Posted on 11/24/2011 2:39:23 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
So, it’s no secret that Herman Cain has experienced a jaw-dropping dip in the polls – and not because of the competition. We’re all familiar with the inexplicable statements and his take on controversial positions … several out of error, misinformation and/or misunderstanding of certain issues that a man running for president maybe ought to know. Political prognosticators are saying that his continuous flubs and gaffes are to blame for his falling from top spots in Republican polls more so than allegations that he sexually harassed and assaulted women in his past.
For a guy presumably wanting the title of Commander-in-Chief, the faux pas’ are serious and damaging enough for some to call into question his readiness for the job. Some of his excuses about being tired, for example, as the reason for delayed thoughts on President Obama’s handling of Libya during a recent interview, just won’t fly. After all, national security calls will very likely come in the middle of the night after very little sleep
But the flubs are just that – flubs. They should not be representative of Herman Cain’s intelligence – or lack of it. Whether caused by fatigue, failing to brush up on issues he’s not firm on or reluctant to give interviews, nothing Cain says should define his past and his brilliance as a highly educated scientist and business man.
Seriously. How many Americans have a bachelor degree in mathematics or a master’s degree in computer science? How many can use their knowledge of applied physics to study and analyze the motion of missiles or projectiles of all types and the conditions that influence motions of weapons on behalf of the United States Navy? That’s not knowledge you can pick up in trade school easily.
Dumb and Cain should not be in the same two sentences.
Admittedly, he is guilty of having a limited world view. And, perhaps, he should fraternize enough with people of all faiths to know that American Jews, Sikhs, Muslims, Catholics and Evangelical Christians all want the same thing: to work, raise their families and be good citizens.
Had he been more exposed to diverse friends, he may not have declared that he’d be uncomfortable having a Muslim in his hypothetical future Presidential cabinet.
Had he been exposed to more hard working immigrant Hispanic families that are just like his, he may not have been so quick to pander to the legions of Americans frustrated with the illegal immigration problem in the nation. He wouldn’t have joked about plans to build an electric shock fence on the Mexico-US border.
Had he traveled more and been more widely read in history and foreign policy, he might have told Christian Broadcast Network’s David Brody that he doesn’t knowing much about other nations including who the president of a fictional “Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan” is or might have known that China already has nuclear weapon capabilities.
All of these flubs and gaffes don’t prove that Herman Cain is dumb as some are claiming. All it reveals is that he may not have a firm grasp on certain topics and doesn’t have the media team or isn’t listening to his team well enough to bone up on areas he is unfamiliar with.
It may be helpful to note that expert campaigner Mitt Romney doesn’t do too many media interviews and will rarely speak impromptu or reply to a random reporter’s question yelled at him on the trail. He’s disciplined.
Granted, that is what makes many people hate the man: being so rehearsed, established, polished, controlled (a.k.a. boring) and robotic. It has kept Romney from getting caught in any gotcha moments, especially given he has a record and reputation of flip flopping. You can’t flip flop if you’re not talking. You can’t contradict yourself any more once you limit your speaking roles to the confines of an organized debate whilst you’ve gone over your talking points and know them like you know the freckles on your face.
But what Romney lacks as a candidate whom many Republicans are willing to embrace is what makes Cain so appealing. He is charming and likeable. Cain’s humility and folksiness, a similar trait which has garnered Sarah Palin many fans, have helped elevate him to where he is now.
He is the anti-arrogant intellectual. He has the quintessential bootstrap story. Cain, who once cleaned toilets and flipped burgers at Burger King, is prototypical all-American: anyone can rise to the top with strong work ethic and dedication. You cannot grow up in a household where your dad worked three jobs as a janitor, driver and barber to feed the family and not appreciate the value of hard work.
Black pundits have pontificated that perhaps Cain is ashamed of being Black or of selling out to “the man” especially after he went on CNN and said Blacks are brainwashed against Republicans.
But, he knows his Blackness very well. The man never said he wasn’t Black.
Cain once told a policy review team, “Because I am a Black American, I’ve had to perform better than my White counterparts. This is a personal standard that I’ve set for myself: I’ve got to perform a little better in order to get the same opportunity. I can’t just be as good; I’ve got to be better. It should not be this way, but it is.”
A man who still mentors young Black youth isn’t one people can say hates his people. Several of his critics haven’t volunteered at all for anyone, nor done much for their own people. Yet, they cast plenty of stones.
A man who once sat on a Congressional Economic Growth and Tax Reform Commission and promised that his industry would give welfare recipients jobs, training and a chance to gain economic success isn’t one who doesn’t want other Blacks to succeed and do well.
There are different types of “smart”: intelligent smart, street smarts, book smarts, job-readiness smart, quick-on-feet-thinking smart. Cain is a few of these above, but – certainly – he is anything but dumb.
Those saying otherwise obviously aren’t smart enough to read up on the man and his accomplishments.
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Jeneba Jalloh Ghatt represents small, women, and minority owned business and technology companies at The Ghatt Law Group LLC, the nations’ first communications law firm owned by women and minorities. She's won landmark cases on behalf of her clients which include national civil rights and public interest organizations. In addition to actively authoring several blogs, being a radio show host and sitting on the boards of three non-profits, she is a tech junkie who has been developing online web content since the very early years of the Internet, 1991 to be precise! Follow her on Twitter at @Jenebaspeaks, on her blog, Jenebaspeaks, which covers the intersection of politics and technology or on her Politics of Raising Children blog at The Washington Times Communities section.
You just named my top candidates as well.
Perry, Gingrich and then Huntsman (who I would not have considered a month ago).
I’m guessing then, you’re not impressed with Lincoln or Reagan either? They didn’t start or build anything either. Seriously, it doesn’t matter who you support. We’re all divided right now, as it should be but you sound ridiculous.
Cindie
Sadly, I don’t believe Cain will get a much bigger percentage of the black vote than McCain got.
Black conservatives don’t get much respect from blacks.
But you might be right.
Huntsman has a bad rap on here because he worked in China for Obama, but the man is sharp, conservative, and very good. Also, “the M-word.”
What was your name before you became CainConservative?
Just curious.
Paragraphs are our friend. Can’t read that stuff you posted.
I was amazed at how much I liked him a couple of debates ago on foreign policy.
And he was good again in the last debate.
Not my fav but I’d take him over Bachmann, Santorum, Romney or Cain.
Thanks...
The complexity of the POTUS job is such that, in my opinion, few can handle it fully, and certainly the Kenyan isn’t one of them, neither were the Bush Bros., though Klintoon, Reagan, Nixon did a fairly decent job steering the Feds (in some ways we didn’t dig, but that’s another matter.) I further think that Newt could do it, Bachmann couldn’t, Santorum and Perry, perhaps, and the others, I’m not sure. Cain thinks he can do it, and I suspect he underestimates the difficulty. But what do WE know? Very little from the resumes and from the boiler plate memorized mini-speeches during the debates, all 11 (!) of them, with many more to come.
Upon what do you base your statement! I am a currently an UNEMPLOYED Rocket Engineer that worked on the Space Shuttle in the Launch Control Room. Cain was not IN the navy!... he was a civilian contractor that worked out intercept trajectories which is not a simple thing to calculate! He would definitely qualify to work as an Engineer for NASA. I was a test project engineer on the Space Shuttle. My bachelors degree was in Mathematics also. My Masters was in Space Systems Project Engineering. His Masters in Computer Science would only have added to his qualifications to work for NASA if he desired. Obviously, he didn’t desire at that time. You were obviously speaking from a lack of knowledge. Hope this enlightened you.
Ravenstar
I don’t consider them businessmen and under no circumstances would compare Cain to either of them.
So...go apply at Burger King.
BTW, I lived in Houston in the early days and knew a lot of NASA engineers (and a few astronauts) who paved the way for you.
Tell lonestar you’re white. Then you’re qualified in her eyes.
>>Remember - Jimmy Carter was a nuclear engineer
Wrong again, Tonto, which sort of blows your whole criticism. Not that there was much there to begin with.
La Raza Rick's Mexicans have those jobs all locked up. No whites or blacks need apply.
Excellent!
Do you people actually read the threads you visit or do you just troll, drop a couple of bombs, and move on to troll another thread?
How many times do I have to say that “I stand corrected”? Go read through the previous post in this thread. Once you have you’ll note that this has already been noted and addressed.
I help build the Hubble Space Telescope, then for 24 years I worked on the Space Shuttle, there was nothing harder than being in the control room the day Columbia came back in pieces. You see I knew and worked with many astronauts. It is hard and you start second guessing could you have done anything to stop the tragedy of losing friends and colleagues. Oh, buccaneer81 I do happen to be white but then that is really irrelevant. It is your performance that matters. I know you know that but perhaps lonestar doesn’t.
Ravenstar
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