This actually is putting Cain firmly in the top tier. He was there before, but the political class was still treating him like an ‘unserious candidate’. In the the voter class, this has solidified his position at the top of the race, and Cain has the opportunity now to ride this to wins in Iowa and South Carolina, which would place him in the desired roll as the single’anti-Romney’ in this race that the base has been seeking.
Maybe not likely to happen but I would love to see Cain kick Romney's butt in New Hampshire. That would very quickly end Romney in the primaries.