(Herman) Cain ad draws flak

Thomasville Times Enterprise ^ | March 9, 2004 | Alex P. Joyner

[JohnnyZ]

ATLANTA -- President Bush isn't the only Republican receiving flak over campaign advertisements.

U.S. Senate candidate Herman Cain has been asked by the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans -- a chapter of the nation's largest gay and lesbian organization -- to take his radio ad supporting the traditional view of marriage off the airwaves. According to Cain press secretary Nicole Berry, last Friday, Marc Yeager, president of the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans, contacted Cain's campaign headquarters and formally asked that the radio ad be removed.

Cain said he isn't changing a thing.

[JohnnyZ]

Are the Log Cabinites TRYING to help Herman Cain?

Always good news when the radical gays don't like you.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Now, if we can somehow get the Log Cabin Republicans to publicly endorse Johnny Isakson, we'd have a Cain-Collins run-off. : )

[FReethesheeples]

Bravo for Herman Cain. He's a great candidate & a graet conservative!

[zbigreddogz]

When's the primary?

[JohnnyZ]

The Georgia primary isn't until July 20th, so there's plenty of time. The likely runoff will be August 10th.

[zbigreddogz]

Good.

Herman Cain seems like a good fella, but my main priority is winning in Nov. Who do you think has the best chance of that?

(I wish Jack Kingston was in this race)

[WOSG]

Are you implying a great black conservative like Herman Cain is less electable than other white conservatives?

[zbigreddogz]

I'm not implying anything, and I don't appreciate the suggestion.

I merely want the most electable candidate. It does seem to me like we should be able to do better then Issacson, I mean, really, he's easily to Zell Miller's left, but with a 51/49 Senate, unfortunately, my #1 priority is that they have an 'R' next to their name come inaguration day.

Saxby Chambiliss is my idea of perfection, and it seems to me that Herman Cain is probably closer to him then any of the other candidates, but it concerns me that, at least according to my knowledge, he's never been in public office before. This doesn't necessarily matter, I know he's a fairly well known business man, but in a perfect world, he'd have a litte experience. Jack Kingston has that, which is why I'd like him.

That said, if it were my decision to make, I'm pretty sure Cain would be my choice, I'd just like to know more about him. How good of public speaker he is, how diciplined etc. I just don't want a ultra-conservative joker such Howard Kaloogian to kill our chances.

[Naspino]

Cain sounds better and better all the time.

[Naspino]

Surely Cain has to worry the Democrats because he can draw votes away from them because he is black. The people that elected Majette are left of center but not by much. I think they will take a look at him very seriously. I don't know of any Republican that would vote Democrat because he's black. I'm sure they might exist -- but I wouldn't worry about it. I think he can offset their impact easily by pulling votes from Dekalb, S. Gwinnett etc.

[zbigreddogz]

I don't really like thinking about these issues, it disturbs me that it matters so much, I guess sometimes that's reality. Anyhow, you might be right and you might not, here's what worries me:

It makes sense that he would be able to get more of the black vote, but it concerns me a little that he might not, and he might lose the 'bubba' vote, just like Bobby Jindal did in Lousiana. I know there is probably less of it in Georgia then in Lousiana, but it still worries me a little.

But my main worry is that Cain will be some sort of Republican Wesly Clark, someone who can't keep his mouth shut and isn't diciplined enough and makes a lot of gaffs. We can't afford not to pick up this seat, especially in the light of Nighthorse-Cambell retiring.

[Naspino]

I think the only Bubba vote is up in the mountains and in far south Georgia which has small populations compared to the Atlanta suburbs. I don't think too many Bubba's vote anyway. I can think of some older people that I knew when I was in Athens that would fall in this category and I can safely say they were all Democrats anyway.

[zbigreddogz]

Hope your right. I'll love Cain if he gets the seat, but we need this seat, so if your right, I hope he gets the nom and wins.

[JohnnyZ]

But my main worry is that Cain will be some sort of Republican Wesly Clark, someone who can't keep his mouth shut and isn't diciplined enough and makes a lot of gaffs.

Cain . . . Clark . . . LOL, no I don't think so.

I think gaffes are the last thing a Cain candidacy would need to worry about. He's a great public speaker and knows his mind and doesn't waffle. He's also been very active politically in recent years, just not in elective office. He was co?-chair of Steve Forbes' presidential campaign, and famously confronted Bubba Clinton in one of those town hall meetings on taxes or regulations or something.

[zbigreddogz]

The reason I thought it might be a worry is because I have heard that he described himself as a black Jesse Helms. That kinda worries me. It seems like a quick way to alienate moderates. I personally agreed with most of Helms positions (he's a little to my right, as I said, Saxby Chambiliss is right about where I am), but he was really harsh and overly forceful in some of his positons. I don't think Helms was a racist, but he did sometimes seem to be insensitive (I hate sounding like a liberal, but there is such a thing as trying not to offend without a good reason to do so)

I don't think Helms would have won the last time or so if he wern't such a tradition, and Cain comparing himself to him kinda worries me, it seems like really poor strategy if you ask me.

Anyhow, this was a few months ago, hopefully it's by the wayside, and if all I'm told about Herman Cain is true, I hope he wins the seat.

[Maurice1962]

Its been a couple of months since the last post in this thread. I just wondered if you were able to get more info.

Cain has actively been in all 100 counties. Isakson says he has, however, driving through a county enroute to an event counts as a visit in his mind.

I think Cain is electable. He believes he can pull this off without a runoff if everything keeps coming together as it appears. At worst, he will have a runoff. If this is the case I believe its all over for Isakson. The national media will be all over this.

Cain is good for the party. Republican's have said they were for a big tent. However, they don't want to allow anyone other than a country clubber to have a seat at the table. They love their power. Cain really is broadening the base without minimizing conservative principles.

In the past few years the conservative element has been used and abused and bumped to the side; branded as obstructionists. Cain makes us more mainstream.

I can say that Middle Georgia is definitively in Cain's camp. He has some healthy support here.