For Tea Party Followers, Cain Win Is Hardly a Surprise
The landslide victory by Herman Cain at the Florida straw poll on Saturday rocked the media and political establishment. But for those in the grassroots and observers of the movement, his win comes as hardly a shock. What does Mr. Cain’s rise mean?
Much of the analysis of yesterday’s events is being filtered through the lens of race. If you look at the story line being put forth by the media, the Georgia businessman’s win proves once and for all that the Tea Party is not racist. But I would argue that this is a false narrative. The only reason his victory comes as a surprise to anyone has more to do with the mainstream media’s repeated underestimation of the Tea Party and not because of racial politics.
What Mr. Cain’s straw poll victory tells me is a couple things: 1) The GOP field is hardly settled and the race is wide open and 2) the Tea Party, not the media nor the Republican establishment, will determine the candidate in this election. PJTV has been following Mr. Cain’s candidacy (as well as the Tea Party) since it’s early days. On several occasions, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Cain and watching him on the stump around the country — from CPAC in Washington, D.C.; to the Smart Girl Summit in St. Louis; to Freedom Fest in Las Vegas (video here); and at Congressman Steve King’s conference in Des Moines.
What struck me about Mr. Cain in his appearances was his ability to connect with the crowd and deliver a clear message about his vision of the proper role of government. Mr. Cain has a presence that is able to captivate his audience and evoke a response – many times cheers and applause — in instances where many other candidates fall flat. (In fact, the two candidates I’ve seen do this well are Mr. Cain and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.) This observation is illustrated in Mr. Cain’s continually strong Gallup positive intensity scores. The latest measure shows Mr. Cain tied with Texas Governor Rick Perry at the top of the heap. The reason Mr. Cain is doing well right now is because his message is one that is resonating with voters. He has one intangible quality that many of the Republican candidates sorely lack: authenticity.
Dear Lord, please grant us Presidential debates between Herman Cain and Barack Ebola, uh, Obama.
I’ll be there with popcorn and beer cheering my head off.
But…but…but…
Roger Ailes thinks that we’ve grown weary of the Tea Party!
Earth to Ailes: If you put your finger in what you think is the wind, beware. Somebody around you may very well be blowing smoke…or worse.
While I like Herman Cain, he will be eviscerated by the LSM for lack of experience. Also, he needs to bone up on foreign policy.
You make a good point, but as things stand now (subject to change, of course), it doesn’t look like a foreign policy election… looks like it’ll be a good old vote-your-wallet election to me.
I respectfully disagree. Vote your wallet issues will certainly come up as our economy is in shambles, the deficit is insane, and unemployment is skyrocketing. However, we’re seeing a record death toll in Afghanistan, and we’re involved (troops on the ground) now in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Additionally, Obama is entirely ignoring the takeover of the Arab nations by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Yes, those things are worthy of concern, but when one is unemployed, facing ever-higher food and energy costs (both fuel for vehicles and for heating one’s home) and with the specter of having to either shell out for ObamaCare or pay a fine hanging over one’s head, what’s happening across the ocean takes a serious back seat to those issues.
RE:” Obama is entirely ignoring the takeover of the Arab nations by the Muslim Brotherhood.” might be good to check your premise on that. You assume O’blama
has the agenda to HELP America.
However if you come from the perspective that he is a Muslim mole, ( see the pre-election interview with Stephanopolis where he blurts out the truth) and the agenda is to destroy the USA, then it all falls into place….foothold situation. Hmmm….. all the efforts to curtail our industrial base, all those aerospace & other highly skilled workers out, killing off drilling & power generation by over regulation,”prices will necessarily skyrocket” back door efforts to put domestic gun control in the hands of the UN, pending vitamin over regulation, etc. the list goes on & on. His capitalist bashing is straight out of Atlas Shrugged.
I agree with this on one level, but I think there is a pretty solid block of Republicans who are firmly focused on foreign policy. Cain at least has to gain enough knowledge of foreign policy to look like he would not fail us in a crisis. It’s not all that difficult a bar, if you ask me, but it has to be surpassed. After all, if it wasn’t for foreign policy, Ron Paul would make a good nominee, and we know he has the experience to succeed.
I think if Cain said something like “I’d make John Bolton Secretary of State” he would eliminate most of the foreign policy problems.
My problem with him is that he has a revolutionary program but no knowledge of how to deal with a legislature. That learning curve is bound to be pretty stiff. He’s used to being consistently obeyed by employees, and having the power to fire those who disagree with him. Government is a lot tougher than that.
I like Chris Christie (if he runs) because he has dealt with hostile opposing forces in his state and been highly effective at getting his way. No other candidate, as far as I can tell, has that kind of experience. New Jersey is a nice microcosm of the USA right now.
Rick Perry has dealt with only friendly legislatures, but at least he’s dealt with them and has experience working out deals. I also like his Reaganesque demeanor better than the other candidates.
Romney is a sellout who would say anything to become President. We need someone with solid values. Fortunately I think pretty much anyone but Romney has them.
I though Michelle Bachmann had the best poise under pressure and the best thought out answers. I’d like to see more of her in the debates.
D
David H Dennis – I agree with much of what you say, and I’ll add my two cents about whom I like and don’t like.
I like Perry, but his last two debate outings have been awful. He either has to start preparing for these debates or he’s going to be toast.
I like Herman Cain, but I think, as I said, the LSM will eviscerate him for lack of experience (because he will have an R after his name). Also, I’m sure they’ll try to pull a Clarence Thomas on him – they’ll find some gal who will say he eyed her the wrong way, and so he must be a pervert (playing on white fears of black men).
I used to like Bachmann – but her claim about the gardasil causing birth defects turned me off to her.
I don’t like Ron Paul, period. Besides his foreign policy he’s alway voting with the Democrats because the Republican plans don’t meet his standards. He obviously thinks it has to be the whole loaf or it has to be nothing. That may make him temprementally unfit to be President who does have to compromise to get legislation passed.
I would like Santorum, but he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
I don’t like Huntsman because he’ a RINO, and I don’t like Romney because I can’t trust him. It seems he will say anything to get nominated and elected. I suspect somebody with so few strongly held beliefs is someone who will betray us if elected.
Regarding Perry, I agree with Stephen Green (VodkaPundit).
Perry was really over-prepped for the last debate.
He needs to find a happy medium.
And in 2007, the conventional wisdom was that the Iraq War would be a big issue in 2008–until the financial markets collapsed in September 2008. And McCain was suddenly revealed to be not very convincing on financial issues.
You can’t predict the future. All it would take would be a major terrorist attack or some new provocation by North Korea or Iran in the summer of 2012–and foreign policy would be right back on the front burner again.
Fortunately, if Cain starts to look like a credible choice for GOP nominee, he has plenty of time to learn about foreign policy. And as other GOP candidates drop out, he can pick up their issue advisers for his own campaign.
Yes, he is weak in foreign policy, but he would appoint a capable Secretary of State.(John Bolton!) His business background would tell him to hire the talent that he needs and work as a team. He sees himself as the leader of the team, not as a one man show.
I’m very happy for Cain’s victory. It will shut the mouths of certain relatives who love to pull out the race card. That card is totally maxed out just about now.
Jack, I agree that Cain willl need help on the foreighn policy front, but so does everyone else. I do think that this will be a mostly “Economy” election, and Cain has a much firmer grasp of that subject than Obama, (though that isn’t saying much, my mother’s Pomerainian dog has a better grasp of economics than Obama.) As for the LSM trying to label Cain as inexperienced, that won’t wash considering the pass they gave to Obama on that very point. Cain has at least shown he can run a pizza company. Can Obama even microwave a pizza?
The past few presidents had experience in office.
How’d that work out again?
He’s more experienced than BO, and that is all that matters.
For that matter, I’m more experienced than President 0.
For me, all that counts is that he’s not BO and he’s conservative.
The LSM/experience tie-in just doesn’t resonate. The jug-eared cretin in office
had a one page resume, blank on both sides.
jl
Jack he has 1000 times the experience obummer had when the IDIOTS elected hi8m to the oval office. Herman Cain has more intelligence in his little finger than obummer has in his intire body,
When you say “bone up”, I hope you don’t mean to come to understand the convoluted version of what’s been passing for “Foreign Policy” in this country for most of the last century, especially since the formation of Israel, for any other reason except to understand what folly is.
Your comment suggests our current and past leadership has had a handle on foreign relations. When in fact it’s nothing short of a miserable failure, as are they.
If Candidate Cain gets traction as I hope he does, any ideas he proposes, the media will dilute, smear, and marginalize. It’ll either be no experience or dangerously radical.
Chiefparker – Bone-up, as in have well thought-out answers for dumb gottcha questions the LSM reporters are going to ask. As they in Yiddish, when asked a question, he can’t fumfah (as in give a stuttering answer).
Jack, Cain is a very good man. He is an excellent speaker. However, he wants to please — he is “a pleaser.” I kept notes on him for 72 hrs. He turns on his own ethics and beliefs. He doesn’t understand the beliefs of the Muslims.
Paraphrasing:
1) I would have Muslims on my staff (Muslims are allowed to lie to Infidels);
2) When asked about it? States that he “Misspoke (sp)”; in other words, he didn’t know what he was really saying.
3) Changed it to — they can give me an Oath (same mistake–Muslims allowed to lie to infidels);
4) I will have homosexuals on my staff;
5) Hard-line stance on Homosexuality as a sin
Homosexuality is a sin and a choice
Presidential contender and former Godfather’s Pizza executive Herman Cain was clear and concise when addressing his views on homosexuality. TMP has more:
Fresh off his keynote speech at the Faith And Freedom Conference in Washington last weekend, Herman Cain took a socially conservative hard-line stance on sexual orientation in an interview with CBS News.
“I believe homosexuality is a sin because I’m a Bible-believing Christian, I believe it’s a sin,” Cain said, adding, “I believe it is a choice.”
On the flip side, earlier this week we covered former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and his cautiousness when discussing his faith and the Mormon Church’s stance on gay marriage and homosexuality.
You can watch Cain’s comments in the CBS News clip below:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/herman-cain-homosexuality-is-a-sin-and-a-choice/
Elaine – You raise a troubling issue. I agree with the subtext of your question: the presidency is no place for a person who aims to please.
I listened to him “On the Record” with Greta Van Susteren and when she asked him foreign policy questions, he spoke very intelligently and thoughtfully about Iran and Mexico.
He has an uphill battle with the LSM, I agree, but that’s where we the people need to step in so that our candidate won’t be chosen for us.
As was pointed out on the previous thread (before a certain troll hijacked it), a Cain candidacy would be interesting if for no other reason than because it’d highlight the fact that “racist” basically means “someone who doesn’t worship Barack” every time a lefty tried throwing it at Cain supporters.
Don’t know how you obtained it, but thanks for outing the troll. Got the info for future cut & paste before PJM takes it down (Roger didn’t, but Bryan does).
Former PJM Tech & Science Editor Charles (Charlie) Martin outed the troll during the Fukushima crisis, and while I’ve lost track of the specific post (I may have to ask Charlie to track it down for me), I remembered the info.
That issue could also be dealt with by making Cain the VP nominee, while nominating a more politically experienced candidate for President.
Cain would do well against Joe Biden in the VP debate in October 2012. Biden would be completely flummoxed as to how to attack a black candidate. He’s probably never had to do that before.
Even if Cain is not anywhere on the ticket, he would be a strong campaigner for the ticket, and keeping him visible would be a plus for the GOP.
Love Herm, and Allen West, as they murder the BS racism theme for the Left. Also, the LSM needs to be hammered, on the ‘lack of experience’ issue,……..look at the jackass we have now!
CRACKERS FOR CAIN!!!!!!!!!
Crackers for Cain? That’s pretty good! There’s also a website called Honkies for Herman: http://honkiesforherman.us/blog/
Go Herm!
http://VocalMinority.typepad.com
The Jewish Republican’s Web Sanctuary
The way the Republican field is today, Cain could actually win this thing. The problems is, I don’t know how many people he has on the ground in Iowa and New Hampshire. If he doesn’t win either of those two, I doubt things will get better for him by the time he reaches South Carolina. Bachmann may have Iowa down and Romney may have New Hampshire, so that leaves little room for Cain to keep going. But if Bahmann loses Iowa and Romney loses New Hampshire, then obviously Cain is the man to beat. So like the 1969 Mets used to say, “You Gotta Believe!”
Conservatives are not racist. It’s bullshit. And frankly I don’t think I have to prove it to anyone.
In the interest of turn around is fair play; I must demand that blacks and white democrats prove to me that they are Not racist.
They’ve already pegged me as a racist now prove to me you’re not.
or STFU about race already.
Yes, the presumption of being guilty apples in some parts of the woods.
apples=applies
sorry
Fox News has a great post Florida interview with Cain.
I’m likin’ this guy.
The interview with Shannon is good. Mr. Cain’s message is concise and clear. He can hire somebody good for the foreign stuff, but for starters he has committed to supporting Israel. Next cut the UN and foreign aid that is not food or AIDS-related and close some military bases.
Mr. Cain has a BS in Math an MS in CS and valuable business experience in the corporate world plus entrepreneurial zeal. If he can make it, I’m a supporter!
Herman keeps it simple.It’s not a contract with America or a 59 point plan. Politicians can’t cope with simple and “profit” is a four letter word to some of them.
We, Americans are sick of plans. Let’s go with 9-9-9 and see what happens. We’ve tried stimulating the government workers and the bankers. It’s time to even the tax playing field. Get everyone to pay a bit of the freight. It would take the lobbyists and special interests out of the game.
Keep that sense of humor, Herman Cain…we all need a break!
“We, Americans are sick of plans. Let’s go with 9-9-9 and see what happens.”
Amazing! In one sentence you declare that Americans are sick of plans and in the very next sentence you advocate going with Cain’s 9-9-9. You do realize that 9-9-9 is a plan, don’t you?
Cain looks good — I would certainly support him were he nominated — but I hope he doesn’t push his business experience and analogies too far. Government is not a business, should not be thought of as a business, and cannot be run as if it were a business. The fundamental modes of thought of the two domains are very different.
Francis,
I am reminded of Cain’s comment in the first debate when asked about this point, and when he noted that people with expertise in government have been running Washington for all these years, came his great line:
“How’s THAT working out for you?”
And he had a good point, and I would never dispute it. But that doesn’t make the business mindset wholly applicable to governance. A business normally faces direct competition. It has to turn a profit. Its products cannot be forced on the customer. It can easily reorganize, change offerings, and generally mutate as tactically required to meet the dictates of the marketplace. Governments cannot do any of those things, and often strive to suppress anything like them with force.
If Cain imports the business attitude toward accountability into his speeches and positions, he’ll have done the best he can. Beyond that, he should talk policy, with specific regard to Constitutional requirements and the crises and opportunities of the moment.
But government SHOULD be able to do those things! One of the biggest obstacles to clearing up our current mess is that we have the mindset that bureaucrats can’t be fired, that departments that aren’t productive must still be kept around and paid for, and that it should force its answers on the citizen. That mindset is a big part of our current problems.
I wouldn’t want to see government become profit-oriented. Nor would I want to see governments able to change policies suddenly and radically; that goes against my Constitutionalist grain. As for the ability to hire and fire more freely, or set up and shut down departments and agencies as needed, those things would have both good and bad points; a lot of discussion would be desirable.
My original point stands: The business mindset is not wholly applicable to government. The principle of accountability, which is key to a successful enterprise, is applicable, but the rest must be measured against the different missions of business and government.
The beauty of a straw poll like the one after the Florida debate is that the participants have not had time to become too steeped in the blather of the same punditocracy who say Palin is a non starter, Bachman doesn’t have a chance, and that Mr Cain is… Now who is he again? Ah right, he is that Pizza guy who doesn’t stand a chance. He certainly isn’t a blip of MY punditocracy radar. We Right thinking pundits all know this poll is just an “anomaly” – A minor distraction as prelude to the REAL candidates who, all Right thinking pundits know, have the only real chance of beating the Obamesiah.
If people would just trust themselves and stop looking to the wisest-of-the-wise media pundicRATs for their thoughts, they might have a chance to elect a genuine Conservative and not some milquetoast RINO who proudly proclaims “I AM NOT OBAMA!” to the Conservative base, but as soon as he is elected decides to “gets real” and starts kow towing to the Libs in the media and stabbing the Conservative base in their collective backs, all in an oh so enlightened effort to appear to be the gold standard of modern media respectability, a “moderate”.
I can assure you that my ballot in Nov. 2012 will be an RF (RINO Free) Zone.
I like how Romney go all out flaming liberal on the social security issue. He was banking on getting support from the seniors in Florida. And then he ends up a distant third in the Florida straw poll. Way not to go.
First Black Conservative Press Conference Sent a Powerful Message
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GizNwzKo3n8&feature=player_embedded
In Search of People of Color at the Tea Parties
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TQBEzaHTiY&feature=player_embedded
I’m liking Herman Cain. I loved his answer about the out-of-control EPA. Its necessary to protect our air and our water, but putting 50,000 out of business for a 2′ minnow and then hurting farmers for dust, along many other ridiculous “purity” regulations they’ve enacted, they’ve gone too far. I like that he bucked the LSM in a clear, concise, reasonable way. That’s the kind of leadership we need to get out country back on track.
Women for Cain!
What exactly is a “straw poll” in the American political system?
Forgive my ignorance but I’m Canadian and we don’t do those here. Is anyone actually elected to an office in a straw poll or is it more just a case of saying “which of these guys would you most prefer to be your [insert party name] Presidential candidate in the next federal election?”. Do people actually go to regular polling stations to vote in these straw polls or are they conducted by phone or internet? Can anyone vote in them or only registered members of the party that is conducting the poll?
I’m just trying to understand the significance of straw polls….
A straw poll can be most easily explained as a poll where there is little or no effort made to obtain a realistic sample or even to determine the sample demographics.
In some, like the infamous Iowa straw poll, people actually have to pay to get in (this year it was $30), though it’s fairly common for candidates to purchase tickets and give them to supporters.
For all these reasons, straw polls are about the least scientific method of determining the feelings of people. In fact, in 2008, Mitt Romney won the same straw poll that Cain won this year.
While I like what I’ve seen of Cain, one straw poll does not a primary victory make. Just ask Ron Paul or Mitt Romney.
I concur about candidates stacking the deck in straw polls, although I’m not sure the Cain did.
The most egregious example of stacked straw polls is at CPAC, where Ron Paul flies/busses supporters in, buys or discounts their hotel rooms, which they share and then they flood the straw poll, while most of the other attendees don’t even participate. I’ve been to many CPACs and have never participated in the straw poll.
But nonetheless, I like the Herman-ator and hope that he can get some momentum going out of this. It wouldn’t hurt to drop a few shekels in his tip jar at this point. He has nowhere near the campaign war chest of the big time candidates.
I’m leaning more and more towards Cain. Romney & Huntsman are non-starters for me. Bachmann is sloppy with her facts, but her stances are right. Perry does nothing for me… just a Bush clone, in actual governing style. Then there is the rest of the field: Meh.
So, Cain or Bachmann for me. Not thrilled about either. Both are flawed. Bachmann is fading, because her money is drying up. Cain is surging, as a result. If Palin does not get in very soon, I will throw my support to Cain.
Herman Cain, like Sarah Palin, is not a member of the Political Country Club, and members of that club, whether Republican or Democrat, have far more in common with one another than they do with outsiders. Their primary loyalty is to other members of the club; party comes second. The interests of the country as a whole comes in not at all if serving them would interfere with the power or privileges of the members of the Country Club or the interest groups that support them, which includes the legacy media.
Expect a media firestorm against Cain in the near future like that which was/is being thrown against Palin. It will be the end of the world as the Country Club knows it should any outsider gain the Presidency. They can’t let that happen.
Hermanotor/Saracudda for 2012.
With Cain, our useless protestations that we are not racists and would vote for Cain, Sowell, Williams or Parker, we now have an opportunity to dash racism against the cliffs, for many decades.
Cain is the real deal; A Southern black man. He’s a descendent of slaves; mom a maid and dad a chauffeur. He grew up in Atlanta, my home town, and he pre-dated affirmative action. He graduated as a Master of Science from Perdue while working at the Dept. of Navy (ballistics). He worked at Coca-Cola, Burger King, Pillsbury and Godfather’s Pizza as CEO. He specialized in turning failing restaurants to profitability. He served as president of the National Restaurant Association and sat on the board of the Fed. Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and rose to chairman. During all this time he wrote four intellectual books on leadership (none bewailing a drunken deadbeat dad gone missing).
Unlike Romney and Obama, he is not a descendent of polygamy. He’s not suspected to be Islamic. His associations and achievements are far too praiseworthy to be brought down by a personal attack.
I don’t think the LSM can destroy a man like this. Compare him to Obama. One is a Black successful self-made man and one is half white, more than 3/4 Arab and was raised by whites. Oh, you could say his mom left him and grandparents raised him, but that is his only Black “credential”.
“Restaurants” might be the only weakness with Cain in re the association with the hiring of illegal immigrants. Was he on bended knee along the Chamber of Commerce trying to weaken employment enforcement when he was head of the other NRA? Although, I must say Burger King in the mid-1990s had a reputation of hiring recent Welfare-to-Work and mentally retarded people at the same time that McDonalds was becoming “Calvin plus the mojados” operation.
Good analysis Mr Garcia.
But Cain’s win also shows that people who will vote Republican aren’t satisfied with the frontrunners, particularly since some of Perry’s flaws were brought to light rather quikly.
It also means that the Republican electorate is flailing. That’s disappointing, but probably not fatal. Now Cain will be vetted, hopefully. If not, then it will be a much bigger problem. If the Tea Partiers are as smart as I hope they are, Cain’s 9 9 9 plan will quickly be cast aside, since it would be even more disruptive to the country than even Obamacare. Independents will be alarmed as soon as they learn the details.
After Perry’s fall, which Cain’s victory just confirmed, I thought Palin might jump in, because I imagined she would see the more conservative candidates falling behind. How Cain will affect that is hard to guess. But now I think Christie will be more tempted to join the fray, because the jump from Perry to Cain will raise the alarm in the rino wing that Romney might not be able to win over the Tea Party.
“After Perry’s fall . . .”
No doubt Perry took a hit, and probably justifiably so, but come on the man has been in the race for count ‘em 6 weeks. Cain has been at it for what six months, Romney 4+yrs. All do respect to Mr Cain and I think he would agree, he is still a very long shot for the nomination, maybe whoever finally wins the nomination will have to go through Mr Cain and his supporters, hopefully they should view themselves as a very important part of a new Tea Party/ Conservative Republican Party coalition.
As for Perry, he took a hit, the question is what’s he got now? This is a long struggle to take back this country, starting with the 2010 midterms and now the 2012 Presidential election. As far a I’m concerned I need to see more of Perry, can he take a punch, can he take as hard as he gives? He needs to provide me with a few ideas/plans, yes in writing as to what his vision for the federal government is? Remember what Obama says . . . “HIT BACK TWICE AS HARD” Now we’ll need a Presidential candidate in the General Election that can do that, but before that we need to find a nominee who can unite this Party, and for the time being I’m still thinking Perry is that Person.
God Bless
MW TP Brooklyn NY
Sure, it’s possible to get up from a fall. I hope Perry does because in a blind taste test with everything known about all the candidates, he would probably be picked by the majority of conservatives.
But he has to get his act together and fight back more effectively than he has. We can’t go into the general election with someone who doesn’t make an effective case.
Alexis Garcia is an attractive young woman.
I don’t think the media underestimates Cain, They understand there no such thing as bad publity. Stalin was a good teacher.
It will be difficult to ignore him now. I’m sure the dirt-diggers are working overtime, checking to see if they can find any dirt in his kindergarten report card.
Ok, you are graduating in statistics. First day, first lesson, professor looks at you and his very first sentence is: “Straw polls are crap, pure, unadulterated, meaningless crap”.
And they are crap even in the absence of a concerted effort to have them “tell the right thing”.
Except in two critical areas: name recognition and donations. I got DNS errors when I tried to look at Cain’s website the day after the debate; everyone was scrambling to find out who he was. And Cain will be able to tap into some real money – he’s a serious candidate now.
Sure, straw polls are meaningless in terms of math. But they are filled with meaning where it really matters in politics: emotion and appearance.
I LOVE IT! I am a Georgian who listened to Mr. Cain’s radio show from its’ inception. I met him when he spoke a a Heritage Foundation luncheon in Atlanta before he threw his hat in the race. He is genuine – loves his country and its people. I think he has the mettle to win the Republican nomination and take Obama down.
I already have my Cain in 2012 bumper sticker. Now I’m going to buy the “Honkies for Herman” sticker to complement it.
This changes everything. Thank God.
Herman Cain is a rare and precious candidate. He can get your attention by saying something nobody expected to hear, and in doing so make sense with great clarity. In the midst of elaborately prepared remarks coming from the “polished” candidate around him, he can make statements with shock value, and mitigate the boredom inherent in listening to folks who are so careful not to offend anyone, that what they say in the end is hardly worth hearing.
On the question of one’s ability to surprise an audience, here is a basic principle of information theory: “The amount of information conveyed by a message is a measure of the unexpectedness of its content”. Of course, if the content of the message was completely expected, its information content must be zero, simple as that! When someone like Herman Cain speaks, thanks God, we receive information! When a super-polished candidate like Romney speaks, we receive re-assurance. Which one do you prefer?
Here is a major issue that my brief scanning of the responses did not reveal. Maybe I missed one. When the Democrats nominate someone they get behind that candidate like he/she were the Second Coming. They express no reservations about their candidate’s alleged weaknesses. They go all in and never look back. Republicans, on the other hand, talk openly about their concerns that their candidate has certain gray areas, admitted inexperience, or whatever. Democrats instinctivly “come with a gun to the knife fight”, to quote BHO himself, and never let up. Republicans seem to never have the stomach for the fight. Reagan did and he won big. Until we conservatives master the art of “all in” we are going to finish where all nice guys do. If Herman were to be our man then we must tell the world from day one that he has the support of the best thinkers and doers in world affairs and that’s the end of any reasons for concern. Next question, please. To the worry warts…screw ‘em. We’re going in for the kill! That must be our attitude.
ABO… Anybody But Obama. That said, when I looked at the ‘field’ last week it was a matter of ABO and a couple of RINOleaders in Romney and Perry. Bachmann was a better choice in my opinion than either Romney or Perry, but I just did not think she had/has the staying power to take on the dems and the LSM. After all, the LSM wants either Romney or Perry as the RINO candidate. Now, the GOP has a solid choice for a conservative candidate with Herman Cain. He really is the only one that I have unreserved respect for. If Herman Cain can get his message out, in spite of the LSM trying to ignore him, I do believe we are now watching the next president.
He appears to me as a forward-thinking solution-finder without the attendant political clutter always demanding payback. He might just surround himself with the right kinds of people to help with the weak spots, like foreign policy. He has my support and has my vote should the day come.
Cain has something that is rare in many of our politicians and that’s common sense. He has lived a varied life, starting at the bottom and working up to the top, achieved an admirable education and has performed successfuly in the public and private sectors. Those qualities prepare a person to do just about anything they wish to do.
He knows how to manage people and organizations. He knows how to spot problems and how to fix them. He knows how to hire and fire. He has displayed good instincts in his decision-making. He is not a career politician. He is a realist. He has charisma and a good sense of humor. What’s more, he has the kind of “bearing” that fits a President.
If we start supporting him with our dollars, so he can build a more effective campaign team and compete with the big dogs, he can succeed. The more he succeeds, the easier it will become to enlist the people who will help him establish the frames of reference he will need for dealing with career politicians and forign affairs.
Nobody, I don’t care who they are, or what kind of experience they have, is adequatly prepared to become the President of the United States. We cannot comprehend the responsibility and authority that weigh on that person and whomever is elected in 2012 (it will not be Obama) will not grasp the enormity of the position until they are in the White House.
Cain can rise to the occasion at least as well as anyone else in the field of candidates and probably quicker and better than any of them.
I am sooooo excited that Herman Cain is FINALLY getting the recognition he deserves. I have heard him on interviews for months and always liked him but was getting my hopes dashed that he would have a chance. Yeah Florida!! Thank you for showing the media that it’s not a race between the RINO’s Perry and Romney!
Mr.Cain has more support in NH than one would think.. Some key state legislators were closet supporters. I am sure that they are out of the closet this morning. ” The Economy Stupid” may be an over used cliche but no less true today than it was for WJC. In fact, triple it’s importance. Foreign policy experience. Mr. Cain has already shown his savvy by going to Israel and by the way in my neighborhood here in SC where we have about eleven Jewish votes it’s the Baptists that support Israel.. Maybe more than some American Jews do. ( including some of my relatives ) As far as foreign policy is concerned, my dog Trixie could do a better job than the current occupant of the oval office. John Bolton is a National Treasure by the way. It’s time we had a President that was also a great CEO. I like this guy …A lot.
I’d much prefer if Cain dropped the 9-9-9 Plan and went straight for the Fair Tax, but that said, the 9-9-9 Plan could work IF we combine it with a balanced budget amendment to require a 2/3 supermajority to raise taxes or run a deficit.
Good article and even better commentaries.
Its still We The People vs. We The Elite People after all is said and done.
We The Elite People, i.e., RNC, DNC, MSM and Wall Street (you know, the Too Big To Fail, folks) have designated themselves as king-makers and anointed ones: 1) RNC and DNC, specialized in the way Washington DC works, 2)MSM self stated importance to the American public, able to “educate” Americans and of course 3) Wall Street with their specialized gobbley-gook speak, designed to confuse and subvert every law on the books( Ben Bernake, anyone? Hows about ol Tim Geithner, huh?). Ultimately these folks have made the USA what it is today…a total mess.
Mr. CAin brings clarity…yes, a novelty to Washington DC and boy, does this make all of We The Elite People sweat under their starched collars. Hey, remember the “cowboy?” Yep, Ronald Reagan! Not too difficult to understand his message either. Mr. Cain’s clarity, while staying on point, is impressively akin to our beloved Ronald Reagan. We The People crave this moral clarity Mr. Cain exudes. Its the light on the hill folks, all over again.
A coincidence? Both Ronald Reagan and Mr. Cain are survivors: one a gun shot the other stage 4 cancer.
Vote this 2012! Cain Can.
People like Herman Cain and Governor Palin are useful to keep the debate going and provide new ideas to overturn the “narrative” that the Legacy media and its political clients try to pull over us.
While Mr Cain is no doubt a great addition to the pack, I doubt he has the organization and funds to do more than create a great roiling of the waters and make other candidates either sink or swim harder (which is a benefit in of itself). I would hope that, like Governor Palin, he continues to be engaged and helps the TEA Party movement in electing a strong slate of Senators and Congressmen in 2012 (as well as all the downline elections).
Like Governor Palin, I believe the best outcome would be for the new administration to recognize and reward him with a high level post so he can continue to maintain a high profile and also prepare himeself for 2020 (Can you imagine a Palin/Cain ticket?). This would drive the Legacy media nuts and keep them focused on a pair of Cabinet Secrataries or Ambassadors, rather than the Admininstration; another bonus for political strategists.
The Progressive project is failing, what we need to do is ensure the strongest possible administration and legislature to make it a controlled drawdown rather than a catastrophic collapse.
He whants a 9% sales tax !!! So take 9% away from the money you have saved all your life. I think the guy is an idoit.
The only thing that bothers me about Cain is his “9-9-9″ plan. The idea of a naitonal sales tax co-existing with an income tax is not good. Even if Cain could keep the rates low during his own time in office, establishment politicians would raise those rates afterward, and we could end up with taxes even worse than they are now. A flat tax with no sales tax is a better idea.
i haven’t recognized that thing!
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This is History ,, in the making ,,that will be Remembered for years to come,,
The first Black President,, that turned out to be ,, a complete Failure ,, presented and defended by the MSM, now known as the Pravda Media,,
Replaced by We The People’s choice ,, the second Black Predendent, Herman Cain,,
the Presendent that returned Constitutional Values back to the People, reinstated America’s Leadership in Energy, Manufacturing/Innovation ,Self Governing and a Leader of of the Free World.
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