Posted on 10/07/2011 8:43:16 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Today, the Susan B. Anthony list and National Organization for marriage released a joint scorecard for the Republican candidates for President at the annual Values Voters Summit. Ordinarily, a release like this carries few surprises, and in this election cycle so dominated by fiscal issues, a scorecard devoted to gay marriage and abortion is unlikely to carry the same weight it would have in the past. However, what may surprise those perusing the score card this time around is the fact that one candidate the one widely interpreted as the most conservative in the race actually falls to the Left of most of his peers on both issues.
That candidate is Herman Cain. According to the scorecard, Cain, who many have interpreted as a Huckabee-style populist outsider, looks more like Ross Perot when social issues are discussed. On abortion, Cain is one of only two candidates who have refused to sign the Susan B. Anthonys pro-Life pledge, a pledge which asks candidates to commit to key pro-Life goals if elected to the Presidency in 2012. The other candidate who has refused to sign is (unsurprisingly) former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, whose record on abortion is famously confused. However, Cain still ends up to the Right of Romney in the aggregate on the issue, given that Romney is the only candidate to refuse to make it a priority to appoint pro-Life appointees to Executive Branch offices if elected.
It is on gay marriage where Cain takes more liberties. In fact, on gay marriage, he appears indistinguishable from Libertarian Rep. Ron Paul. Cain has refused to sign the Pro-Marriage Pledge, refused to support the so-called Federal Marriage Amendment, and has Unknown stances on every other issue the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) scores, other than defense of the Defense of Marriage Act, which every GOP candidate is on record supporting. In contrast, candidates like Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and even Mitt Romney have openly said Yes to every question asked by NOM.
Given that Cain is perceived as the conservative standard bearer who has eclipsed more socially conventional candidates like Rick Perry, this raises an important question: Is Cain actually conservative enough for his support base, or are social issues actually in their twilight years?
Yea. No doubt he wants to undermine the Tea Party candidate in order to help the establishment candidate.
Frum Forum is a RINO organization that delights in slamming conservatives but facts are facts. Just like Obama and Palin, people are projecting what they want on Herman Cain. Think back to the Georgia GOP senate primary that Cain ran in. He was slammed as a moderate who supported affirmative action and had moderate social positions. Anyone who thinks Cain is a conservative hero is going to be disappointed. By the way, I like Cain. I think there is a place for him in elected office so I’m not saying any of this to backstab or undermine him. But the truth is the truth.
Simple. Cincinnati’s Wife has drunk deeply the Kool-Aid of Perry, and will say and do anything to mislead people into supporting Perry.
WHERE are your posts laying out Perry's plans and agenda? Seems all you can post are intlelectually dishonest smear attacks on other candidates.
WHERE is the Perry agenda? The issues papers? Slimeing the other candidates, mindless bot sloganeering and "vote for Perry his is a wonderful governor" posts are not serious campaign articles.
Just curious to find out where Cain’s supporters stand.
It seems these social issues are fungible depending on circumstances.
There can only be one truth.
The article reports the candidates' positions.
Front page news? NOT.... and you can try all you want, until your boy Perry proves he can not look like a weak, idiot in the debates I won’t even consider him. I can see the writing on the wall ... the con man, community organizer, Marxist, Kenyan, closet Muslim, pretty obvious homo in that is now usurping the White House will chew Perry up and spit him out in a debate. I want someone that is not afraid to go after the POS and Cain is the only one that I can see doing that right now.
Now if Perry improves and starts attacking Obongo I am open to changing my mind. I am 99% positive the only 2 that Obama would not want to debate are Cain and Gingrich.
Sorry words are wind, where are the issues statements? Where are the position papers for Perry?
Oh that right, he has yet to issue any. It all "Vote for me I am a wonderful guy" Cult of Personality posting or baseless gutter smear job posts from the Perry camp
“Pledges” are gimmicks and signing them is a sign of weakness.
HERMAN CAIN IS EXACTLY WHAT THE UNITED STATES NEEDS!
Zogby with the extravagant numbers is an interactive poll. If you wished you could track his internet polling over time. At one point he had Michele Bachmann way leading everyone with 35% and has never had Romney with a decent level of support.
Could not deny Cain has surged, but CW isn’t doing anything bc she believes the Zogby interactive poll. LOL
Cain needn't sign a pledge to prove he is anti-abortion.
Cain issued a statement to explain why he chose not to sign the pledge. He said he agrees with the first three parts of the pledge because he adamantly supports the appointing pro-life judges and selecting pro-life appointees to his Cabinet and the Executive Branch as well ending taxpayer funding for abortions, but he had a problem with the last part of the pledge.
The fourth requirement demands that I 'advance' the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. As president, I would sign it, but Congress must advance the legislation, he said. I have been a consistent and unwavering champion of pro life issues. In no way does this singular instance of clarification denote an abandonment of the pro-life movement, but instead, is a testament to my respect for the balance of power and the role of the presidency.
Herman Cain Blasts Planned Parenthood, Abortion Biz Attacks Him
I for one believe it’s better for candidates to avoid “pledges” to one position or another. Once they commit themselves to one position and it’s made public their opposition can use that position against them.
It’s akin to showing your cards at a poker match before placing the bets. Let them publicly announce their position during the campaign, they can AND DO change their opinions over time. If they stray from their base let them live with the consequences.
This stinks of a divide and conquer liberal tactic, pitting SoCons vs FisCons. Cain is the best candidate and he’s leading the polls. The earlier we line up the stronger we’ll be going into the election.
“The perfect candidate does not exist. It will be a very easy election for me...I’ll be voting “the other guy”...whoever that is.”
Agree 100%.
Zogby with the extravagant numbers is an interactive poll. If you wished you could track his internet polling over time. At one point he had Michele Bachmann way leading everyone with 35% and has never had Romney with a decent level of support.
Could not deny Cain has surged, but CW isn’t doing anything bc she believes the Zogby interactive poll. LOL
No it does not.
It is a blog posting from a Left leaning GOP Establishment site. It is a knowing distortion of Cain's potions in the vain hope that it will prop up the Romeny/Perry GOP Establishment political machine's candidates.
Anyone can write anything on a blog. Posting it as "News" is a willing distortion by you.
So since you are willing to mislead us on this, what else are you lying to us about?
Cain is conservative enough to do the job. My main concern is his (seemingly)cozy relationship with his former boss, the Federal Reserve. Another problem is this 999 tax idea. Without the ELIMINATION of the existing tax system, this is just a new set of taxes ready and waiting to expand, like new fat cells, never to go away. In Europe, the VAT has become a real monster.
Then again, anything is better than what we have in the whitehouse, now. Never thought I would say that I wish Hillary was there........
Cain is one of only two candidates who have refused to sign the Susan B. Anthonys pro-Life pledge
If you've read Cain's response to this, you would realize that his refusal to sign was based on one of the bullet points on the pledge being unConstitutional in regards to the President but he did release that he agreed with the platform.
All this shows is that Cain takes pledges seriously, not just sign them for political brownie points. Would you rather have someone as principled as Cain or someone who signs things blindly for brownie points?
Cain's comments on Pro-Life pledge
Hermain Cain On the Issues- Abortion
If you look at his actual record and statements, you will see a pro-life champion and it is disgusting to compare him to Romney on that issue.
Our forefathers based our government on both - if it is good enough for them, I'm for more of the same. One country under God works for me. Competent, God fearing leaders are all but non existent in this administration and if we can elect COMPETENT, Godly men our country will be on a way to recovery. I know that's my opinion but that's the way I roll.
Lies. Interesting that you would use the same tactics RINO Isakson’s campaign tried to use against him in Georgia Senate race.
The TRUTH
Herman Cains own article in 2004:
Affirmative Action is a Negative Step
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2004/04/28/op_413767.shtml
2004 - Herman Cain blasts Roe v. Wade Free Republic - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-gop/1063707/posts
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