Posted on 10/14/2011 5:40:45 AM PDT by IbJensen
Karl Rove doesn’t think Herman Cain stands a chance of being POTUS. Bush’s number one consigliere said as much on Fox Thursday night.
But is he right? I sure don’t know, but I certainly have a suspicion why Karl thinks what he does. The Herman Cain candidacy is a direct threat to his occupation. Rove — arguably the reigning monarch of political pros — went on to register his disapproval that Cain was wandering around Godforsaken places like Tennessee flogging his book, when any serious candidate should be pressing the flesh where it counts — to wit, Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Worse yet, the candidate isn’t raising any money (or not enough to have flashing neon signs that say “9…9…9…” like Burma-Shave along every highway in America — not that we have to be reminded).
Now I have no beef with Rove. In fact, I rather like him, having interviewed him for PJTV. But it’s obvious that times have changed and that Herman Cain is running a very canny media campaign virtually all by himself. Yes, I know he has a staff, but you do get the sense this man is his own thing, which is part of the tightrope walking fun. Can he make it to the other side — Pennsylvania Avenue — without falling? Whatever the case, Rove and others like him (the sorry David Axelrod, the Carville-Matalin duo, etc.) are in danger of becoming, if not extinct, at least more marginal than previously assumed.
Here’s another data point: A couple of months back, Newt Gingrich’s entire campaign staff — including Dave Carney, the putative “next Karl Rove” — split and decamped for Texas, soon to join Rick Perry’s campaign. What happened? Today Gingrich is rising in the polls — apparently on the strength of his debate performances — and Perry, who started strong, is, at least for now, in trouble.
Again, I have no beef with Carney. I’ve met him too and he seems to be a fine fellow. Quite bright.
So what’s going on here? The more powerful the political pros, the worse the campaign? Or is it really about the candidate in our non-stop media world? I tend to think it’s the latter. Given the amount of coverage they all get, it’s hard to imagine they need help in getting exposure. Maybe they need help in getting a little anonymity. (That’s particularly true in the current president’s case.)
And what about money — the legendary mother’s milk of politics? Well, it too might not be as important as it is cracked up to be. Cain, as noted, has spent very little (at least until now) and Jon Huntsman is the richest guy to run since, well, John Kerry. Maybe Huntsman’s even richer. And look where it’s got him, duking it out with Rick Santorum for the privilege of keeping Gary Johnson out of the debates (unfairly, in my estimation).
We may all hate our media — they are even less popular than politicians — but they are ironically diminishing the importance of money in politics. No money? No pros? What’s next? Actual democracy?
Of course, I have overstated it, but I think not by a lot. What also may be going on is that the American public — at least on the Republican side — is very engaged. They know we are in a crisis and they are paying strict attention. They don’t need pros and they don’t need advertising to attract their eyes. Their bank accounts already woke them up — and if not that, a friendly reminder from the neighborhood jihadist.
Does this mean that the candidates should all strip down and fire their advisers? (Be like Herman, not like Mike.) Well, in one sense, that wouldn’t be a bad idea. But in these dire economic times, with everyone so concerned about jobs, putting all those political pros on the unemployment lines could be heartless. And no candidate — Rick Perry would be glad to remind you — wants to be accused of that.
**..the most powerful government in the history of mankind***
I think you have identified the problem. Time to make this behometh less intrusive, less expensive, less controlling and more dedicated to the life and liberty of citizens.
I’m with you on “denying them the instrumentalities”.
Especially in the executive bureaucracy. Unaccountable positions of power attract control freak leftists like moths to a porchlight, and getting the “right” moths to come is not the answer, nor is turning off the light, because someone with just come along and turn it on again.
We’ve gotta “bust out the bulb” or “rip out the wiring”.
For all the conceptually impaired; An upside down 9 does not turn into 6.
It turns into a lower case a (sort of;)
I think that you may be sarcastic here but unfortunately some on our side now think that Obama lowered the standards therefore we should as well lower the standards and good governing be damned. It is really sad and pathetic beyond belief.
I agree with your disagree No way is Cain equated with Huck
I love Cain donated $70 so far and will give more
Isn't that the perfect description of a politician?
Sure, they tell you how they are going to fixe everything from the economy to healthcare, but what is their real experience? Running for political office.
In a real sense, Cain has more practical experience than any of the politicians running. Cain has "worked on patients", he has fixed real problems.
Heck, I've been hired as a salesman serval times. I'm a lousy salesman, but I'm great at getting hired as salesman.
Politicians are lousy problem solvers, they're just good at getting hired as problem solvers.
Yeah that is the way to prosper we keep lowering the standards because Obama has lowered the standards. Watch the movie “Idiocracy”.
You're just a hater. Probably a closet racist too. We don't need to vet Cain. He's been vetted. We read his books, listened to his radio shows, heard his sound bytes at debates. We know all we need to know, baby!
Get on board the Cain Train!! Cuz it feels freakin' cool as hell! /s
The RED MEAT crowds only care about the red meat bumper sticker rhetoric that makes them feel good. If the Republican Party nominates Herman Cain then they have nominated a Christine O’Donnell type candidate but on the national level.
If Herman Cain is the nominee, I would not vote for President on the ballot. I would just vote for Congress and the elected offices down the ballot.
ANY DECISION Cain would make would be far wiser than anything the current POTUS would make. It’s “voters” like you who gave us Obama! If you want to finish the destruction of America, then be my guest. Unfortunately, all of us have to suffer what YOU deserve!
Repeat after me ...
Mmm-mmm-mmm, Her-man-Cain!
Of course I’m being sarcastic. Didn’t it drip from your screen the way I intended? I’ll do better next time. :)
Comparing the Hermanator to Christine O’Donnell is like comparing Ronald Reagan to Joe the Plumber.
I think the 1976 primary is a better analogy than 2008.
Ford was the establishment candidate, but most of the base didn’t want him.
Reagan was the outsider with radical ideas that scared the heck out of the establishment, but he was supported by huge numbers of the base that was dissatified with the status quo (called the silent majority then) who craved a real change in the direction of the country.
Romney is clearly playing the Ford part.
Several candidates keep stepping up for the Reagan/outsider part. Right now it’s Cain, but it could be someone else.
The tea party is playing the part of the “silent majorty”.
Reagan took it all the way into the convention, but it laid the groundwork for Reagan to get the nomination in 1980. If Romney does pull it out, I think it will lay the groundwork for an outsider candidate to be the nominee in 2016 (even if Romney is elected prez).
Texas has a good record under Perry, but Perry still has his own cronyism to answer for by rewarding campaign donors with money out of the ETF.
On the other hand a Pizza CEO whose toughest decision is to close or open a Pizza joint or to increase or reduce the price of Pizza is not qualified to be President.
I was waiting for the Cain the TALEKR supporter to start foolishly using the Founding Fathers to justify why Cain the TALKER should be President.
Also you may try Eisenhower just for fun. Eisenhower was not elected to a public office before and he became President but at the same time Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe and led the greatest invasion in history of mankind to defeat the Nazis. Yeah, Herman Cain the Pizza CEO is qualified to be President since Eisenhower was not elected to a public office as well (super extreme sarcasm).
LOL... :)
But damn it feels good! I don’t know about you, but I am jumping on board the Cain Train, baby! /s
It’s disgusting, is what it is. We have drug lords waging a war against the Mexican government driving mulitudes of hopeless, desperate illegals across our border. We have corporations hording cash and cutting jobs, citizens hording gold, guns, & goods - both afraid of what’s ahead. Terrorists in the Middle East who want to destroy Israel (& us.) So conservatives want to send a politically inexperienced, smooth-talking former Pizza Exec and motivational speaker to D.C. to address problems about which he knows nothing because he sounds good and has a catchy tax plan.
are you aware that so-called “professional politicians” are the ones who got us into this mess?
I see your point and I see (all around me) the problems you're rightfully trying to avoid.
What is missing is the check and balance of equal participation.
By making paying taxes everyone's responsibility instead of making a few pay everyone's taxes, we all will pay more attention to not only how much we pay, but how the money is spent!
With Cain's plan, we're all treated like and act like adults instead of acting like college students expecting the parents to pay our bills.
Hate to say it, but it's time to grow up America.
Pay your share, instead of taking what you can get.
(JFK said it better.)
Indeed, it is disgusting beyond belief. Let us hope that Republicans do not nominate Cain the TALKER or Romney the Super Liberal.
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