Posted on 05/23/2011 6:30:49 AM PDT by Gargantua
While it is clear from the outset that a large percentage of lurkers and posters on FreeRepublic are staunch supporters of Sarah Palin, there are nonetheless a significant if considerably smaller number who avidly support Herman Cain. My curiosity piqued by this fact, I decided to watch Herman in his interview yesterday on “2012 One-on-One” with Chris Wallace, FOX NEWS Sunday.
As the show opened, Chris ran a videotape of Herman at a campaign stop where he commandeered the stage with an undeniable presence, arms spread expansively, and said “Once I am president, Americans will be able to say, “Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty we are once again free at last.”' Truly powerful stuff.
Wallace went on to query Cain in some detail about what he referred to as “The Cain Doctrine.” Chris first asked him, “Free from what?” I won't waste time by reciting a verbatim transcript of the back-and-forth between them, but I have supplied a link < http://video.foxnews.com/v/954878611001/ > which I encourage you to use to verify what I am reporting here. Cain listed those things from which Americans can expect to be freed by electing him president, and then he enumerated in detail the steps he would take as president to deliver us.
Wallace then “drilled deep,” asking pointed questions about the specific facets Cain had laid out, and brought up the fact that many of these suggestions Cain had listed, in fact, would not work given the current economic situation. Cain, in a surprise move, agreed, saying, “If they (Republicans) had seen these things coming, and done what I am suggesting a year ago, it could have worked. But no, it will not work now.”
Cain laid out his point-by-point plan for fixing America's problems, then admitted that the plan would not, could not work. I'm as stunned as I have ever been.
I understand how incongruous, unlikely, and absolutely contradictory this sounds. I implore you, go to the link I have provided and watch what I watched. It is astounding. At two minutes and 30 seconds into this 13 minute vid, just look at the expression on Herman's face as Wallace questions him. He looks like a student trying to come up with an excuse for why he hadn't read the chapter assigned to him the day before.
That said, please ignore the characterizations and opinions here, and watch the video. For any candidate to lay out in detail a plan for America's success, citing it as the reason why we all should vote for him, and then immediately follow up by admitting that his plan cannot work is pretty much the beginning and the end of his campaign. I understand the desire to field a Republican candidate who is a person of color, since that would remove from their quiver the Democrats’ predictable arrows and accusations of racism.
But just as my heart sank when Lt. Col. Allen West stated with finality that he would not be seeking the presidency in 2012, I realized that Herman Cain, whether or not he is capable of winning the primary (and given what we see here, that remains a very serious question), quite simply is not the one we need or should want leading this nation from the White House. There are times when he does say all the right things, and I do not question that his heart is in the right place. Well-written speeches and good intentions alone do not a great leader make. America needs a great leader.
It would be very easy, and I even fully expect, for many of Cain's most staunch supporters here on FreeRepublic to simply accuse me of having an agenda or to state factually that my allegiances lay elsewhere. While I do indeed have an agenda, and while it is true that I prefer another for the White House in 2012, those facts do not dismiss, explain, or forgive the unbridgeable gap between the promises held in Herman rhetoric and his own admission that his plan will never deliver them.
America needs a great leader, and that leader is not Herman Cain.
Once the campaign coffers fill, he will be able to afford the advisors required.
As appalling as was his appearance on FOX, I'm even more surprised by the pass he's being given by these few hardcore Cainiacs here on FR.
I guess I'd prefer a candidate who would tell us we should vote for him based upon a plan that he thinks will work. That would be the best. LMAO
8^D
I would bet $1000 you are for one of the RINO Liberal Republican Candidates, not Sarah Palin.
You are acting just like a Liberal, therefore you are a Liberal in my book. ;-)
He has zero chance of being elected.
You really need to see the interview. Cain came up very short on important things.
But the basis of his plan still makes sense. Pay the interest on the debt or the interest continues to increase (try paying less than the interest on your house and see what happens to the principal balance).
Pay the military. What's the alternative? Don't pay the military?
Pay Socialist Security recipients. What's the alternative?
Pay Medicare bills. What's the alternative?
Everything else is subject to cuts.
The big question is—have the 0 thugs and 0 media gone after Cain in any
way like they have Palin and now Christi other then questions?
Hmmm me thinks anyone who doubts the kind of proven successful background and leadership skills as Herman Cain must be running scared!
LMAO!!!!!
My favorite tagline ever. Followed by "Islamophobia is an irrational fear of being beheaded."
Fun and games aside for a moment, it is a bit sobering that some of these shrill, uncomprehending ninnies have votes that make yours and mine basically useless.
Got any acid? I could use some Brown Windowpane right about now. LOL
8^D
I can offer you a cup of strong coffee. :)
The big question is—have the 0 thugs and 0 media gone after Cain in any way like they have Palin and now Christi other then questions?
Context is key.
Specifically, he’s talking about NOT raising the Debt ceiling, and the order in which obligations need to be met.
And, asked if it would work RIGHT NOW. He was honest and said No. Because there is no time to restructure the current situation.
Wallace was basically comparing apples and oranges. Cain should have pointed that out. This current situation will be dealt with before a primary vote is even recorded.
It has Zero bearing on what he would do as President.
Sadly, I agree with you. It’s inevitable. No past or current elected official has done or will do what is necessary to prevent it.
Do you not see a fairly vast gulf between the two"
1) Off the cuff answer
2) Carefully planned campaign strategy
Maybe you're right. Maybe they are both the same thing. I'm all out of answers.
;^|
I do think that he needs to use the experience he gained in this interview to sharpen his answers for the next interview he does. He spent a bit of time talking about his plan to turn things around and then said it would not work without saying what he would do now to modify his approach. That was confusing, is he for increasing the debt limit now to buy time or is he still against it? I am not real clear on what he meant. I do like the idea of a fair tax, but it will never work unless they repeal the 16th amendment first. Enacting a fair tax without doing that first will result in a VAT on top of income tax. I think a flat tax is what should probably be pursued given the realities. Overall I think he did not do too badly, but he is an underdog and needs to do much better than that to convince people who do not know much about him to vote for him.
Golly!
What did he say?
Cain is more of a “strong dollar” guy and a gold standard supporter.
I don’t think he’s part of the problem, it was more a “job” for him albeit a high-level one. It was also quite some time ago before the Fed got really loose with things.
I work for a bank, does that make me an “eeeeeeeeevil banker?”
I remember hearing liberals saying the same thing about some newcomer named Barack.
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