Herman Cain: pizza boss, radio host, ballistics expert, minister. President?

guardian.co.uk ^ | 8 October 2011 | Staff

[BarnacleCenturion]

He is the latest Tea Party favourite to burst through in the increasingly heated race for the Republican presidential nomination and see their poll numbers rocket them to frontrunner status.

However, unlike previous rightwing darlings such as Texas governor Rick Perry and Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann, wealthy businessman Herman Cain, 65, can claim to be cut from a very different sort of cloth from the average Republican candidate.

First, he is not actually a politician. Cain, whose CV includes being a radio show host, a navy ballistics expert, a Baptist minister and a Federal Reserve official, has never held elected office in his life. His most famous job was as chief executive of the fast-food firm Godfather's Pizza.

Yet none of that seemed to matter to the cheering crowds at the Values Voter Summit in a Washington DC hotel late last week. There was much to celebrate. A Zogby opinion poll had just boosted Cain into first place in the race, with 38% of the vote, compared with 18% for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Perry trailed in third place with 12%. The study even showed Cain beating President Barack Obama in a match-up by 46% to 44%.

[MNJohnnie]

I'm sorry but if you refuse to learn the facts about the current Tax system, there is no way anyone can make you learn them.

You have to educate you. No one can do it for you.

[DTxAg]

Not for the lack of trying! He's run for POTUS in 2000 and for US Senate in 2004. He just hasn't closed the deal before. It's disingenuous to state that he's not a politician. Of course who wants to let facts get in the way of this populist emotionalism.

Absolutely right. I find it wonderfully delicious to see those who celebrated Rick Perry's fall to now squeal at the examination of Cain's record. NO! NO! DON'T LOOK AT CAIN'S RECORD! LET'S KEEP TALKING ABOUT RICK PERRY!

[SoJoCo]

I'm sorry but if you refuse to learn the facts about the current Tax system, there is no way anyone can make you learn them.

I'm not sure what the problem is. I agree with you. Regardless of what tax structure you operate under or what the rates are or what governmental entity is doing the taxing, it's a cost to doing business. Business will pass those costs on to the consumer. I don't have a problem understanding that. But all that aside, Cain's income tax and his sales tax will likely more than double the taxes the majority of people pay. That is simple math and based on a comparison between what people pay now and what they pay under the Cain scheme. So I'm not sure what the point is you're trying to make.

[TheOldLady]

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[DTxAg]

So I'm not sure what the point is you're trying to make.

I believe the theory is that Congress implements a national sales tax and then, at some future point, the 16th Amendment gets repealed so that income taxes are no longer collected. Obviously, you have to hope that some future Congress doesn't decide that they like the income and national sales taxes, so why not keep both.

[snoringbear]

“Given he has never held elected office, or been a general, his chances seem slim to none.”

Well, the fact that he (Cain)has never held elected office is a plus in my book. Concerning his never having been a general, being that I only made it to a mere Speedy-Four, I'm not that crazy about generals either. As I recall, bad things happened whenever a general came on the scene :)

[mkjessup]

If nothng else works, you play the race card, huh?

Not at all. Just idle speculation on my part.

But it sounds like I hit a raw nerve with you.

[mkjessup]

If nothng else works, you play the race card, huh?
Guess I missed that first time through. MK, we don't have to play the race card on this guy. His record speaks for himself.
FYI, my skin color is white (actually a bit off white, cream color?)

As I already responded to TnV, my comment was nothing more than idle speculation, but TnV's immediate response accusing me of 'playing the race card' suggests (as I said) that I must have hit a raw nerve.

For the record, I'm a Honkie for Herman!

[mkjessup]

I was not addressing you or your candidate. I was addressing mkjessup who said this to sodpoodle.

“I read some of these sneers and smirks about this good man, and can’t help but wonder if the smirkers are just biding their time until their sheets come back from the dry cleaners. “

One doesn’ have to be black to play the race card. White liberal do this all the ime when their boy, Barack, is criticized.

When their 'BOY' is criticized?!? Say there pardner, that could be construed as racist itself!

I'm beginning to think that you 'protesteth too much', as you are (thus far) the only poster to object so vociferously to my off hand remarks.

[tirednvirginia]

Excuse me? Don’t think you win friends here with that remark.

We see the race card played all the time and you can’t scare me off by playing it on me.

You don’t win one more vote here with attacking other posters as racist simply because they critize your candidate who happens to be black.

[tirednvirginia]

You bet!

When one is losing the argument, you play the race card. Just try using that everytime you defend your candidate.

Doesn’t scare me. Keep it up and you will soon see how many new supporters you win here.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Correct, this fragmented and aimless group did such a marvelous job of winning support for their first potential candidate, that their candidate was forced to drop out of the race because her support kept dropping.

Look at it this way; Whom ever they support, consider that candidate's days to be numbered.

[mkjessup]

I knew Pavlov, Pavlov was a friend of mine, and I can see that you know him too.

*DING DING DING* LOL

[tirednvirginia]

Your remarks don’t help your candidate and I will call Barack Obama “boy” anytime I feel like it.

[af_vet_rr]

By the way, do you Cain supporters share your man's zeal and admiration for Mitt Romney?

Do you Perry supporters share your man's enthusiasm for Rudy Giuliani? Perry campaigned hard for him, told America that Rudy was what the country needed.

While I don't like that Cain supported Romney and don't think there's a good excuse for that, there is even less of an excuse for Perry campaigning for Giuliani, not just because Giuliani was pro-gay marriage, pro-gun control, and pro-abortion, but because Giuliani's lawfirm was working to try and get Perry's TTC pushed through. That just smells of corruption.

[tirednvirginia]

They have a new weapon they didn’t have before.

[mkjessup]

I will call Barack Obama “boy” anytime I feel like it.

I rest my case.

[Netizen]

Folks need to do their homework before knocking him.

I think they know. I think they want to pretend they don't.

[Retch_Sweeney]

Lot’s of information there at his website. I won’t try to forecast where we’ll be a year form now, but he seems like a force to be reckoned with...from his site:

“In 1994, as head of the National Restaurant Association, he had the opportunity to speak with President Clinton during a nationally televised town hall meeting. Here, Herman challenged the President regarding the impact on businesses if his health care overhaul proposal were passed. President Clinton attempted to assure him and the millions of viewers watching at home that his legislation would not harm American business owners and their employees.

Herman was skeptical. “Quite honestly Mr. President, your calculations are incorrect,” he said. “In the competitive marketplace, it simply doesn’t work that way.” His words echoed across America, and Newsweek named Herman Cain the primary saboteur of Hillarycare.”

He’s still moving about the planet, which is more than can be said for many who encountered the most corrupt president our country has seen. There’s a link to a YouTube clip of the same scene there at his site.

[SeaHawkFan]

He’s still moving about the planet, which is more than can be said for many who encountered the most corrupt president our country has seen.

Shouldn't that be "second most corrupt"?