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Saturday, December 3, 2011

You're Fired!


 

 
               
                While Republican Candidate Herman Cain may not have been fired, he has suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination. The title of this post does refer to the recent announcement from, the once Republican hopeful, Donald Trump. The reality show star and media mogul is set to moderate a Republican debate in Des Moines, Iowa. The conservative website, Newsmax is slated to sponsor the debate that will air on December 27th. Thus far, the only candidate to confirm an appearance is Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Both Representative Ron Paul and Governor John Huntsman have declined the invitation. The Paul campaign even issued a statement addressing the decision to choose a television personality as a moderator, calling it “beneath the office of the presidency”.  Candidates like Governor Mitt Romney, Governor Rick Perry and Representative Michelle Bachmann have yet to respond to the invite, however the participation of the current front runner Gingrich puts pressure on the others decision.  For reasons of pure entertainment value, I hope that this debate comes together. As the first caucus and primary approach, this type of debate will be the icing on the ridiculousness of the Republican candidacy. It is a shame that Cain will miss out on such an opportunity.
                For the past few weeks it seems that many of these posts have been focused on Herman Cain. This is mostly because he has been in the news frequently compared to candidates like Santorum or Huntsman. He has also been the most exciting candidate to watch as his controversial rhetoric and questionable behavior towards women sent him rising and then plummeting in the polls. After all, it is very uncommon to see a former CEO gain so much momentum in the race for presidential nomination. His popularity was most likely a result of his smilingly “outsider” status, despite the fact that he was a lobbyist for the Food and Restaurant Association for years. Republicans have been desperate for a candidate to shake up the party and many saw that in Cain. However, recent missteps on foreign policy and the sexual harassment allegations of up to five women have sent the Cain campaign on a downward spiral.
                The announcement came from a press conference in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday in front of a crowd of Cain supporters. Cain has been in Atlanta in order to discuss with his family the state of his campaign and whether the heartache suffered by the family was worth his continuation in the race. In the speech, Cain announced that he would be suspending the campaign and initializing his Plan B. The suspension of his campaign allows Cain to continue to accept donations in order to pay for the campaign up until now as well as finance Plan B; travel across the country to promote his tax and foreign policy plans. In many ways, this announcement is not a surprise. Since the POLITICO article was publishes on October 30th detailing the first two sexual harassment allegation, Cain has experienced a tough time in the polls. However, the allegations were not the first factors to hurt the campaign. While Cain’s rhetoric was popular amongst most Republicans it was also the source of controversy and ultimately got the candidate in trouble most of the time.  For example, Cain’s suggestion to build an electrified fence along the Mexican border resulted in great backlash from the public but Cain claimed to be making a joke. There is also, of course, the famous 9-9-9 plan that Cain has held onto for dear life despite countless studies by nonpartisan organizations that prove the plan would raise taxes on the lower class as well as lower the corporate tax. All of this makes it no surprise that Cain has dropped out of the race. 
Governor Mitt Romney

The larger question is what took so long? I personally believe that Cain never expected to get this far in the campaign, that he never thought his catchy tax plan would be open to such public scrutiny and that he would be questioned on his knowledge of not only foreign policy like the war in Libya but also democratic process like how an amendment is passed. Cain is the perfect example of the GOP’s obsession with “outsider” candidates and their immense opposition to a candidate like Romney.  Republicans want to win in 2012 and the odds are very much in their favor with Obama’s approval rating low in important battle ground states and the economy not yet recovered.  Regardless of this, Republicans still do not have a candidate they feel to be sufficient to battle Obama.
Mitt Romney is still struggling to gain support from Republicans as Gingrich is now rising in the polls as a favorite. Governor Rick Perry hasn’t made the news lately while Representative Ron Paul trudges on as always. Candidates like Bachmann, Huntsman, and Santorum should take a hint from Cain as the chances of any of them winning any state are slim. With Cain gone, the caucus in Iowa has been the focus for Romney and Paul. Romney has recently aired a television advertisement while his son has organized rallies in Iowa. Paul has also scheduled two college rallies in the state.  
The suspension of the Cain campaign can have many consequences. It will be interesting to see which candidate his supporters will switch to. Also interesting will be the reaction of the other candidates on the decision. With the race still in full swing the presence of Cain’s Georgian drawl and complete ignorance to the democratic process and lack of knowledge on topics like tax reform and foreign policy will no doubt be missed. Maybe. Probably not. 

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The End for Cain?

 
                  Another woman has come forth claiming to have had an inappropriate relationship with Republican candidate Herman Cain. This is the fifth woman to claim such a relationship however it seems that this situation was a consensual affair that lasted more than 13 years. The former CEO and GOP candidate has announced to his own advisers that he would be reassessing the campaign. After poor results in many polls and shaky debate performances, the Cain campaign may be rethinking their pursuit for the Republican nomination. The emergence of yet another claim that may cloud the minds of republicans is seen as an immediate threat to Cain and his ability to gain support as the Iowa caucus approaches. 
                 Atlanta business woman Ginger White made the announcement on Monday in an interview with the city’s news station WAGA.  In the interview, previewed in the video above, White insists that she was aware of the inappropriate nature of her relationship with Cain. She claims that the relationship lasted almost 14 years and ended merely months before Cain’s announcement of his bid for the Republican nomination.  Also confirmed to another source, is that her relationship with Cain was also sexual.  Evidence that supports White’s claims can be found in cell phone records that indicate strong communication between White and a phone number alleged to be Cain’s.  Upon receiving these records WAGA sent a text message to the number, Cain called back and subsequently acknowledged his knowing of White. These cell phone records also reveal that there has been communication between both White and Cain as recently as September. There was also a phone call placed from Cain to White at 4:26 am, suggesting a relationship that was beyond a simple acquaintance. 
GOP Candidate Herman Cain

       The Cain campaign’s reaction to the allegations from White has been not surprisingly somewhat wobbly.  A statement from Cain’s attorney Lin Wood to WAGA did not suggest the allegations were false. "No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life,"( http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/29/politics/cain-accusation-affair/index.html).  Wood’s statement did not clearly deny the allegations nor did it claim them to be false. Despite the statement, Cain appeared on CNN vehemently denying White’s allegations.  During the interview he also revealed the toll such allegations are having on his family. He expressed that the continuation of his campaign relies on the way in which his family reacts to the news.  It seems that Cain is concerned with only how this news will affect his marriage and family life. Considering there have been four other women to allege inappropriate behavior with the business man, the strain on his family has no doubt grown.
                The Iowa campaign chairman for Cain, Steve Grubbs has confirmed that the candidate has announced to advisers that he will be taking a step back and reassessing the campaign. A source close to the campaign sited that the reassessment is mostly due to the lack of money and support for the campaign. The source also stated that the layoff of advisors is likely and depends on fundraising efforts. Cain is still scheduled to speak about foreign policy in Michigan. If Cain does ultimately decide to drop out of the race, there is a significant amount of supporters and votes that will be transferred to another candidate. It is most likely that such support will end up with Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich due to similar conservative stances. Hopefully, Cain will use this latest scandal to finally leave the race that he has struggled to stay on top of. 

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