The Secret Behind Herman Cain’s Success

[CG6468]

The Secret Behind Herman Cain’s Success

    Ed Kilgore
    September 30, 2011 | 12:00 am

Former pizza magnate Herman Cain’s upset victory in the September 24 Florida Republican straw poll, and his subsequent rise to a competitive third place position in at least one national poll, are being generally interpreted as a function of GOP voter unhappiness with previous “top-tier” candidates (Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, and arguably Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul). In particular, Rick Perry’s series of ever-deteriorating debate performances have apparently made more than a few conservative base voters restless, creating at least a temporary opening for the smooth and genial Cain, who has always been popular with the Tea Party crowd.

But something a bit more profound than happy feet (and the perpetual desire to refute “liberal media” claims of latent racism) may be driving Republicans in Cain’s direction. His relentless advocacy of a comprehensive overhaul of the federal tax code, bearing the catchy moniker of “9-9-9,” is getting serious attention in the conservative chattering classes. That’s happening for two pretty obvious reasons.

First, the increasing nastiness of the Romney-Perry competition, and perhaps even some fatigue with the entire field’s monotonous Obama-bashing, has created a natural desire for a more positive campaign focused on what Republicans propose rather than what they oppose. As conservative opinion-leader Erick Erickson argued after Cain’s Florida straw poll win:

(snip)

Of course, none of these attractions are enough to make Herman Cain the Republican presidential nominee.

I believe in a more positive campaign, too. One that will positively oust the pretender in charge.

Cain who? 

[docstew]

I wish they would stop using the terms "pizza", "Godfather's", etc. It demeans the man's other accomplishments, same as they tried to do with Reagan and "Bedtime for Bonzo" etc.

[thundley4]

I wish they would stop using the terms "pizza", "Godfather's", etc. It demeans the man's other accomplishments, same as they tried to do with Reagan and "Bedtime for Bonzo" etc.

After working as a civilian analyst for the U.S. Navy, Cain worked in the early 1970s for the Coca-Cola Company and then joined Pillsbury in 1977, where he worked his way up to the position of vice president. He had great success running hundreds of Burger King restaurants (at the time a subsidiary of Pillsbury), and Pillsbury made him president of their Godfather's Pizza chain in 1986. He and a team of investors managed a buyout in 1988, and he joined the National Restaurant Association's board that same year.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/herman-cain#ixzz1ZvpbMYkD

The left will try and smear him claiming that he can't hold a steady job. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

I wish they would stop using the terms "pizza", "Godfather's", etc. It demeans the man's other accomplishments, same as they tried to do with Reagan and "Bedtime for Bonzo" etc.

True - but look how well that worked out for the slimy bastards.

[Erasmus]

It helps that Cain hasn't held office before.  It's much easier to run a clean campaign when you don't have a history of political foul-ups coming back to bite you.  Advantage Cain.  I'd gladly pull the lever for this man.

[Eupher]

It helps that Cain hasn't held office before.  It's much easier to run a clean campaign when you don't have a history of political foul-ups coming back to bite you.  Advantage Cain.  I'd gladly pull the lever for this man.

Aye.

When you look at Barry's own history, in particular his U.S. Senator history ( ), the first thing that grabs you by the 'nads is his common practice of voting "present" on many bills, in particular the bills that had some controversy. He voted "present" so often it's bitten him in the ass, actually, but the point is, Barry voted "present" because the bill's passage or rejection was moot. He did it to skirt accountability.

I see nothing in Herman Cain that suggests he skirts accountability.

[thundley4]

Cain Says He ‘Would Not Be Comfortable’ As Perry's Running Mate

HOUSTON -- Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said on Thursday that he would definitely consider an invitation to run as the eventual nominee’s vice president, except if the nominee turns out to be Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Cain, who rocketed to the top tier of the GOP field in several recent polls, was asked by reporters on the campaign trail for his thoughts on a hypothetical invitation to run as the eventual nominee’s No. 2. After offering the obligatory comment that he intends to be the nominee, Cain said, “Quite frankly, based upon Governor Perry’s position on some issues, I would not be comfortable being his vice presidential nominee.”

Cain said his concerns about Perry include "being soft on the border, issues relative to tuition for children of illegal aliens." As governor, Perry supported legislation offering in-state college tuition for the children of illegal immigrants, which has become a flash point in the campaign. "And I haven’t totally gone through all of his positions, but a lot of positions I have questions with," Cain said.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-presidential-campaign/cain-says-he-would-not-be-comfortable-as-perry-s-running-mate-20111006

Perry does have a problem with offering illegal children state tuition.

[GOP Congress]

I'm about one debate away from going all in on Cain. Frankly, nobody else impresses me, and he has no track record of RINO/socialist behavior ala ROMNEY-care (or RINO-care), giving up Texas to La Raza (Perry), selling out to the global warming kooks (Newt), making theocratic gaffes (Bachmann), and just being a general nutjob (R. Paul).

While anyone is "better" than Obama, the fact is that a RINO will NOT turn back the entirety of Obama's theft. It will only STOP it, and unfortunately, set up the state for 2014 for the dems to run against a tepid RINO administration.

Bottom line: If not Palin, then Cain. Everyone else is too far back out of the picture, and we must do our DAMNEDEST to keep the press from propping up Romney. I predict Mitt Romney will actually be more liked by the media than Obama during the primary seaspm to get him on the GOP ticket; if he gets the nomination locked up, then the press will pull a McCain on him and move back to Obama for the general election.

[thundley4]

I'm about one debate away from going all in on Cain. Frankly, nobody else impresses me, and he has no track record of RINO/socialist behavior ala ROMNEY-care (or RINO-care), giving up Texas to La Raza (Perry), selling out to the global warming kooks (Newt), making theocratic gaffes (Bachmann), and just being a general nutjob (R. Paul).

While anyone is "better" than Obama, the fact is that a RINO will NOT turn back the entirety of Obama's theft. It will only STOP it, and unfortunately, set up the state for 2014 for the dems to run against a tepid RINO administration.

Bottom line: If not Palin, then Cain. Everyone else is too far back out of the picture, and we must do our DAMNEDEST to keep the press from propping up Romney. I predict Mitt Romney will actually be more liked by the media than Obama during the primary seaspm to get him on the GOP ticket; if he gets the nomination locked up, then the press will pull a McCain on him and move back to Obama for the general election.

The media is already hyping Romney and have done everything but declared the primary winner. Unfortunately he also seems to be the darling of the  GOP establishment, too.   They both keep giving Cain the short end of the stick regardless of the polls showing that people like Cain.

[CG6468]

I like Cain and have so for a long time. The bottom line, though, is: Who can win the election to oust the pretender?

[Rugnuts]

I like Cain and have so for a long time. The bottom line, though, is: Who can win the election to oust the pretender?

well there are more than one that can do that. i dont have a doubt that romney could. but i dont want him.

i could win an election against obummer. id have to do it the old fashioned way though.

[DumbAss Tanker]

The media is already hyping Romney and have done everything but declared the primary winner. Unfortunately he also seems to be the darling of the  GOP establishment, too.   They both keep giving Cain the short end of the stick regardless of the polls showing that people like Cain.

All the hype for Romney from the press and the GOP establishment (Fiscally conservative democrats who just belong to a different party than the rest of the democrats, really) doesn't seem to be improving Mitt's position with the base particularly, which is good.

[Eupher]

I'm about one debate away from going all in on Cain. Frankly, nobody else impresses me, and he has no track record of RINO/socialist behavior ala ROMNEY-care (or RINO-care), giving up Texas to La Raza (Perry), selling out to the global warming kooks (Newt), making theocratic gaffes (Bachmann), and just being a general nutjob (R. Paul).

While anyone is "better" than Obama, the fact is that a RINO will NOT turn back the entirety of Obama's theft. It will only STOP it, and unfortunately, set up the state for 2014 for the dems to run against a tepid RINO administration.

Bottom line: If not Palin, then Cain. Everyone else is too far back out of the picture, and we must do our DAMNEDEST to keep the press from propping up Romney. I predict Mitt Romney will actually be more liked by the media than Obama during the primary seaspm to get him on the GOP ticket; if he gets the nomination locked up, then the press will pull a McCain on him and move back to Obama for the general election.

Good point about a RINO not turning back the entirety of Barry's theft. But I'm not so sure that a RINO would even stop it, yet I'd agree that 2014 would be set up for the Dems to run against a tepid RINO administration.

Bottom line is, we don't react to a political situation until OUR OWN ASSES are impacted by whatever political establishment that has caused us grief. That's why we're seeing the OWS idiots camping out in NYC and elsewhere. These are the kids who have made stupid decisions that cost them big money, and they point the finger toward "the man" for their own problems.

Those kids wouldn't be there if their own bottom line wasn't impacted. They'd be sitting home in Mommy's basement playing X-box.

So "business as usual" from a RINO administration, less perhaps some of the bailouts and other bullshit that got us to this place we're at, will inevitably cause more pain and thereby set up the Dems, as you've observed. We can't have that, of course. We need a firm course of action -- and you won't get that from a RINO.

[GOP Congress]

One more point: This election cycle we are focused mainly on the presidential race far more than the congressional races. It is VITALLY IMPORTANT as well that we keep on electing Tea Party candidates for the republican candidacy of these positions. As I said before, I'd rather see a Sharron Angle lose than to see a tepid RINO win, because you cannot depend on the RINO to vote for conservative causes, and worse, it is far harder to displace a RINO incumbent in the primary than win in a general field.

In short: At this point, at least from a strictly technical standpoint, our current BIGGEST enemy is the GOP establishment, aka RINO's.

(An aside: "RINO", or Republican In Name Only, is kind of a misnomer; it automatically assumes all republicans are conservatives, when in fact the republican establishment IS for a larger, less flexible governement, which is the supposed antitheses of conservatism/libertarianism. But I view the GOP as the main force against social and economic tyranny represented by the socialist Democratic Party; and fifth column elements within the party leadership notwithstanding, the GOP is the ONLY organizational structure in which to fight it.)

That is actually the most dangerous part of these debates, to be honest. We MUST ensure that every tea party concern is addressed, but it usually has to be initiated by the candidates because the Democratic Party-socialist-run moderators are NOT going to allow questions that bring out the strengths of the candidates as much as expose the weaknesses, other than for their preferred candidates, and at this point, candidate Mitt Romney appears to becoming the media darling of the primary season.

[Erasmus]

I think it helps that he's not already a politician.  That will put a dent in the ammo the left could throw at him.  They'll be reduced to calling him Uncle Tom for the most part, as they're doing now.  He has no apparent RomneyCare moment.

[thundley4]

I think it helps that he's not already a politician.  That will put a dent in the ammo the left could throw at him.  They'll be reduced to calling him Uncle Tom for the most part, as they're doing now.  He has no apparent RomneyCare moment.

But they will claim that Cain has no experience. Neither did Obama, but pointing that out got you called racist, at the time.

[Erasmus]

But they will claim that Cain has no experience. Neither did Obama, but pointing that out got you called racist, at the time.

Yep.   That is true.

[docstew]

But they will claim that Cain has no experience. Neither did Obama, but pointing that out got you called racist, at the time.

So when a white Dem says Cain has no experience, turn it back on them. Call them a racist for requiring a black man to have "experience".

Or take the high road and say "George Washington had no elected experience either. I think it worked out pretty well."

[GOP Congress]

The bottom line is that the primary, in my view, is far more important than the election. We have proven since 1976 that with conservatives, we win big since the 80's. With moderates we lose, or barely win. The last time a conservative lost was in '64, which actually was the lynchpin for the modern conservative movement.

Speaking of 1964, the GOP had a major division in the ranks with big-government moderates at odds with constitutional conservatives. It looks like 48 years later, we will have the same primary fight.

Yes, to me it is clear. The presidency will be won, or lost, in the primary. Remember, if Romney wins, the Obama plan doesn't get reverted back, and may even become more cemented. And don't think the dems are ignorant of that fact.

Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum are our only real conservatives in the mix. Perry and Gingrich are too volatile, but potentially tolerable. Mitt Romney is the big albatross we must get rid of. The Republican convention may be a barnburner yet.