Posted on 10/16/2011 9:18:08 AM PDT by kristinn
At two campaign rallies in Tennessee on Saturday night, the Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said that part of his immigration policy would be to build an electrified fence on the country’s border with Mexico that could kill people trying to enter the country illegally.
But by Sunday morning, in a dramatic change of tone, Mr. Cain, a former restaurant executive, said he was only kidding.
“That’s a joke,” Mr. Cain told the journalist David Gregory during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he was asked about the electrified fence. “That’s not a serious plan. I’ve also said America needs to get a sense of humor.”
Mr. Cain’s attempt to pass off incendiary comments as nothing but a joke may take more effort, however. In making the initial remarks about an electrified fence killing illegal immigrants, Mr. Cain was detailed and repetitive. He did not introduce his thoughts as anything but serious commentary, beginning with the words, “We have a crisis of illegal immigration.”
And the crowds responded with cheers, not laughs.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com ...
BAIER: Mr. Cain?
CAIN: This is a game, and it is hypothetical. I’ll play the game.
(LAUGHTER)
If — if Governor Romney would throw out his jobs growth plan and replace it with 999, he has a shot.
(LAUGHTER)
If he does not, I would probably go with Speaker Gingrich, who I have the greatest admiration for, in all seriousness, because of his history and because of his depth of knowledge. I could go on because I have respect for everybody up here. But it’s a game.
If I remember correctly, the last Census showed that 1/6 of the US population is Hispanic.
That’s your point of view. An honest assessment of the facts say otherwise. Fact, Rick Perry is for securing the border in word and action. Fact, Rick Perry is against amnesty for illegals. Fact, Herman Cain was in Tennessee on a book tour joking about securing the border. Was it really a joke? Is he serious or not?
"In other words"
Cain is obviously more intelligent than either you or I and to try and label him as "uninformed" reflects on your lack of ability to inform yourself of his capabilities.
When a leader has less resources than the competition it only makes sense to entrap the liberal media into providing free air time because they think that they will be able to produce the knock out punch.
Rather than fall for the spectacularly stupid trap, Mr. Cain uses the opportunity to express his policy on border control.
Of course the "uninformed" can not figure it out, even as it is pointed out to them, as they display their "spectacular stupidity" in labeling remarks as "outrageous".
Take it slow and try to think it through and you might be able to figure it out. He is playing chess, you are playing checkers.
David Gregory: “Would you deport illegal immigrants in the country right now?”
Herman Cain: “Here is my approach to illegal immigration. Here again, this is what’s resonating with the people. How I would solve the problem. It’s not as simple as, would you deport. We must secure the border. It would be a combination of a physical fence, technology and in some areas we might have to put troops there. We must secure the border. Secondly we must promote the path to citizenship that’s already there. We need to clean up the bureaucracy. Third enforce the laws that are already there. The way you do that is number four, which is a bold idea – empower the states to do what the federal government can’t do and won’t do as far as dealing with illegals that are in the United States today.”
[snip]
Meet the Press – October 16, 2011 Aprox 25 minute video
You say you were on the thread and read the thread.
I don’t remember you there but that thread exploded and got worse as it went along.
If nothing there disturbed you, well, okay then.
I’m not gonna go back and get somebody’s post and put on here... I’m not into that, but there were many.
I’m loving this. Cain is going to be one of the toughest border hawks of our lifetime but he is going to keep the leftist media guessing.
Conservatives know what he means ;-)
Bingo! We have a winner!!
Hah, ha, glad you posted that. some revolutionary ideas there .... didn’t answer the deport thing, didn’t bring up anything different than Gov. Perry, but I guess the Cain people think that’s a great answer.
he should’ve responded with; “its a jokee- sorta like when obama said if they bring a knife to the fight we’ll bring a gun”...
they need to hit back at the hypocrisy of the criminal liberal media who did not challenge zero’s statements...
Your post deserved repeating, especially if Cain associates read this thread.
Hit double whammies against O and the media!
Exactamudo.
See above for Herman Cain’s brilliant response to Gregory regarding the border.
He’s gonna solve it, all right. I just FEEL it.
little spanish lingo thrown in ?? LOL
I didn’t even bother to participate in last night’s stupidity about these remarks. They were obvious hyperbole. I can’t believe the lack of a sense of humor around here.
=^D
They were not obviously hyperbole. They were either his latest bid for attention or he meant it. Either way he was serious.
So why did he say it was a joke today?
And try to subtly indicate that anyone who took him seriously was lacking in a sense of humor.
Is that gonna be it? He’s gonna make outrageous statements, get a lot of attention and then claim he was joking.
Why the adulation for this strange man? Mystery to me.
I’m hearing some of Mr. Cain’s supporters say that this is a brilliant strategy - lob some red meat out there and that gets him a lot of attention and on the talk circuit - so he can wave it off as a “joke” and THEN he gets a chance to explain what his REAL position his.
I hear Sean Penn, Janene Garafalo, Rosie O’Donnell, et al...do these things all the time. The more over-the-top comment you say - the more attention you get. I guess it works OK for an entertainer - but is this what we want from our president? Really?
Can i be on that list too?
"is this what we want from our president? Really?"
It would help if his supporters agreed that the smart ones border policies were the same as the dumb ones, but some how can not understand the smart ones policy.
Perry can talk “conservative” for the airheads, but his heart is Gore-crat.
Just as Nixon said: run right, govern left.
Using emminent domain to fatten his supporters’ wallets isn’t conservative, nor is advocating vaccines. Conservatives do things for the people, and for the nation, not for vested interests.
"I’m hearing some of Mr. Cain’s supporters say that this is a brilliant strategy"
Time to take your Meds.
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