dems putting a little of that money to work and sending it over to Cain. But then why waste it when any of the eight running couldn’t carry more than a few southern states anyway. Seem like on a year like this year the Republicans would save us all a lot of time and money and just default. But then they love to fight wars we can’t win and waste money for their emotional causes base on misrepresentation of the facts. Wasting money on lost cause may be their best answer to stimulating the economy.
Susan
November 19th, 2011
11:07 am
I am, & have been from the moment he announced, a Cain supporter. Kyle, I didn’t know the AJC had it in them to employ somebody with a true Conservative bent. I congratulate you!! Your analysis is totally fair. Thank you! By most of these comments, I think most of the detractors are TOTALLY uninformed & have their own agendas. Mr. Cain has integrity, humor, & an honest, PATRIOTIC view of what he would like to accomplish for Americans. His love of this country is beyond question. I knew (as did he) that as soon as he began surging in the polls the target on his back would grow LARGE. But, not being a politician, I don’t think even he knew how down & dirty the political establishment (on both sides, I might add) could get. There was absolutely no substance to any of the FALSE allegations that were lobbed at him. It’s amazing to me that throughout his 40-odd years in successful business life the ONLY SUPPOSED “problems” with harassment came within a single period in his career…National Restaurant Association (MAJOR RED FLAG). What a coincidence! The only people that have baled out from his support are the ones who don’t know him & were on the fence supporting him anyway. His base has not wavered. All we have become convinced of is that we have to KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON. The “establishment” actually FEARS Herman Cain. A Romney nominee (I’m sorry, Ann Coulter, you’re terribly wrong) will almost ENSURE a second Obama term. I’m not ready for that!!
Mr Cain can not be expected to be “polished” on things he’s never been briefed on regarding classified information. Obummer’s “back & forth” views on Libya are confusing in themselves. So I guess you would have to clarify which view you would agree or disagree with. But NOBODY on the panel of candidates could give an educated, definite statement of what they would’ve done in that situation. Mr Cain would surround himself with experts in the field rather than try to guess. “Gotcha” questions have to be thought about. I can say that Herman’s lack of a definitive answer is a non-starter for me. I wouldn’t expect him to know. What IS refreshing to me is that he doesn’t rely on a teleprompter to come up with pre-arranged answers to make him “appear” to know everything off-the-cuff.
I will continue to support Mr Cain until the time that he is nominated or he is defeated to the point of having to withdraw. I believe he will come back up in the national polls & ultimately be nominated. Hide & watch…
Churchill's MOM.....Ron Paul for President
November 19th, 2011
11:21 am
ragnar danneskjold
November 19th, 2011
8:49 am
I hope your son is doing well.. maybe he’ll have to only do 1 tour.
Comrade MarxistV
November 19th, 2011
11:28 am
Progressive Humanist
Your irrelevant selective stand alone use of “chosen data” that forms a worthless stand alone contrived opinion of your liking means nothing to me or likely many of the tax foundation member/supporters. The tax foundation has the right answers for fiscally sensible fair handed taxation spelled out on their “about us” web-page which you cannot refute with your demagogued simpleton claim of, “lower taxes cause big recessions”.
Dusty
November 19th, 2011
11:46 am
Well, if I wasn’t sure I would vote for a Republican, the liberal bloggers on this blog have made certain that I don’t care to be in the crowd with them or their candidate. No use trying to associate any reasonable consideration with the likes of them.
I tried to overlook eight years of lies and insinuations about Bush. I tried to see that Obama’s intentions were wise and fair.. I tried to have some non-partisan thought behind posts on blogs.
The liberals here and in Washington have overcome my resolutions. No matter what, no Democratic president forever more. Absolutely! Never! Can’t chance i!. Don’t want it! Won’t have it!!
Rubes never get it
November 19th, 2011
11:56 am
Republicans can support a Black Man because YOUR Blacks are so much better than THEIR Blacks to quote the she man, Ann Coulter. Well, since OUR Blacks can speak in complete sentences and say words other than nine when asked about Presidential policies, I consider our Blacks better. Something about Cain is creepy, and that was before we found out about his paying multiple women a settlement for sexually harassing them at work. I love how you dance around the issue that money was PAID to them because of actions done by Herman Cain, not allegations. And just how and why do you think all these woman could get together collectively 20 years ago to gang up on and instigate a conspiracy against Mr Cain? I believe the problem does lies with Cain, pun intended.
Newt continues to talk down to everyone in the room as if he is so sure of his own genius, he just condescends to the crowd, who are too stupid to realize Newt’s greatness. His pompousness knows no bounds. His knowledge of history is so extensive he routinely gets paid millions of dollars by lobbyists in”think tanks”. Yeah, and he is SO patriotic he screws around on all his wives, at the office he never leaves, except when he is in Greece on a cruise getting more lobbyist perks.
Both of the Ricks are dumb as rocks along with Bachman. And even Republicans can tell that Romney is a slime ball who will say whatever he thinks the people in the room at this minute want to hear him say about the issues.
I hear Ron Paul may even gets his “tag, you are it”moment as the front runner.
Hey GOP, look around at your Presidential candidates, Huntsman is the only one who is remotely able to carry an Independent Voter. Why are you ignoring him?
Dusty
November 19th, 2011
12:08 pm
See what I mean @ 11:56? Another “independent” liberal of the loose lips and libel crowd.
snoqualmiefalls
November 19th, 2011
12:17 pm
The TeaGOP Clown Car is starting to empty as flavs of the week are falling onto the street, Perry, Bachman, Santorum, Palin and not finally but expected Cain. Why do the Party regulars put up with such nonsense? Why are you folks waiting for a savior when you have one in your own backyard…. Jebbie Bush…. he’s got the money, George and Bush Sr. and such a lovely family… Time to make a demand for the only sane moderate guy left in the Party, unless,of course you want to put up a clown…
Bruno
November 19th, 2011
12:23 pm
Kyle–Nice, respectful piece about Herman Cain. You express legitimate criticism of his campaign without trying to belittle him in the process ala Jay Bookman. It takes a lot of guts running for Prez, knowing the intense scrutiny that is put upon you. As you point out, his candidacy has had value, only if for forcing the other candidates to come up with plans of their own to better his.
Hey, Dusty, long time no see!! Did you give it up over at the Bookman Blog?? I’ve been checking in only rarely, but get tired of hearing the same whining Libs all the time.
getalife
November 19th, 2011
12:27 pm
“NUMBER OF ‘NEAR POOR’ STARTLES CENSUS…”drudgey poo.
Heck of a job cons.
Bart Abel
November 19th, 2011
12:29 pm
Whoever emerges from the primary will have a serious proposal with which to oppose Obama’s mine-mine-mine plan for YOUR money
Apparently, Kyle isn’t one to let facts get in the way of a good one-liner.
This statement in his post post is not only sophomoric, but deliberately misleading. Save Jon Huntsman, every major Republican presidential candidate has proposed a tax plan that would raise taxes specifically on the poor and middle class. In all probability, that means you.
Meanwhile..
“If you had to guess whether President George W. Bush or President Barack Obama cut taxes more in his first term, which one would you choose? Probably President Bush, right? After all, the “the Bush tax cuts” were massive. And President Obama is the one calling for the expiration of some of those tax cuts. He’s also pushing for more revenue as we try to address our long-term fiscal imbalance.
Given all that, you could be forgiven for guessing that President Bush is the bigger tax cutter. But you’d actually be wrong. By the end of his first term, President Obama will have signed into law a series of tax cuts that, taken together, exceed the value of those signed into law by President Bush.” http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/09/obama_bush_taxes.html
Welcome to the Occupation
November 19th, 2011
12:36 pm
Ross Perot: “Typical liberalism though, sit on your a$$ and let others do the work”
Like who? WHO does the work while somebody sits on his ass? Sounds to me like somebody who wishes he could be one of the back-side sitters.
Hillbilly D
November 19th, 2011
12:47 pm
If this GOP presidential campaign has taught us anything, it’s not to write any candidate’s political obituary before its time.
Nixon taught some of us that, decades ago.
Hillbilly D
November 19th, 2011
12:49 pm
Caught Cain last night on Letterman. I’m not a Cain fan but I thought it did prove just what a lightweight Letterman is, when he tries to conduct an interview with a non-show business person (politics is show business but most will know what I mean). Dave needs to stick to comedy.
Welcome to the Occupation
November 19th, 2011
12:53 pm
I’m not a Cain fan but I thought it did prove just what a lightweight Letterman is, when he tries to conduct an interview with a non-show business person
You mean Herman Cain is a non-show business person? Who knew.
Hillbilly D
November 19th, 2011
12:55 pm
Welcome
Read the part in the parentheses.
Dusty
November 19th, 2011
1:24 pm
Bruno,
Good to hear from you. I miss your voice of reason. Bookman and his supporters got too much for me. I decided it was time to go, even though I did enjoy some of the “crew”..
But what is this I hear? Lovely concert pianist making hearts & flowers?? Ah…happiness (I hope)!
Do visit more often. Kyle writes a fine and fair piece, an honest journalist indeed!!
Hillbilly D
November 19th, 2011
1:28 pm
Guess I missed Bruno. Hope you’re doing well.
Dusty
November 19th, 2011
1:33 pm
HillBilly D,
I can still remember when Truman pulled a good one over Dewey. Everybody KNEW that Dewey was going to win. The newspapers had already written the headlines saying so.
Surprise! Truman, the winner!!
I’m ready for another Truman. We need one like him.
DougH
November 19th, 2011
1:38 pm
With Herman Cain, having listened to him on WSB Radio (when I could stand it without gaging), I was of the opinion that his mouth would bury him sooner, rather than later. Sure enough, he talked himself out of front-runner status.
He is the best example of someone that started to believe his own rhetoric. He should have stay close enough to the front-runner to sell a bunch of book, then leave the race having been sufficiently financially enriched. I call it the Gingrich strategy.
I guess, now-a-days you have to be a dumb, ideologue to make it in the GOP. Sorry Huntsman, you don’t have a chance. We another McCain, Palin duo.
Hillbilly D
November 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
Dusty
If Josef were here, he’d point out that Harry was an SCV member. I’d point out that Harry wasn’t a college graduate. There is a lot to be said for good ol’ common horse sense and that most important of traits, judgement.
What a lot folks fail to remember about Harry, is that he was a hated man, when he left office. Now he’s a hero to many. Goes to show it isn’t wise to judge a Presidency, instantaneously. You have to the perspective of the years, to truly gauge their performance. Hindsight is 20-20 or so they say. I’ve have known a few folks who needed glasses even to look backwards, though.