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Explaining last gaffe, Cain stumbles again
The Hill ^ | 11/18/11 | Jonathan Easley

Posted on 11/18/2011 3:20:27 PM PST by mdittmar

GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain committed another potentially damaging foreign policy gaffe on Friday, when he inferred that the Taliban posed a threat to the Libyan government.

Speaking at a press conference in Orlando, Cain was defending his performance in front of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s editorial board earlier this week, in which he searched for words and sat in awkward silence after being asked if he agreed with the Obama administration’s policy towards Libya.

“Do I agree with siding with the opposition? Do I agree with saying that Qadhafi should go? Do I agree that they now have a country where you've got Taliban and Al Qaeda that's going to be part of the government?” Cain asked reporters. “Do I agree with not knowing the government was going to — which part was he asking me about? I was trying to get him to be specific and he wouldn't be specific.”

The Taliban is an Islamist militant group based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Libya is in northern Africa.

It’s the latest in a series of foreign policy stumbles for the candidate.

In October, Cain said it wasn’t important to know who was “the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-stan.” And in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel interview, Cain said he couldn’t recall Obama’s position on Libya because he had “all of this stuff twirling around in my head.”

Cain has responded to the criticism by saying he would surround himself with worthwhile advisers to help him out with foreign policy, and that voters didn’t expect him to know everything because “we need a leader, not a reader.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cain; cainforeignpolicy
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To: mdittmar

Preview of Herman Cain schools the Punk David Letterman TONIGHT! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tBTq9cDSHI&feature=share via @youtube #caintrain #cain2012 #gop #tcot #tpp


21 posted on 11/18/2011 3:37:46 PM PST by CainConservative
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To: mdittmar
What gaff, what kind of flag was flying over than one city in Libya. I guess, the ones that cut your head off right to left have a different name than the ones that cut from left to right. What ignorance.
22 posted on 11/18/2011 3:38:56 PM PST by org.whodat (Just another heartless American, hated by "AMNESTY" Perry and his fellow demorats.)
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To: CitizenM
Personally,I want to see a Cain,Obama Debate!
23 posted on 11/18/2011 3:39:48 PM PST by mdittmar (i)
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To: TomGuy
How about we send you over there to take a survey, we will provide you with a bible clipboard to write on.
24 posted on 11/18/2011 3:41:24 PM PST by org.whodat (Just another heartless American, hated by "AMNESTY" Perry and his fellow demorats.)
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To: All

So what they’re saying is that he listed the wrong Islamic fundamentalist nutcases in his analysis of the Libyan revolutionary government ... wow, what a blooper could turn out to be, like saying Hitler was German and not Austrian.

In other words, who cares? The dude seems to have a clue, in contrast with many others in the field.


25 posted on 11/18/2011 3:41:24 PM PST by Peter ODonnell
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To: mdittmar

You know that I think Cain is a gaffe-a-minute machine. Today I’ve felt like I’ve been missing the joys of Herman and that the day could use a little more humor. But even I don’t find this one sufficient enough to tickle my funny bone.

Darn it Herman... Get with it. You were on a roll...


26 posted on 11/18/2011 3:43:24 PM PST by TBBT
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To: mdittmar

I’m not accepting the premise that this was a gaffe in the first place. Cain is definitely privy to some information that we, the public, are not. Keep in mind his meetings recently with former high-ranking officials here in the US.

They act as if the Taliban doesn’t have any ties with Al-Qaeda - are people here at FR that dense that they believe that? The Muslim Brotherhood is the UMBRELLA group tied to ALL of the major Islamic Jihadist organizations. There is a distinct possibility that higher ranking members of the Taliban COULD DEFINITELY be involved in Libya’s new government... So what that one is in Afghanistan, and one is in Northern Africa! The Muslim Brotherhood has groups all over Africa, Indonesia, and the Middle East — it’s not like they don’t have access to airplanes! It’s not like ALL the leaders of the Taliban have stuck around Pakistan and Afghanistan, either!

If the Taliban is only in Afghanistan and Pakistan, then why was the leader of Al-Qaeda ALSO in Pakistan? As if there is no overlap in those organizations!

The press isn’t about to actually admit that the Muslim Brotherhood was the leading force behind taking out Qaddafi and that the US and France HELPED them do it. It’s not a gaffe for Cain to point this out. It’s ridiculous for people here at FR who have been exposed to the truth in regards to the organization of these terrorist groups to automatically side with the press in saying that Cain made a mistake in this...


27 posted on 11/18/2011 3:44:09 PM PST by LibertyRocks
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To: TBBT

On the bright side... The day is not over yet...


28 posted on 11/18/2011 3:45:27 PM PST by TBBT
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To: The Iceman Cometh
I mean this country would look totally stupid if it elected someone with no experience.?

You're right. We did and we do.

29 posted on 11/18/2011 3:45:55 PM PST by colorado tanker
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To: BenKenobi
I’m not sure either why this is a gaffe

Doesn't matter if it's gaffe or not (the other ones weren't really gaffes either)...the headline says it is, and that's all that is needed to cement the idea in sheeples' heads.

30 posted on 11/18/2011 3:46:00 PM PST by Mygirlsmom ("Get ready for an aberration of historic proportions" ...H Cain.."to correct the last one" MGM)
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To: TBBT

Cain got this one right. And, NATO did say that elements from Afghanistan (including former Taliban) were present in the ranks of the Libyan rebel movement.


31 posted on 11/18/2011 3:47:05 PM PST by Thunder90 (Fighting for truth and the American way... http://citizensfortruthandtheamericanway.blogspot.com/)
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To: Cicero

Cain! Herman Cain!


32 posted on 11/18/2011 3:47:35 PM PST by mdittmar (i)
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To: mdittmar

The gaffe isn’t regarding the Taliban. That’s not that big of a deal. There’s certainly a high degree of sympatico between the Taliban and the new Islamicist leaders of Lybia.

The gaffe was in the original question, when he was trying to get the reporter to be more specific. Because he has no experience he didn’t instinctively do what anyone else (including me, to be honest, and I’ve got no experience) would do: take the non-specific question as an open-ended invitation to talk about whatever he wanted to talk about on that topic... which is what he ended up doing but not before getting all muddled about what are the specifics of the question.

Who gives a sh*t, Herman! Just have a bunch of boiler-plate answers at the ready and pass them out like carnival prizes to the bozos who are asking you all these stupid questions.

Forget the Taliban, Cain just is out of step on the whole subject of dealing with the media. Not as out of step as Gov Perry, but out of step nonetheless.

And that’s his real problem.

And that’s what makes him an easy target for the creeps who are masters at “setting the agenda”.


33 posted on 11/18/2011 3:48:49 PM PST by samtheman
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To: mdittmar

Why does Obama get a pass? why does Romney get a pass? the MSM is slamming every republican candidate except Mitt.. but thank God the voters are aware of the bias.


34 posted on 11/18/2011 3:51:21 PM PST by katiedidit1 ("This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever." the Irish)
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To: Mygirlsmom
Doesn't matter if it's gaffe or not (the other ones weren't really gaffes either)...the headline says it is, and that's all that is needed to cement the idea in sheeples' heads.

So true. Too many people either hear it on the news or read it and just believe it - no questions asked.

This latest so-called "gaffe" is much ado about nothing.

Brought to you by the media branch of the DNC.

35 posted on 11/18/2011 3:51:42 PM PST by Allegra (Hey! Stop looking at my tagline like that.)
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To: TomGuy

Cain is beginning to make Obama look savvy.


36 posted on 11/18/2011 3:54:38 PM PST by traderrob6
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To: katiedidit1

You’re really asking a question are you?

Theory/Conventional Wisdom: MSM saving their ammo for Mitt until after he gets the nomination. Same as with McCain.


37 posted on 11/18/2011 3:54:46 PM PST by TBBT
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To: Allegra

Yup. Cain was surging in the polls. Was winning over not only conservatives but moderates and independents. People liked him. So enter the filthy smear campaign over sex harassment which has yet to provide anything clear, proven, or damning. Cain takes a huge hit on his likability and character and white women are scared off in droves from the “monster”. Cain somewhat survives the smear but his likability and credibility are damaged. Since the blow wasn’t fatal we know get a daily drip drip drip of how “stupid” Cain is. If there isn’t a real misspeak or stumble they make one up. Every day.


38 posted on 11/18/2011 3:59:05 PM PST by over3Owithabrain
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To: traderrob6

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool.


39 posted on 11/18/2011 3:59:31 PM PST by mdittmar (i)
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To: mdittmar

“we need a leader, not a reader.”

It would have been better had he not said that.

As for the “Taliban” comment, it was a mistake, but it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.


40 posted on 11/18/2011 3:59:40 PM PST by Gator113 (~Just livin' life, my way~.. Newt/West 2012.“I’ve got a lot swirling around in my head.”)
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