Posted on 05/17/2011 7:11:45 AM PDT by justsaynomore
Most of the pundits do not believe Herman Cain has any chance of winning the GOP nomination. As is often the case, the pundits might be wrong. The Georgia businessman is showing signs that he just might be a force in the presidential race. Cain continues to win straw polls around the nation and was declared the winner of the first presidential debate. While tea party groups remain Cain’s base, his appeal is extending across the Republican spectrum.
Cain found plenty of interest among prominent Iowa Republicans Monday. He held private meetings with potential donors, was extremely well received at the State Capitol by Republican legislators, and shared a few minutes with Governor Branstad. That was followed by another very well received speech, as 90 likely caucus goers packed Smokey Row in Des Moines for a town hall meeting.
“Herman seems like the kind of guy that could win,” said businessman and farmer Wendell Eiklenborg following the event. “I’d like to see how he distinguishes himself from Judge Roy Moore on some issues, but I did like what he had to say.”
Iowans are noticing that Cain has a mixture of a lot of the qualities they are looking for in a candidate. The departure of Donald Trump gives Cain the exclusive edge of being the only businessman and non-politician in the race. Mike Huckabee’s decision not to run means Cain has little competition for the best communicator in the race. He has just as much Tea Party appeal as Michelle Bachmann.
Cain, like Huckabee, is a Baptist preacher. When asked during Monday’s town hall if Jesus Christ was his primary counselor, he quickly responded, “Yes”. Cain believes he will pick up some of the social conservative voters who backed Huckabee in 2008.
“I think the social conservatives might split into any number of candidates depending on who they want to support,” Cain told a gaggle of reporters Monday. “I think that my business background, my problem solving ability is what’s going to attract a lot of people. I am socially conservative, so I’ll probably pick up some of those but not necessarily all of them.”
Cain’s speech at last weekend’s Georgia GOP convention was interrupted by more than a dozen standing ovations. He spoke to a larger crowd and received much better response than his fellow Georgian Newt Gingrich. Although Gingrich is much better known, Cain believes he has an advantage over the former U.S. House Speaker.
“What distinguishes me from him is over 40 years of business experience, where he’s had over 40 years of political experience,” Cain said. “And I think over 40 years of business experience is resonating a lot more with people than simply having political experience. Knowing how Washington works isn’t necessarily an advantage. As a businessman going in, I don’t want to know how Washington works. I want to change Washington, D.C.”
Finally, perhaps more than any other candidate, Cain is naturally likeable and seems genuine. He is at ease while chatting with common Iowans. That is not the case with all the candidates. He also has a sense of humor and is able to tell jokes that aren’t scripted for him.
During the middle of his Q and A session at Smokey Row Monday, Cain interrupted himself and asked a man seated near him, “Are you gonna eat the rest of that sandwich?” It was an amusing, off-the-cuff moment that the crowd appreciated. “You can tell I like to have fun,” Cain said as the crowd chuckled.
Joyce Lutz, a retiree from Des Moines, says she will take her time to decide on a candidate, but impressed by Herman Cain. “I liked what he said,” Lutz said. “It was nice to hear that he’s a Christian. That’s a very positive thing.”
Cain is working hard to earn Iowans votes. He has a town hall meeting scheduled for Marshalltown on Tuesday, followed by a Linn County GOP chili cook-off in Cedar Rapids. He will return to the state Friday for the Pottawattamie County GOP’s fundraiser. On Saturday, Herman Cain will hold a rally in Atlanta to announce his official candidacy for the presidency. He remains a long shot, but no candidate has gained more momentum in the past few weeks that Cain. If that momentum continues, Cain very well might be able to win it all.
Photo by Dave Davidson
1)He's 65 years old. He has more experience and less energy than a younger person (i.e. Palin). Experience you can get from your advisers, energy you can't.
2)He's in remission from Colon and Liver cancer. You have to consider that. Being the president is a pretty high stress job.
3)I don't believe that there has ever been a president who has not either held some elected federal post or been of some “flag officer” level rank. Cain's only political experience was to win 26% in his senate bid.
4)The United States is a business, but it is more than just a business. Cain is a businessman, but is he more than just a businessman. Can he inspire? Can he motivate? Charisma? Crowds in the tens of thousands? You need to be a good product, but good packaging is important too. (Look at Obama, he was all package and no product.)
Again, I like the guy, but he's going to have to show me more before I get on his bandwagon. Just saying.
“For Cain to have a real shot, he has to win outright either FL or SC, and at least place second in Iowa, IMHO.
Which I think is possible.”
I think so, too. Cain may be our best hope yet.
Not at all sir, I would have the fed abolished completely.
Do you know where we might be able to find his actual record while he was on the board. I’d like to trust you but you know the old adage “trust but verify”.
I think he can get there with the high crowds. He has a great speaking style. IMO, he's an outstanding speaker.
Palin/Cain 2012.
The booklet is a snapshot of his stance, not a foreign policy paper. He has addressed each of your concerns in various commentaries and speeches, and I understand all of these issues will be compiled into a detailed platform statement after he announces.
Are you always so defensive when simply stating your opinion? I'm not attacking your choice of candidate.
He is 5 years cancer free and has been given a clean bill of health from his doctors.
His lack of experience is a very big draw for many people.
Is he inspiring?
GA GOP this past Saturday - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LJgz4LT3cY
I never said you attacked my choice. I was just setting the record straight. I am not defensive, I am direct and somewhat amused at the tactics you use sometimes, Windflier.
First of all, I love all these “abolish the Fed altogether” folks. I would abolish liberalism too, but I don’t have the authority. Do you have the authority to abolish the Fed or know who does? And why haven’t they done it? Reality is reality.
On the other: Cain served 95-96 on the KC Fed. You can find that anywhere. The Fed’s interest rates were all above 8.25% during that time and as high as 8.75%. That was about as high as any time during the Greenspan era. Cain’s influence, and I don’t know how much he had, would have been towards a king dollar policy and totally against the dual mandate (the second part of which is the inflationary part).
The Fed exists. Even Superman Ron Paul hasn’t stopped it and he’s been trying for 400 years or so. Given that, I would rather conservatives be on the board than liberals.
Second, money is an indicator of whether or not you can stay competitive. If you have money you can stay in the raise for a longer period of time, like Romney and Paul both did. Money doesn't mean you're going to win; it means you can compete. If he doesn't have the money he can't compete. Pawlenty also isn't out touting how much he has raised, but when CNN posts the events each candidate is having for the week, I see that Pawlenty is having fundraising events (the only other candidate doing that is Romney). These candidates are actively fundraising and courting supporters. I don't see the other candidates doing this. If they aren't able to raise the money, then they won't be able to compete.
So, as I said, let's see what Cain does. If he posts good fundraising numbers, starts to really differentiate himself from his colleagues and starts to move in the polls, then he begins to become a legitimate contender. If not, then he remains a 3rd tier candidate who is going no where.
Cain, West, Bachmann & Palin. Mix and match. Take your pick. I’m on board. No stinking RINOs please. Thanks. ;-)
I knew he was old, but damn...
LOL
Listen - you said, "I not going to let you get me down". That's a defensive statement.
I don't know what caused you to say that in the first place, because all I'd said, is that Herman Cain isn't my first choice for nominee.
My only response to your reflexive statement, was that I'm in no way trying to bring you down, or criticize your choice of candidate. I only called you defensive when you got your back up.
I thought I was defusing what you (somehow) perceived as a criticism, but you obviously read it some other way.
For the record, I think that Herman Cain is a fine conservative, but he's not my first choice for Republican nominee. I'm not comfortable with the fact that he's never held elective office, and is without a record of accomplishment in such a position. That's it. That's my opinion. Nothing more.
I've got nothing against anyone who wants to give him their full-throated support. Ok?
I think that when people say they want someone with a "lack of experience", what they really mean is that they want someone who has not been corrupted by too much time swimming in the political toilet. But I think that when that luster wears off, people are going to want to see some kind of political performance record. Now granted, that doesn't apply to the RAT mentality (example: Obama), but us PUBs are suppose to be more critical thinkers. I'm just not willing to take someone with zero political experience and put him in the top slot. I want to see him win some other office first, and then I want to be able to look at his record in that political office.
Which shold be the 21st right?
I’m looking forward to his remarks!
Alan Keys never ran anything or signed paychecks on the front. Herman Cain turned around a failing national corporation. Big difference in backgrounds. In addition, Cain has a more controlled speech delivery, no doubt honed in countless business meetings, and is good on staying with the message.
I would be OK with Cain if he ever makes to Washington states primary.
Well Cain is becoming the front runner among conservatives because of the ones looking to run nobody else is left.
There are surprisingly things I learned about Mr. Cain I don’t agree with, unfortunately. Like his once support for the Bush Bailout which he now recanted or his role with the fed and agreeing with the fact he supported Obama not releasing the photos of Bin Laden, If anything Cain is not that well informed on foreign policy, but he is pretty good otherwise.
At the moment Michele Bachmann has not formally announced nor has she been in the first debate and Sarah Palin is not doing anything. So Cain is all that is left. So yes he is legitimate. If the two women get in then he will have a real serious challenger not other the hacks and quacks running now.
First of all, thanks for the love!
As for abolishing the Fed, its mere existence is not reason enough to let it keep on existing.
I do not for one minute believe we need the Fed, at all. America was not founded to have banks in control of our economic destiny any more than a class of royalty was.
I do not have to accept its inevitability or its continuation. Many unjust institutions in this country took generations to abolish.
And, might I add, I DO have the authority to abolish the Fed. I am an American and this is my country not the Fed’s. It’s just a matter of getting several million of my closest friends to agree with me. And, after the last decade or so of theft at the most gigantic of porportions I see that many of my fellow citizens are starting to come around.
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