I think he still could pull it off, but he sure better be able to QUICKLY prove his allegations regarding Perry and IMMEDIATELY get past this sexual harassment issue.
He needs the help of an experianced A-Team and he needs it ASAP.
The aim of this story is to suffocate the candidate’s message at a crucial point. (Which is why we never heard about Edwards’s improprieties while he was a candidate, of course.)
The problem is that Cain was rising in the polls and people were just getting to know him.
Folks who think this wouldn’t be a Dem smear (I have no opinion yet) have to remember the media are not just about cutting off a candidate’s election, but controlling the person’s image in the first place. Look at Palin—they came down immediately when she was a VP candidate, and they kept it up relentlessly. Haven’t seen any stories on her since she declined to run.
Cain had to be stopped. Just because I don’t want that to be the case doesn’t mean it won’t be successful, unfortunately.