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
Tired Voter
August 31st, 2011
5:51 pm
This is no longer a Bid for the presidency as much as it is a media blitz to line up future speaking engagements after he establishes his relevancy by this run for office.
gm
August 31st, 2011
5:55 pm
Did you know Dick Cheney and his company got rich off the Irag war and taking shots at a decorated General shows what a bigot of a scum he really is.
If he was so smart we would not have 3,000 Americans dead under this administration””””
hermancain.com
August 31st, 2011
5:55 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hvaeHllwtw
Buck Hayek
August 31st, 2011
5:56 pm
I like Flava Cain but he has no experience, no charisma, and no chance.
honested
August 31st, 2011
6:08 pm
rgb,
Yep I bet you are fed up with ‘liberal thought’ (and other fact related concepts). I mean if we would have followed liberal, fact based philosophy under dickcheney, we wouldn’t have found all of those WMD saddam was hoarding getting ready to loose on Austin. We wouldn’t have stopped his imaginary chemical, noocleeur (shrubs word) and biological weapons program. Several thousand American youth wouldn’t have been sacrificed for no apparent reason other than to settle a fetid family dispute (”You will remember, he did try to kill my daddy”).
And I haven’t even gotten to cheney.
Yes that follow the evidence and set the higher example model is so passe’. I can see why a small subculture is ready to jump on the tea potty train and ride it off the cliff.
Will America really miss that 18%?
red herring
August 31st, 2011
6:09 pm
the people constantly playing the race card are usually the most racist folks around. the principles of the tea party have nothing to to with racial issues.
Soapy Johnson
August 31st, 2011
6:12 pm
Support for Herman Cain and all African-American GOP candidates vs. ridicule from Janeane Garofalo and her obvious racism … http://placeitonluckydan.com/2011/08/janeane-garofalos-true-ideological-grit/
LawdHamercy
August 31st, 2011
6:13 pm
I can’t believe this guy went to Archer HS. He must hate blacks. I understand, Archer was a tough school back then. He must’ve been bullied by his classmates so bad, he only felt comfortable with white people. Where he felt safe. I can understand being a Republican, but a member of the Tea Party? Either he’s playing them for fools, or he’s just the coward thats getting back at the bully.
honested
August 31st, 2011
6:16 pm
All of this banter does not change the simple fact that cain is not likely to get above 8% in the GA primary, which will probably be his best showing.
OBAMA 2012!
West Indian Charlie
August 31st, 2011
6:33 pm
Hey, Mr. Cain I have a lot of respect for you. You are a black man but you didn”t make your skin tone; something you have no control over turn you into a victim. I have no doubt you have experienced some ugly moments in your lifetime but you didn”t let it deter you from becoming an American success story.
That being said, do I think you will become the next President of the USA. No. Why not? You may ask. I think if it comes down to you and the Texan Cowboy you will lose out. “What makes this nation great is its ability to change” you are quoted. Yes I agree but sometimes change happen too fast for some people then all of sudden they want their country back.
Buck Hayek
August 31st, 2011
6:48 pm
Herman Cain 2012 = Alan Keyes 2008.
They float one every time.
bamaman36744
August 31st, 2011
6:50 pm
as always the paul fans are at it again. in a head to head debate between paul and Mr Cain . cain would blow him out of the water, and burn his pot plants while he,s at it
bamaman36744
August 31st, 2011
6:54 pm
and Honested– obama will not win a 2nd term unless his cronies steal the votes and stuff the boxes as Demacrats ussally DO here in the south
Big Hat
August 31st, 2011
8:35 pm
This country needs a President that speaks English as a second language. He be the man.
honested
August 31st, 2011
11:44 pm
rgb,
So tell me why you don’t see dickchianie (the ED correction device) as a traitor?
Sarah Hart - America's Third Party
September 1st, 2011
3:09 pm
David Jon Sponheim is running for President under America’s Third Party. TELL HIM WHAT YOU THINK in his LIVE CHAT every weeknight on BlogTV.
He is a centrist and appeals to everyone across the political spectrum because he’s an everyday American, just like us.
tracy
September 1st, 2011
4:02 pm
commonsense… you seriously need to come up with a new usename
you wrote “Hermain Cain is the perfect example of an uncle tom. He hasn’t seen racisim yet he was rejected from GA and GA Tech because of racial quotas”
idiot… where did YOU learn to read???
Cain did NOT say he has NEVER experienced racism EVER… he is said he’s never experienced it in… the… TeaParty
the fact that i had to explain that to you speaks VOLUMES about those who refer to black conservatives as Uncle Toms…. YOU’RE JUST NOT THAT BRIGHT ARE YOU ???
tracy
September 1st, 2011
4:23 pm
Herman Cain may not be the typical presidential candidate with his gregarious personality and vibrant vernacular, but he sure as hell is needed in this primary season. he brings a solid no nonsense perspective to the debate and a brass tacks approach to a historic financial tipping point. he’s one of the smartest up there, he and Newt, and i wish like HELL that the moderators would’ve asked him more pertinent questions during the Iowa debate. there were so many times when you could tell Cain was choppin at the bits to jump and say something on BIG issues.
the man’s resume may not include U of GA or GA Tech, but damn!!! …it …is …impressive
i think a GOP White House would do very well to include Cain in an economy-oriented cabinet position
Cain is a GOOD descent man… a family man… a church going man… a self-made man
so to the writers of race-based comments on here, puleeeeeease. spare me your comparisons to oBozo
Herman Cain is EVERYTHING that Obama is not.
Herman Cain is an example of American Exceptionalism.
Fun Fong
September 4th, 2011
3:44 pm
I like Herman’s 9-9-9 plan and I am contributing to his campaign monthly. Haven’t read it? Here’s an article: http://www.veteransnewsnow.com/2011/08/22/herman-cains-9-9-9-common-sense-plan/
pattie
September 4th, 2011
3:47 pm
Wow is this guy impressive. Each time I hear him speak nothing comes out of his mouth but good, downright common sense and no beating around the bush. He’s got my vote and will work my fingers off working to make his name known. A complete 180 deg turn about from what we have now in Obama who has made blacks look dumb and incapable of assuming responsibility. I have approached a couple neighbors who commented no way would they vote for another black person. I reply, stop looking at the skin, listen to what he says and look at his background.
Uncle Joe
September 4th, 2011
8:09 pm
Thanks for the nice article, Mr. Galloway. Its not important what school Mr. Cain attended, but that he kept applying. Now he has applied for the the job of President of the United States, and I hope that a majority of “We the People” will join me in elected him.
cain2012train
September 4th, 2011
10:02 pm
@commonsense
PRESIDENT CAIN was referring to a lack of racism within the TEA Party. Not that he never experienced racism.
@Missy
The Federal Government is VERY similar to a business, and businessmen like Herman Cain KNOW what it takes to bring JOBS and FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY to a business. More money, more workers. More workers, more production. More production, more sales. MORE SALES, MORE MONEY.
Herman Cain KNOWS what he’s doing. He was VP of Pillsbury. He became the regional vice president of Burger King. Herman was assigned to lead a low performing region of 450 of their restaurants. Within three years, it became the best performing region in the company. He was President and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, a company that was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. In just 14 months, Herman returned Godfather’s to profitability and he led his management team to a buyout of the company. His professional successes garnered the respect and admiration of industry peers who named him the President of the National Restaurant Association. He was on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and he was subsequently elected their chairman. In this role, he analyzed economic conditions in the region and notified the Federal Reserve of how their policies should respond.
cain2012train
September 4th, 2011
10:05 pm
@ tracy
Thank you
Donald Johnston
September 4th, 2011
10:29 pm
For all the naysayers of Herman Cain, if you think you can run this country better, then go out and put your own name on the ballot. Then I’ll know who not to vote for.
wildcat hank
September 5th, 2011
8:02 am
Centrist
Have reading a lot of your comments, I wonder how big your check is from the Govt. And if that is the cast you are part of the problem and need to get out of your pockets and go to work.