Posted on 11/15/2011 5:56:51 AM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
You have a good point. I’d add both Grover Cleveland and Warren Harding to your list of greats who had ample political experience. Ike wasn’t too terrible, however.
Committing resources to where they will do the most good is wise. No matter who is president, if liberals still control the Senate and the leadership of the House, we will continue down the same road to destruction.
I would hope that the first qualification is someone who isn't lying to us, who won't change their tune the first day in office. That leaves out Romney.
Gingrich is out too, he might believe what he says on any given day, but it tends not to be what he believes and says a week or two later.
I trust Cain will surround himself with good people, and have access to the best intelligence, and make good decisions based on that intelligence.
No one comes to this job 100% prepared. No one. All come to it with varying degrees of knowledge about different aspects of the job. I’m more concerned with a person’s ability to surround themselves with good, knowledgeable people who ARE experts in the area they’re lacking and how quickly they’re able to learn. IMO Cain has both. If not he certainly wouldn’t be able to turn companies around as fast as he did.
But the one question I’ve asked on thread after thread after thread is this: The founders required of the presidential candidate to be over 35 years old and to be a citizen of the US. No qualifiers. Why do you think that is? WE conservatives are the ones who are supposed to believe in this document as originally written. Could it possibly be because the founders thought it would be important to have a person who was a success in the non political world and who was willing to serve than someone with the “right” credentials who had made politics a career?
Surely they were aware that someone coming from the private sector who wanted to serve wouldn’t be aware of every single issue a president has to face and yet, that didn’t seem to be a big concern of theirs. AT what point did conservatives decide we should only follow the original intent of the founders’ original document of the parts we believe in but not the rest? Perhaps we need a new amendment that’s states a specific amount of time in government, perfect debater, never makes a gaff, has an particular IQ and/or is an expert of (name your favorite issue here).
And then we might as well admit the left is correct: It SHOULD be a living, breathing document. The world was different when the founders wrote the Constitution. Of course, Lincoln knew little about civil war. But that was different. No, a political neophyte with a string of successes has no business in the White House. A man who is a very quick study, has surrounded himself with excellent people (else he would’ve spent his time hiring & firing instead of turning a losing company into a winning one) and who has a history of righting a sinking ship. Today, that simply won’t do. What did a bunch of old white guys know anyway?
Cindie
Hey, we have Newt’s voting record on gun rights.
What’s that look like?
Newt’s a one-worlder, and I do not believe he is teachable.
At least Cain would leave it to the states rather than impose “gun control” at the federal level.
If you live in a gun control state, and it bothers you enough, you can always move.
I love upstate New York, but I can’t live there.
Same goes for Canada, Brazil, or pretty much anywhere else.
In Brazil, you can have a gun, but you need a police permit to buy ammo.
Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dear brother in Christ!
What’s that look like?
As far as I know he never supported gun control. If you have facts to the contrary, I would like to hear.
I do know Perry's record on guns is very good.
Herman Cain continues to be an excellent candidate for president. He's a smart, black, successful, conservative "outsider." Mr. Cain is far more ready for the office he seeks than Barack Obama was four years ago, or even this day! He may lack some "polish" because he has not held public office. Meaningless "gotcha" questions should not be a decision variable. Cain is EXACTLY what this country needs to actually achieve fiscal responsibility, world respect and admiration, job growth, and pride in America and its accomplishments.
I believe that Mr. Cain understands our needs and priorities, and is quite capable of making foreign policy decisions that will advance our interests.
It is superficial and silly to project his performance on one incomplete comment. We are not looking for the best debater, but someone with the integrity of character, intelligence, and experience to lead us out of the cultural and economic hole we find ourselves in today.
You are so anti-Cain that you reduce him to a “pizza manager.”
Pathetic.
If the shoe fits ...
And don't forget Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. There was never any criticism of them not being qualified.
But, you are not qualified if you are the Governor of Alaska for some reason.
Would it kill them to at least acknowledge their concerns?
Cain has demonstrated he does not have the knowledge of world affairs to make a decision without discussing it with his staff.
Only a blithering tyrannical idiot in that position makes a decision without without discussing it with his/her staff.
I'd rather have a guy who knows the difference between right and wrong with no experience than an amoral guy with 50 years of "experience". Clinton had no qualms about bombing innocent people in Kosovo. Obama had no qualms bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia. Bush II had no qualms sending two innocent Border Patrol agents to jail. And no president in recent history has a problem with the invasion of our southern border.
The only question we need to ask is that a person seeking the highest office in the land knows the difference between right and wrong and is willing to do the right thing.
If that time comes, I want someone in that office that has convinced me they could make a snap decision without their staffs input.
Cain hasn't demonstrated that to me.
OK, your response makes no sense.
If Cain is our nominee, will you stay home and not vote? Or will you vote to see Obama out of office? If it’s the latter, then maybe lighten up your damnation of Cain.
Resigning without finishing a term might have something to do with it.
Having to pay your own legal costs for frivolous suites brought against you as governor could also have something to do with it.
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