Posted on 01/16/2011 1:26:24 PM PST by Publius772000
When Herman Cain announced on Wednesday, January 12, that he was forming an exploratory committee to test the waters for a possible presidential bid, he immediately faced questions about his perceived lack of experience. After all, Cain had only a failed U.S. Senate bid in 2004 on his political resume.
When Herman spoke to my AP Government class in December, one of the students asked him the same question: "Are you electable, given your lack of political pedigree?" Cain's answer was one that he has since echoed in subsequent interviews. He asked the class to think about the political background of our last few presidents. The students thoughtfully considered the experience of Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush. After giving the class a chance to think through his initial question, he asked a second one: "How's that working out for us?"
The truth of the matter is that, regardless of what the pundits will undoubtedly call relevant "experience," the country has continued to falter. Today, many politically experienced people are telling the American people that the recession is over and the economy is on the upswing as the dollar continues to decline, gas and food prices continue to rise, unemployment languishes near 10%, and federal spending increases daily. People with far more political experience than Herman Cain have told the American people that would be practically impossible to cut any spending in Washington, that earmarks are a necessary part of government, and that Congress and President Obama needed to pass a $1 trillion health care bill in order to save money.
President George H.W. Bush was a career federal official--what people in Washington would call a "public servant"--who had served in several departments and offices before becoming Ronald Reagan's vice-president. He knew the ins and outs of Washington. He promised no new taxes to get elected in 1988, then was forced to raise them, a fact that his successor used to great advantage. The federal deficit continued to rise.
President Bill Clinton was a governor of Arkansas. He attempted to pass a universal health care plan that a then-nationally unknown Herman Cain helped to dismantle. Clinton’s agenda was mercifully handicapped by the Republican takeover of 1994 and his various extracurricular scandals. He is given credit by the mainstream media for producing a rare budget surplus in Washington, thanks to welfare reform and other conservative measures passed by Republicans. This phantom “surplus,” a clever accounting ploy, was never realized. Even if it had been, programs would undoubtedly have been created to ensure every taxpayer dime was spent in some capacity. Under Clinton, much of the foundation for the housing crisis was passed into law.
President George W. Bush was governor of Texas before being elected in 2000. He led the country through the 9-11 crisis, then simultaneously embroiled the United States in two separate wars. At the end of his term, Bush signed some of the now-infamous legislative acts that bailed out financial institutions and laid the groundwork for the economic policies of the Obama administration.
Before being elected president, Barack Obama was a state senator in Illinois. He was then elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 and almost immediately began his campaign for president. To say his Senate tenure counts as political experience is, at best, a stretch. His experience has come on the job, a situation Joe Biden warned voters about while he was a rival to Obama. Guantanamo Bay, which Obama promised to close, is still open. We are still involved in both Iraq and Afghanistan. We have alienated and offended some of our greatest allies in the world, Britain and Israel, while making overtures to the Muslim nations that foster hatred toward the United States and hold us hostage with high oil prices.
Domestically, Obama’s attempts to “fix” the economy through stimulus, tax credits, Cash for Clunkers, takeovers of major corporations for the sake of labor unions, etc., have failed to date. Still, the president and his lackeys continue to tell the American people that the economy is improving, that Obama brought us back from the brink. Obama had some political experience before entering the White House.
And now those who would seek to make Herman Cain an “also-ran,” or a flash in the pan have already begun to decry his lack of political experience.
On the contrary, Herman Cain’s strength is his lack of Washington experience. His resume as a problem solver is extensive, and he has a proven track record, having been successful at every venture he has decided to undertake. Check out his biography either here or at his web site at www.hermancain.com. Unlike Obama and many of our other recent leaders, both in the White House and Congress, Herman Cain has actually lived in the voters’ world. His has not been an education in theory and philosophy. He believes what he believes because he knows that it works. He hasn’t taught a constitutional law class. He hasn’t signed a bill into law.
But Herman Cain has been placed in command of companies worth tens of millions of dollars. He’s signed paychecks. He’s met budgets, not by raising the debt ceiling or forcing customers to pay for any deficits, but by smart managing, budget cutting, and common sense problem solving. In 2012, the American people will be looking for someone different, for someone who doesn’t just promise change. They will be looking for someone who can deliver.
And the Pizza Man can deliver.
bump for a good article.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.