Herman's Just Not Ready

American Spectator ^ | November 15, 2011 | ROSS KAMINSKY

[reaganaut1]

Herman Cain is theoretically a great candidate for president. He's a smart, black, successful, conservative "outsider." But as the reality sets in, it's clear that Mr. Cain is barely more ready for the office he seeks than Sarah Palin (or Barack Obama) was four years ago. Cain's performance in a long interview on Monday crystallized this view which has been forming in the minds of many GOP voters in recent weeks.

Mr. Cain's responses in Saturday's Republican debate in South Carolina -- which focused on foreign policy -- were a bunch of platitudes about getting good advice before making a decision. Frequently, his answers on topics that he doesn't really know much about focus on a few points of process, on getting quality advice, on not needing to know everything in advance, and so on.

But this is the real world and these are dangerous times. While the 2012 election will primarily be about jobs and the economy, events across the Arab world and escalating tensions between Iran and Israel -- not least because of the IAEA's most recent report about advances in Iran's nuclear weapon program -- make foreign policy and national security expertise critically important in our next president.

If there is anything America has been reminded of by Barack Obama, it's that the presidency is no place for on-the-job training -- and it's even less so when potential nuclear conflict is involved. Herman Cain gave an interview to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Monday in which his answers on questions about Libya -- and his further discussion with the newspaper's editors on broader foreign policy issues -- sounded like a student trying hard to remember the answers for a test he's been cramming for.

[stickywillie]

how do the others compare to Herman’s business acumen? Who has led major corporation(s) besides Herman. jack*sses think they found a weak spot, so they dwell on it.

[palmer]

Sounds like you’re not ready for Cain. He’s ready to reset the country onto a new course, but I can understand that people like the old comfortable political system that they are used to.

[magritte]

PLUS ALL CAPS FOR EFFECT

[murron]

I love Cain and want him to be the nominee. But I can picture it now during the general campaign. The Obama ad people running an ad with that clip of Mr. Cain blowing the answer on Libya. If Herman Cain does not get the nomination, I would rather it be over substance and not the false claims of some blond bimbo.

[Iscool]

He's a smart, black, successful, conservative "outsider." But as the reality sets in, it's clear that Mr. Cain is barely more ready for the office he seeks than Sarah Palin (or Barack Obama) was four years ago.

Sara had far more experience in politics than little George Bush and I'll bet you tripped all over yourself running to the voting booth to pull the lever for George...

you'll have to come up with a far better argument than this to turn pro America Americans away from Cain...

[jpsb]

"American Spectator has no cred it’s a shill for establishment RINO’s"

Reading all these threads has made me realize something, only Hermann Cain is not a RINO! Everyone else, all the conservative publications are nothing but shills for the RINO establishment. OMG, what are we going to do?

[Iscool]

With our country in the dire straits it is...how anyone can consider those without experience defies understanding. If Cain wins he will be a “figure head” because he will need enoormous propping up by others behind the scenes, just as he’s being given now.....he would have been finished already had others not stepped in to shore him up.

I don't buy it...There's not a person alive who could handle all the information needed to make even some of the decisions that a President must make...

Every single one of them makes their decisions based on what their advisors tell them...And more than likely, Presidents get informed as to what decisions are made for them...

[JimInMO]

This is an honest and serious question (not a blindside or sneak attack). My question is for those who watched Greta's interview of Gloria Cain last night. What I noticed regarding Greta's questioning about Gloria's and Herman's (marital) discussions regarding the NRA period of the charges, and these public allegations recently is what seems to me to have been so minimalist between them. "He mentioned in passing", or that Gloria did not question Herman about the groping allegation. Or that Herman said something like, "Oh, by the way, you may hear something about a sexual harassment charge . . ." Does anyone else have a similar take on that--that it seems odd? I mean, even settling the NRA situations quickly, surely some kind of marital exchanges. But Gloria said nothing. And the same regarding the latest incident. These things are not minor, they are not quickly dispatched, and they do not simply go away with an agreement among the parties. Thoughts welcome. P.S. My text editor is not functioning properly again--any idea how I can restore the lines between paragraphs? Appreciate any advice.

[CodeToad]

Can AS name one President that was ever qualified?

[palmer]

These things are not minor, they are not quickly dispatched, and they do not simply go away with an agreement among the parties.

BS. They are common, done by disgruntled gold diggers all the time, and especially at a place like NRA (organization is dumb as rocks with deep pockets). The reality is that these types of allegations and settlements were and are a dime a dozen.

[TFMcGuire]

Herman Cain is as ready as he needs to be for the office. Sarah Palin is as ready as she needs to be.

Was Obama ready, in your opinions?

It is management, character and leadership skills that make a good president.

Not intimate knowledge of every permutation of international issues.

Experience in politics is like experience in prostitution. One is not bettered, in most cases, by the experience.

When Americans learn this lesson then they will have begun to understand what our founding fathers feared in a professional political class.

Citizens with much integrity and common sense make better legislators and executives than elites with money, experience and charisma but neither wisdom nor morality.

[MNJohnnie]

Not our fault you are a shameless liar. You really though no one would notice and call you on it?

[Coffee_drinker]

Cain is ready. Far more ready than Barrack Obama ever was. He loves America and knows the principles upon which she is built and has exercised those in the private sector to great success. He is qualified according to the Constitution and I trust the man. That’s enough to this point for me. He will have to gaffe and fail a whole lot worse than he has to lose my vote.

Agree! We also need to unite, Cain can win against Obama

[JimInMO]

Understand what you are saying. My question/point is not about the seriousness (or lack of) the allegations. My question/point is about the stated minimalist announcement by Herman to Gloria, and their subsequent brief, few, and nonrecurring followup talks. It just does not seem to compute with me in any marital relationship that something(s) so ugly and emotionally explosive are said to have received so little discussion between them. Sure as heck would not have happened that way here in my home, I assure you!!!!!

[CodeToad]

“He will have to gaffe and fail a whole lot worse than he has to lose my vote.”

Same here. I prefer not having a sleezeball beltway polidiot as a President.

[Ozymandias Ghost]

I wonder why the Founding Fathers didn't write that “only prior holders of elected office need apply” clause into the qualifications for the office of President of the United States ...must’ve slipped their minds./s

[palmer]

Do you have executive experience in an organization that routinely pays off harassment claims that have no merit? Have you worked for the federal govt in such a position? Do you know how much money sloshes around in industry associations and how risk averse they are? How much a lawyer costs to settle such a claim?

The situation is not ugly nor is it emotionally explosive, it is simple part of the responsbilities of the position. The only likely conversation between the two was a discussion over when he would complete his duties and get the heck out of such an awful disfunctional organization.

[The Iceman Cometh]

You "Cainiacs" are grasping at straws pizzas.

There should be a Free Republic rule that states that when one Freeper disparages another over someone they support, that Freeper needs to disclose the candidate he backs.

[Jeff Head]

LOL! Spot on.

[Hawthorn]

>> Who were our great presidents without relevant political experience? <<

Maybe Lincoln? His only political experience was one totally undistinguished term as a Whig congressman, plus a little time — equally undistinguished — in the Illinois legislature. Nor was he a serious military man, having served just a few uneventful months as a militiaman during the Blackhawk War.