Why Herman Cain is no Georgia Bulldog
GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain visits the state Senate on the final day of the Legislature's special session. Vino Wong, vwong@ajc.com
Stepping off a plane from Israel at 5:30 a.m., a jet-lagged Herman Cain swung through the state Capitol today, announcing himself to lawmakers in the House and Senate this way:
“My name is HermanCain.com, and I’m running for president.”
Introduced at a following press conference by freshman state Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, the GOP candidate promised to be a true friend of Israel, decried the “foggy foreign policy” of President Barack Obama, pitched his 9-9-9 tax reform plan as a precursor to the Fair Tax, and picked up endorsements from two more state legislators.
They were state Reps. Rusty Kidd, an independent from Milledgeville, and Billy Maddox, R-Zebulon.
Cain expressed resentment at attempts to place him in a second tier of candidates in a Republican field now dominated by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota; and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
“Some in the media are trying to narrow this down to three candidates. It is disconcerting, yes,” Cain said. “What I would hope is that it will not discourage people from looking at myself and other candidates.”
The candidate said he had no fear of the field growing even wider. “Cain supporters don’t defect. So I’m not worried about another politician getting into the race,” he said.
A CNN reporter also asked Cain about recent comments by U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., who said that some members of Congress affiliated with the tea party consider African-Americans to be “second-class citizens” and wouldn’t mind seeing them “hanging from a tree.”
Cain’s response was sharp.
“Those remarks are disgraceful. Those remarks are a distraction. Those kinds of remarks are intended to discourage citizens from speaking their voice through the tea party movement,” Cain said. “If there were racism in the tea party movement, I would be one of the first people to recognize it. I grew up in Georgia before the Civil Rights movement, during the Civil Rights movement, after the Civil Rights movement.
“I would know racism if I saw it. I have not seen it, nor have I experienced it in the tea party movement,” Cain said.
The topic of race and the tea party wasn’t new. But Cain’s answer reminded me that, only a few minutes before, the 65-year-old presidential candidate had been introduced to the House by Speaker David Ralston, who noted Cain’s status as a Georgia native.
Cain graduated from Morehouse College in 1967 with a degree in mathematics. Then he left the state for Purdue University and a masters degree in computer science.
In the state Capitol, the omission in the resume screams out. “Did you ever apply to the University of Georgia for admission?” I asked Cain after the press conference.
“I did,” the presidential candidate said. “And Georgia Tech, too.” The year was 1963. He was rejected by both institutions, even though he’d graduated second in his class at Archer High School in Atlanta.
Only two years earlier, the University of Georgia had admitted its first black students, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes. “They still had a quota system, and were keeping admission tight. I didn’t make the cut,” he said.
But his daughter graduated from the University of Georgia in 1994, Cain said. “What makes this nation great is its ability to change,” he said.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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125 comments Add your comment
joe
August 31st, 2011
2:47 pm
@ lib lefty…Obama IS partially white you idiot.
@ liar ed…the 2010 elections were just the beginning. Most independents who voted for Obama won’t do it again and that is why his approval rating is in the 40s…and getting lower by the week. Stick a fork in him, he’s done.
honested
August 31st, 2011
2:48 pm
td
Most of the ‘blue dogs’ lost in the primary because Democrats are not republicans. It may take a couple of cycles to put the right butts in the Democratic seats, but when it happens there won’t be any squishy neocons among them. Just true BLUES.
Don Abernethy
August 31st, 2011
2:49 pm
Most whites have tried hard to become color blind these past 30 plus years but there are so many blacks that will not drop the race issue and this really causes whites to rethink their position on race. Most whites have accepted Obama as their first Black President but refuse to vote for him just because he is Black like so many Blacks will do.
Retired Solider
August 31st, 2011
2:50 pm
GT alum, thanks.
Reads_before_talking
August 31st, 2011
2:52 pm
Hey “commonsense”, try reading it again. He said that he had never seen racism in the tea party. He has said on numerous occasions that he experienced racism while growing up.
I, as a white voter, have a lot of respect and support for Mr. Cain.
Centrist
August 31st, 2011
2:54 pm
@ joe – Obama is far from done. The Republican presidential field is weak, and Obama is triangulating, dealing with the GOP on tax and spending cuts via the debt deal.
Incumbency creates a campaign contribution advantage, and many strings can be pulled in an election year to buy votes.
The media is firmly behind him, and will get even more partisan as the election draws near.
honested
August 31st, 2011
2:56 pm
It was nice mr. cain could get his entire State organization and all his supporters to be at the Capitol with him.
liberalefty
August 31st, 2011
2:59 pm
CAIN must have felt proud that UGA and GT stood by their racism and discrimated against blacks when he applied. too bad the evil federal government stepped in to stop these conservative practices.
liberalefty
August 31st, 2011
3:00 pm
does CAIN wanna bring back JIM CROW which was outlawed by big government liberals in washington?
liberalefty
August 31st, 2011
3:02 pm
IS CAIN mad that the federal guvment stepped in to stop discrimination,like the rest of the PEE PARTY is?
liberalefty
August 31st, 2011
3:03 pm
all the christian racists looooooooooooooove them some HERMAN CAIN. too bad they won’t actually vote for him, lol
liberalefty
August 31st, 2011
3:04 pm
po HERMAN, too black for conservatives, too ignorant for liberals,lol.
coachx
August 31st, 2011
3:22 pm
Hermain Cain should be respected by all people regardless of party.
I hope Perry and Cain and run together for President and VP. That is a winning ticket no matter what order you put them in.
coachx
August 31st, 2011
3:24 pm
To liberallefty – Liberals would appreciate it if you stopped making them look bad.
honested
August 31st, 2011
3:51 pm
coachx,
You may be on to something. A perry/cain ticket would save the Democrats boat loads of money to redirect into Congressional races.
td
August 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
honested
August 31st, 2011
2:48 pm
td
Most of the ‘blue dogs’ lost in the primary because Democrats are not republicans. It may take a couple of cycles to put the right butts in the Democratic seats, but when it happens there won’t be any squishy neocons among them. Just true BLUES
And this is the reason the Dems are not in the majority in the House right now. Rhaim (sp) made a concerted effort from 2002 to 2008 to recruit (Blue dogs) in a rural areas to run and win to give the Dems the majority in the house. If you libs are going for purity in the party then you will never hold the majority again. This country is still leans to the right and the true libs mostly live in the NE, West coast and in the major cities. That vote will not constitute a majority. You see what becoming a pure party has done to the Dems in Georgia. You go ahead and purge the Blue dogs from rural NC, Ohio, Penn, Indiana, Iowa and see how the party shinks.
rod
August 31st, 2011
3:52 pm
Go Cain you can be in the republican party and be in the RNC. You can forget about getting elected but hopefully you will reach whatever goal you are trying to attain.
honested
August 31st, 2011
3:53 pm
td
Just keep believing that nonsense.
We’re counting on that!
Mama Says
August 31st, 2011
3:56 pm
Commonsense is an example of what is wrong with the country. In face of the facts he/she insist that race be a factor in the politics of the day. Clearly democrats feel they have a llicense to abuse, ignore and take for granted the black community all while demanding that republicans are the problem.
Herman Cain is a republican canidate for president, he is black and he talks on issues that are very important for EVERYONE in this country. I am white and I support Herman. Why ? because he is the only person in the field who seems to understand the true problems.
Commonsense, read and listen before you throw your race baiting accusations. The democrats have owned the black vote for 50 years. Clinton and Obama had both the house and senate with a veto proof majority and they did nothing–nothing for the black community, but pander . If you had any ” commonsense ” you would focus on the fact that the black community is paying a high price for no return. Then again you can just ignore the truth and keep supporting the very party that has abused race for almost a century.
frank
August 31st, 2011
3:57 pm
Cain is a delusional puppet who wants to remove things that the poor need to survive. He is a monster and supports a group of retards who have no idea what they’re actually following. Power and money breeds callousness. If you support the tea party let’s see some seven and eight figure bank statements. They don’t care about the middle class, they’re trying to abolish it.
Ned
August 31st, 2011
3:57 pm
What a joke. What was the last time you had a slice of Godfather’s Pizza? Obviously, he didn’t do THAT good a job as CEO.
georgiadawg70
August 31st, 2011
4:01 pm
Hey honested why are you at work earning a living like the rest of us. I case you are wondering, I’m retired.
RealTalk
August 31st, 2011
4:04 pm
Common Sense is the Real Racist Idiot! Go Herman. A Real American Hero who doesn’t think everything is about race. You Liberals are a joke and have no limit to how far down you will go. The Liberal Dream is failing and dieing right before our eyes.
Can’t wait til we take this country Back from all the moochers…
2012 can’t come fast enough.
CAIN 2012
RealTalk
August 31st, 2011
4:05 pm
I don’t miss Cynthia either. I bet that will be a great Class at UGA……
georgiadawg70
August 31st, 2011
4:08 pm
RealTalk If you are referring to Cynthia Tucker, she went to Auburn, would’t you know.
Mark C
August 31st, 2011
4:15 pm
This third-tier moron would be LUCKY to be relegated to the second tier.
td
August 31st, 2011
4:17 pm
honested
August 31st, 2011
3:53 pm
td
Just keep believing that nonsense.
We’re counting on that!
Are you denying that Emanuel had the strategy of electing more Blue dogs (Conservative rural white Dems and that strategy was the one that gave the Dems back control of the House of Reps in 2006? Without them how are the Dems ever going to become a majority party again? Please explain.
Big Daddy
August 31st, 2011
4:27 pm
Cain as kenny-boy.
http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/05/herman-cain-aquila-lawsuit-2012
Dr. Thorne
August 31st, 2011
4:41 pm
Dumb headline for this column. It sounds like the writer is saying that Cain rejected UG or is not a bona fide Georgian. Slanted editing, probably.
Dr. Thorne
August 31st, 2011
4:45 pm
To Big Daddy – Mother Jones? Really? Why not something from al-Jazeera or the Workers World Daily or maybe the National Enquirer for something with more veracity?
Schrodingers Cat
August 31st, 2011
5:02 pm
WOW…the stupid is heavy here
Rafe Hollister
August 31st, 2011
5:06 pm
commonsense, you’re the racist!
ByteMe
August 31st, 2011
5:09 pm
“My name is HermanCain.com, and I’m running for president.”
Is this really what he said?? Did he really call himself “HermanCain.com”?? If so, that’s very presidential!
honested
August 31st, 2011
5:12 pm
td,
Rahm had a strategy, yet unlike republicons, not everyone need agree with it. It produced an unworkable ‘majority’ riddled with weak need wannabe conservicons that did not represent the Democratic Party nor it’s positions.
In short, with friends like those, might as well give the tea potties a couple of years to show the public how absolutely incorrect their twisted world view is relative to governance of the world’s greatest country and to ensure that adults will be returned to the necessary business of reflection, introspection and compromise.
Michael
August 31st, 2011
5:12 pm
@commonsense – affirmative action did not exist in 1963. What are you, 12?
Georgian
August 31st, 2011
5:13 pm
Herman Cain just got back from getting permission from his master (Israel) to run for President. He also said that he would not care to audit the Rothschild controlled Federal Reserve! Another RINO!!!!!
honested
August 31st, 2011
5:14 pm
wow I made a spelling boo boo.
Should have been ‘weak kneed’.
Thogwummpy
August 31st, 2011
5:17 pm
The ONLY reason “talk of racism with the Tea Party isn’t new”…is because ANYTHING that a Leftist doesn’t like, they’ll automatically slander as racist. Why? Because media twits, so absorbed with their alleged mission to create images (based on fact or fantasy…doesn’t matter!), love to be ’social justice crusaders’—anointing themselves with righteousness cache. And just like sex sells in advertising, the charge of racism gives these activist creeps the fuel they need to invent demons where there aren’t any; just so the Left can foist off a pretense of being the saints…they clearly aren’t. But “racism” is akin now to shouting “wolf”—-a discerning person doesn’t quite buy prima facia.
gm
August 31st, 2011
5:19 pm
Yea Hermain those bigots that you are defending are not out there talking about electing you President’
I wonder why since they love you so much, do yourself a favor and call Michael Steele who raised more mony for GOP then any one previous.
Please get out now, the tea party are laughing behind your back, its shows in the polls”””’
honested
August 31st, 2011
5:22 pm
thogwummpy,
So as not to run afoul of your little pedestal, tell me when does the con/teapotty philosophy kick in and start to benefit the whole of society.
Or is the goal to enrich the top at the cost of the many?
As for ‘racism’ I haven’t and won’t make the charge.
Buck Hayek
August 31st, 2011
5:24 pm
Cain is a pizza flipper who is completely ignorant about the US Constitution but evokes it every other sentence.
States/counties CANNOT ban religious buildings – you idiot!
Fedup
August 31st, 2011
5:25 pm
I live in a Tea party county. The language they use about Obama cannot be printed here. These folks are God fearing and go to church twice a week. In public these Tea folks deny they are racist.
RGB
August 31st, 2011
5:27 pm
If the Tea Party is a failure, I pray that we fail at least as big in 2012 as when we took over the House of Representatives last year.
I suppose with upside-down thinking, Barack Hussein’s economic and energy policies are successes.
Corpsmen in all 57 states will be celebrating the Destroyer’s defeat next year as Guam tilts and the American flag planted by the astronauts waves proudly on the surface of Mars.
robert m. simon
August 31st, 2011
5:32 pm
But we know one thing.Even though Obama went to Harvard,he’s no Jack Kennedy…Obama couldn’t create jobs if his re-election counted on it….
honested
August 31st, 2011
5:35 pm
rgb,
When will boner and canter turn on those ‘laser focus’ dealies they used to elect so they could concentrate on jobs.
What,….someone here just told me they were lying to get elected.
How sad.
RGB
August 31st, 2011
5:37 pm
Libs have to work overtime to invent and fabricate transgressions allegedly suffered at the hands of dastardly Tea Partiers.
Remember John Lewis claiming to have been spat on and called the N word during the time he and others taunted and baited citizens during the ObamaCare debate. But when Andrew Bartbreit offered $100,000 to anyone who could prove it, suddenly people grew silent. Crickets….
And remember the Atlanta-area woman who said her house was burned by an anti-Obama force while she claimed to be attending his inauguration. Turns out she set the whole thing up.
Libs have to make up things to attribute to conservatives because conservatives behave themselves almost all the time.
Pretty soon they’ll claim we’re responsible for JFK’s assassination, the destruction of the Hindenburg, and the high rate of illegitimate births among black women.
Today’s Democrats are like the Klan. They demonize certain groups of people with curses and lies in order to foment violence against their political opponents.
Remember the Tea Party member whose ear was bitten off by a tolerant liberal? Or the black Tea Party vendor who was beaten by members of those capitalist-hating members of SEIU?
These people have nothing else to sell but fear and violence.
gm
August 31st, 2011
5:37 pm
RGB
You won in 2010 by lying to the America people that you were concern about jobs, the tea party idiots have not pass one singe job bill.
Please tea party hypocrites, return your femma checks, medicaid checks since you hate government spending, whats amazing these hypocrites on the right never said a word when Cheney and his company were building up Irag with our tax dollars.
Yet these bigots march against this President when he wants to spend money to build up are infrastructure, who are the real terrorist ?
RGB
August 31st, 2011
5:41 pm
I wonder if Mr. Obama will introduce a real jobs program before he gets into his fourth and final year of his presidency.
RGB
August 31st, 2011
5:44 pm
I really like former VP Cheney.
His book is en route to me from Amazon.
It’s invigorating to read about a patriot who has been successful not only in service to his country but also in the private sector.
Did you know that Cheney has more private sector experience than Obama’s entire cabinet? And you wonder why we’re in a ditch.
Didn’t Obama claim he was in the front seat driving?
Does that mean the rest of us are on the back of the bus? Was he delivering a racial message?
gm
August 31st, 2011
5:49 pm
Yea, I guess the 20 million people that were held in slavery by the so called white christians was made up to, or the jim crowe laws that were passed by rep conservatives were made up, or saying the President of the United States is not a real American were all made up.
When will you hypocrites of the tea party come clean, and realize you dont love America you are in love with the thought of going back to the 20th century, and the people at your rallies look like the klan of the past.