Does it matter? The MSM is behind Romney.
Cain vs Obama would definitely make the race interesting (contrast).
The standard RINO candidate model is Romney: rich-white-big business-bailout-amnesty-wall Street-elite-big government. Who wants to see that run against Obama? I wouldnt even watch the debates of that. Cain vs Obama would be a blast.
The libs would be telling us the half-black liberal (obama) is the real African American and the full black (conservative) is just a Uncle Tom.
Note to all the other candidates........you may not like his plan, and I am sure plenty of fault can be found in it.......but, at least he HAS a plan, ya know, something to be debated...what kind of plan do the other candidates have???( I already know the answer )
My problem is 9-9-9 will eventually become 30-30-30.
I fear that a 9% Federal sales tax might sound good if income tax and corporate tax is also reduced to 9% like in Cain’s plan. But what happens the first time a democrat gets back in office and puts the income and corporate tax back up to 30%, and then says, “Oh by the way, let’s keep that 9% sales tax as well.”?
9-9-9- nothing more than a silly gimmick
When pressed for details on many things (i.e. abort views, which economists supported his plan, etc), he either gets defensive, and says “next question”, or gives a confusing answer.
NO way he stands up to the intense scrutiny, from Romney, the Dems, or the media.
I still can’t figure out why he abandoned the FairTax and adopeted 9-9-9 as his preferred system. His new plan established both the sales and the income tax and we all know that “9” is only the starting point.
Some thoughts that should help Herman Cain in the future:
1) Don’t forget to remind people that 9-9-9 is just an INTERIM STEP towards a consumption tax. He never mentioned that.
2) When people ask “what happens when congress wants to raise the 9% sales tax” the answer is “the American people will go ape-shot mad about it and it won’t happen. (he alluded to this but didn’t do a very good job). He did say because of its transparency it will be hard to manipulate but this came off poorly. The answer is if Congress tries to raise 1% here or 1% there, it will effect EVERYONE. It won’t be CLASS WARFARE. The cost of milk and bread will go up, or the money you take home will go down.
Here is a slogan I just came up with - 9-9-9 Unifies All Americans Against Bad Government. 9-9-9 applies to everyone and any change to it effects everyone equally so Congress will not easily be able to change it without an uproar OR a broad consensus.
3) Repetition repetition repetition is important to get your point across. Cain like most smart men probably don’t feel the need to repeat themselves but in politics you are selling. Repeat it. 3 peat it if you can.
4) 9-9-9 does not equal 18% for individuals in the 15% bracket. It is 9% on income, and then 9% on what they choose to spend on new items not used goods as he mentioned. But the adding is incorrect it doesn’t work that way. It encourages savings and encourages a new used-goods market to grow. This = savings and jobs.
I have some other ideas and may take the time to post a vanity “Open Letter to Herman Cain” if I have time later today or in the coming days to bring out these points and others. I am not 100% sold on Cain but lean his way now that the field is pretty much settled. I don’t think America will replace Obama with a Perry-Cain or Romney-Cain but could vote for a Cain-Gingrich or Cain-Santorum (or Cain-Bachman even) if pitched as a package where the Veep is there to help deal with Congress.