Cain Says His Deadly Fence Plan Was 'a Joke'

The New York Times ^ | Sunday, October 16, 2011 | Susan Saulny

[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.

[Polybius]

Cain is sure funny. Like when he said he’d never appoint a muslim to his cabinet, before he had to say he didn’t mean that either.

Cain is a snake oil salesman that knows the catchy slogans that will even get people to eat a cardboard pizza.

Even the Brits working for the other pizza chain know Cain's Most Gimmicky of all Sound Bite Tricks.

Like any good salesman, Cain can offer one special on Monday and another special on Tuesday.

You believe that al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki should NOT be killed?

Herman Cain agrees with you in May BEFORE Anwar al-Awlaki is killed.

=========================

Cain, May 5, 2011, Regarding the killing of al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki

"He should be charged. And since he's an American citizen, he should be tried in our courts," Cain said of al-Awlaki. When asked if he considered it legal for President Obama to order al-Awlaki killed, Cain said, "In his case, no, because he's an American citizen. If he's an American citizen, which is the big difference, then he should be charged, and he should be arrested and brought to justice."

=========================

You believe that al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki SHOULD be killed?

Herman Cain agrees with you in October AFTER Anwar al-Awlaki is killed and will even go so far as to lie about what he previously said in May.

=========================

Cain, October, 2011, Regarding the killing of al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki

"Asked why he had backed off his opposition to the U.S. military's targeting Anwar Awlaki, the al Qaeda terrorist and American citizen who was killed Friday by a drone strike in Yemen, Cain denied that he had ever opposed taking out Awlaki. “I never said that [President Obama] should not have ordered [the killing]. I don’t recall saying that. I think you’ve got some misinformation," Cain said. "Keep in mind that there are a lot of people out there trying to make me sound as if I am indecisive." =========================

I wonder when he’ll tell us that his praise for Romney was a joke

I must admit that, in support of Mitt Romney if nothing else, Herman Cain has been totally consistant.

======================================

Herman Cain in 2011

Herman Cain said Wednesday that he would be unable to support Rick Perry for president if the Texas governor were to eventually win the party's nomination. .... The former businessman said, for instance, that he could support former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney....

======================================

Herman Cain in 2008

HERMAN CAIN'S ENDORSEMENT OF MITT ROMNEY PUBLISHED IN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION PRIOR TO SUPER TUESDAY, 2008

Romney has the leadership qualities United States needs,

By HERMAN CAIN

Published on: 02/03/08

The dynamics of political party connections, the political process itself and public perceptions have once again yielded the top two contenders of each major party in the 2008 presidential race. And once again, the public can only hope that the ultimate winner of the White House will be a candidate with the most leadership substance.

My vote is for Mitt Romney.

History is important, but the future is more important. The success of this country in the future will be shaped by the leadership abilities of the next president.

Our success will not be based on pandering to uninformed voters, promising emotional quick fixes over common sense or nitpicking of opponents' past records. Success will come from focusing on the right problems and solving them. That will mean making tough decisions about some problems that have been with us for decades. It will also mean taking a tough stand on new problems and challenges.

That's what leaders do.

Mitt Romney has done that as a chief executive officer in business, as a governor and as head of the U.S. Olympics. He has done so while balancing political consequences but not compromising fundamental principles of the founding of this country or free-market economics. We have prospered as a nation by strengthening those principles; we will not remain strong if we allow those principles to become diluted with a lack of leadership.

Anyone who wishes to find a reason not to vote for Romney can find one. But the reasons to vote for him are far more compelling. He has successfully managed a real business with other people's money and some of his own. He has balanced budgets. He successfully led a turnaround situation with the Olympics. And he has spent more of his career outside government than inside.

On the other hand, John McCain has spent more of his career inside government than outside, and the reasons not to vote for him as the Republican nominee are very compelling.

He voted against letting people keep more of their money in 2001 and 2003 when President Bush pushed through his tax cuts. He has been part of the escalation of the federal debt during his 20-plus years in the U.S. Senate. He showed questionable leadership on a failed immigration bill. And he showed no leadership by failing to support the president's efforts to establish personal retirement accounts — a proposal that would have started to fix the coming financial train wreck in the Social Security system.

That's not leadership.

I do not question the character, integrity or sincerity of either Mitt Romney or John McCain, nor do I question their desire to do what's best for the country. I do not worry that they would fan the flames of social and religious differences. My focus is on their prospective leadership relative to national security, the economy, federal spending, free-market health care solutions and the elimination of dysfunctional programs.

Mitt Romney's history is more indicative of the substance needed to make major progress on critical issues, and not just to make more politically palatable incremental changes in Washington.

Media momentum and campaign funding aside, there are several other Republican candidates who would not cause me to worry about our grandchildren's future. The two leading Democratic presidential candidates, however, cause me great concern because of their severe lack of leadership substance and their policy proposals.

This is despite Barack Obama's appeal and strong public perception but entirely consistent with Hillary Clinton's self-proclaimed but quite invisible experience.

Great leaders are born, and good leaders keep working on it. We are not favored with an obvious great leader in the 2008 race, as is apparent from the primary process and the results thus far.

But Mitt Romney's leadership credentials offer the best hope of a leader with substance, and the best hope for a good president who could turn out to be great.

[TigersEye]

Pulling the race card on other FReepers seems to be a habit of altura's.

[MHGinTN]

Closer to 100% than to 50% of the time.

[Polybius]

Odd how you are all bent out of shape about a joke but not about a Candidate dumb enough to call 3/4s of his voter base “heartless”.

CharlesWayneCT was not "bent out of shape". He just pointed out how Cain has repeatedly thrown out whatever sound bites Cain thinks you want to hear and then done a 180 degree turn whenever the sound bite does not fly.

Odd, MNJohnnie, how you are all bent out of shape about a comment directed at another candidate on stage and have fallen hook, line and sinker for a stalking horse that has managed to help his old buddy, Mitt Romney, all but lock up the GOP nomination while he concentrates his efforts on hawking books at Barnes & Noble throughout all of October.

Congratulations, MNJohnnie. Herman Cain and Mitt Romney have played you like a cheap fiddle.

Romney Rounds Up Backing Among Key G.O.P. Donors

Herman Cain Only Has 'Several Hundred Thousand Dollars' In The Bank .... Compare that to Romney's $14 million or Perry's $18 million

Michael Steele to Herman Cain: Get Off the Book Tour

Herman Cain said Wednesday that he would be unable to support Rick Perry for president if the Texas governor were to eventually win the party's nomination. .... The former businessman said, for instance, that he could support former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney....

HERMAN CAIN'S ENDORSEMENT OF MITT ROMNEY PUBLISHED IN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION TWO DAYS PRIOR TO SUPER TUESDAY, 2008

[TigersEye]

So is running off and hiding when challenged to back those accusations.

[Norm Lenhart]

I’ve been called directly, in reference to a group of posters, or ‘hinted’ as a racist more on FR than I ever have in real life. Strange that. I’d think that Freepers didn’t do that kinds thing. I have to wonder what they truly believe.

I know those people have tantrums when I question their conservatism for doing it. Strange that too.

[TigersEye]

Seminar RINO posters.

[hocndoc]

Don’t worry. The “in crowd “ has that thread on our ping lists.

[altura]

I ‘ran off’ as you put it to do something important... watch a football game.

If you call me a racist again, I shall be forced to take action.

That thread of which I spoke speaks for itself. If you seriously expect me to pull somebody’s post and put it here, you are crazier than you already appear, and that’s pretty dang crazy.

[Norm Lenhart]

Pretty much. And closeted libs in some cases. Gotta be because the things they say are verbatim from Liberal talking points. These border threads and Cain/Perry threads are filled with them...just like the PDS on the Palin threads.

And before someone goes nuts on me, not ALL people who disagree are liberals. But when they spout their very words, what else do you call’em? Not conservative, that’s for sure.

[Souled_Out]

"I just get my kicks making fun of arrogant gasbags like you. It’s a personal thing. I’m sure you understand, you must see it all the time."

---

Yeah, I see mental midgets like yourself try to partake in a substantive discussion all the time.

Unfortunately, stupid can not be fixed, so they just keep coming back because they do not have the ability to recognize the fact that they are just plain stupid.

Losers like yourself are easy enough to recognize by their lack of intelligent replies and capacity to discuss topics, confusion with multiple syllable words and their final move as they resort to calling people names.

As for my tag line, if you have the ability to search Google, try it and see if you can understand the results (I doubt it).

Have a mentally challenging day.

[Souled_Out]

"Oct 6, 2011 Interviewing Rick Perry On Illegal Immigration"

---

Nice post, thank you for educating me.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Unfortunately, stupid can not be fixed, so they just keep coming back

So if I just ignore you and don’t reply to that post...

RATS! I blew it! Dang, you’re just sofa king smarter than me. Well, maybe next time I’ll ignore you. In fact, I’ll ignore you *twice* to make up for this one.

Buh bye, gasbag.

[Souled_Out]

"Buh bye, gasbag."

---

See you just can't help yourself, stupid is as stupid does.

Try real hard next time, I really think you can do it (not really).

Just keep repeating to yourself "I'm stupid, I'm stupid" soon the Meds will kick in and you will fall asleep.

Don't worry you will wake up stupid but maybe you will be able to resist posting on a forum for intelligent discussion.

Always keep in mind at all times "you are stupid".

[for-q-clinton]

So when do you know when they are lying to you? Only when they agree with your preconceived ideas then it’s the truth?

[BobL]

“No it doesn’t. He took it all back this morning, said it was a joke. “

Nice try.

[BobL]

“I want secured borders. I don’t want a soviet styled militarized zone with enough voltage to kill people or be land mined.”

The Soviet comparisons are a bit sickening and childish. But if that’s what you’re left with, it just tells us that the game is over for you.

[Clairity]

GOP presidential candidates, lawmakers address narco-terrorism

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2793685/posts

[BuckeyeTexan]

Empower the states to do what the federal government can’t or won’t do.

The Constitution already reserves power for the states.

[TigersEye]

If you call me a racist again, I shall be forced to take action.

That's very funny. I didn't call you a racist but you are a proven race-baiter. You slander FR by making unfounded accusations of racism against unnamed members and then smear the management of FR with the same brush.

You're a coward who is here to undermine the forum and can't back up your race-baiting.