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Herman Cain: I’m forming an exploratory committee for 2012
Hotair ^ | 12/19/2010 | Allahpundit

Posted on 12/19/2010 8:39:28 AM PST by SeekAndFind

I know the basics of his bio — accomplished CEO, talk-radio host, cancer survivor — but not much more beyond that. Even so, it got my attention a few days ago when he won Red State’s 2012 “tournament,” topping Mike Pence in the semifinal and Palin in the final. Is that because Cain’s a Red State favorite or is the grassroots support for him out there broader than anyone realizes right now?

Either way, the Daily Caller says to get ready.

Former Godfathers Pizza chief executive Herman Cain says he’s definitely forming an exploratory committee — likely within the next several weeks — to test the waters for a possible Republican presidential run in 2012…

He’s been particularly encouraged, he said, by the results of the midterm elections in November “because I wanted to make sure that this voter anger and frustration was going to convert into votes to change the political landscape, and it did.”…

Cain, who on Friday is scheduled to appear on Greta Van Susteren’s show on Fox News, has been traveling to early caucus and primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire to reach out to grassroots movement and potential donors…

Tim Albrecht, the communications director for the incoming Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, wrote on Twitter this week that, “Prediction: Herman Cain is going to have some serious legs when he begins visiting Iowa.”

He says a run isn’t definite yet but it’s likely since it looks like the base is ready for an “unconventional candidate.” (Evidently they weren’t ready in 2004, because he got crushed in the Georgia GOP primary by Johnny Isakson.) As an interesting gloss on his potential appeal, read this long but interesting Ron Brownstein piece on the “managers vs. populists” dynamic shaping up within the GOP ahead of 2012. The archetypes on each side are Romney and Palin, of course, with “managers” running mainly as economic surgeons and “populists” running against the sclerotic D.C. establishment. Cain, as a successful businessman and popular “true conservative,” has credibility in both roles, and as a practiced public speaker, he should rock that tea party debate in August. (Huckabee, as a blue-collar social con hero and a governor for 10 years, arguably does too.) Does he have any chance of challenging Palin and/or Huck in Iowa, though? As noted in the excerpt, he’s already spending time there, which is smart since winning or finishing a strong second is his only shot at momentum. But c’mon. Surely either Sarahcuda or Huckabee’s going to run; it’s unimaginable that they’d both pass when either stands to clean up among Christians if the other stays out. How does Cain cope with that in the caucuses?

Here’s an interview with Cain that Ed conducted a few months ago during the Right Online conference. Exit question: With both Mitch Daniels and Tim Pawlenty suddenly sounding like their hearts aren’t in a presidential run, is Romney home free as the de facto nominee of the “managerial” wing of the party?




TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: cainormccain; hermancain; president
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HERMAN CAIN


1 posted on 12/19/2010 8:39:29 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Cain instead of Steele at the RNC!!!!


2 posted on 12/19/2010 8:41:45 AM PST by ExTexasRedhead
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To: SeekAndFind

I’d vote for him.


3 posted on 12/19/2010 8:43:22 AM PST by optiguy (Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.----- Ronald Reagan)
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To: SeekAndFind

For those who don’t know him:

Herman Cain (born December 13, 1945) is an American newspaper columnist, businessman, politician, and radio talk-show host from Georgia. He is best known as the former chairman and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza. Cain’s newspaper column is distributed by North Star Writers Group. He currently lives in the Atlanta suburbs.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Morehouse College in 1967, and a master’s degree in computer science from Purdue University.

Cain worked as a mathematician for the Department of the Navy, a business analyst for the Coca-Cola Company, and for the Pillsbury Company, where he became Vice-President of Corporate Systems and Services within three years. Cain hoped to reach a corporate presidency, and to pursue this goal he decided to resign his senior position and move into the restaurant industry.

Cain entered Pillsbury’s Burger King division, where he worked his way up from making hamburgers to managing 400 restaurants in the Philadelphia region. Under Cain’s leadership, the region went from being the chain’s worst-performing in the country to its best.

In 1986, Cain was appointed head of Pillsbury’s struggling Godfather’s Pizza chain, which he restored to profitability in 14 months, and organized a buyout of the company from Pillsbury in 1988. Cain went on to serve on the board of the National Restaurant Association, chairing the board from 1994 to 1995 and becoming President and CEO in 1996. In 1999 Cain became President of RetailDNA.

Cain has been cited as one of the primary “saboteurs” of the 1993/1994 health care plan of President Bill Clinton and then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In 2004, Cain ran for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, pursuing the seat which came open with the retirement of Democrat Zell Miller. Cain sought the Republican nomination, facing Congressmen Johnny Isakson and Mac Collins in the primary. Cain and Collins both hoped to deny Isakson a majority on primary day in order to force him into a runoff.

Collins tried to paint Cain as a moderate, citing Cain’s support for affirmative action programs, while Cain argued that he was a true conservative, noting that he opposed the legality of abortion even in cases of rape and incest.

Cain finished second in the primary with 26.2% of the vote, ahead of Collins who won 20.6%, but because Isakson was able to win 53.2% of the vote, Isakson was able to avoid a runoff against Cain.

In 2006, Cain was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in both his colon and his liver. After surgery and chemotherapy, he has reported that he is cancer free.

Cain hosts The Herman Cain Show on Atlanta talk radio station News Talk 750 WSB from 7-10PM EST Monday through Friday and serves as a commentator for Fox News Business and a syndicated columnist distributed by the North Star Writers Group.

In 2009, Cain founded “Hermanator’s Intelligent Thinkers Movement” (HITM), aimed at organizing 100,000 activists in every congressional district in the United States in support of a strong national defense, the FairTax, tax cuts, energy independence, capping and cutting government spending, restructuring Social Security, and defending the U.S. Constitution.


4 posted on 12/19/2010 8:44:18 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Anybody who supports a candidate other than Sarah is a RINO misogynist and secret Obama supporter.
5 posted on 12/19/2010 8:46:02 AM PST by Artemis Webb (What, if not a bagel and coffee, confirms the existence of a just and loving God?)
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To: Artemis Webb

*class of 98 needs no sarcasm tags.


6 posted on 12/19/2010 8:46:47 AM PST by Artemis Webb (What, if not a bagel and coffee, confirms the existence of a just and loving God?)
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To: SeekAndFind

I wish we could all drop using the ‘red state’ and ‘blue state’ names

I have to stop and think about which is which every time because it is THE DEMOCRAPS who use to be commie red (and appropriately so)


7 posted on 12/19/2010 8:49:23 AM PST by Mr. K ('Profiling' you is worse than grabbing your balls)
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To: SeekAndFind

Paging all illegal immigration fighters...what is Cain’s position on this issue? Anyone know?


8 posted on 12/19/2010 8:56:32 AM PST by magna carta
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To: SeekAndFind

I saw him at the Rightonline conference and was really impressed.


9 posted on 12/19/2010 8:57:37 AM PST by Rusty0604
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To: Artemis Webb

Cheap shot there and completely off base. I support Sarah, I would support Herman Cain too if he runs. And I would bet that nearly all Sarah supporters have a similar view. And when it comes down to actually having to choose between the two in a primary, it will depend on how each have performed up to that point. Right now Sarah has the edge, we will see how Mr. Cain does. Best of luck to both of them!


10 posted on 12/19/2010 9:00:15 AM PST by HerrBlucher (Defund, repeal, investigate, impeach, convict, jail, celebrate.)
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To: SeekAndFind

He has something I’m been looking for “Street Smarts”.


11 posted on 12/19/2010 9:01:02 AM PST by steveab (When was the last time someone tried to sell you a CO2 induced climate control system for your home?)
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To: magna carta

RE: Paging all illegal immigration fighters...what is Cain’s position on this issue? Anyone know?


SOURCE : http://bridgetdgms.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/herman-cain-could-be-obamas-worst-nightmare/

EXCERPT

Immigration ‘reform’: Stop pandering and get it done!

Cain said he doesn’t expect the Obama administration and Congress to pass any type of “immigration reform” before the November election.

“They just want to give the impression that they are passionate about the plight of illegals in this country so they do as little as they possibly can,” he explained. “That’s what this is about – pandering to the Hispanic vote.”

Likewise, he said Democrats are banking on the federal lawsuit against Arizona being drawn out this year.

“It is just their way of setting up to say, ‘We care about the plight of Hispanics in this country. We care about illegals in this country who might be racially profiled,’” Cain said. “They don’t give a flip about racial profiling! This is all politically motivated. So they had to sue Arizona to bring attention, and they’re going to drag it out intentionally so it gives the impression that they’re passionate about Hispanics in this country.”

However, Cain said he believes the Democrats’ plan will fail:

“I’ve had Hispanics call my radio show who are legal immigrants, and they say they’re insulted by what the administration is doing in giving the impression that it’s going to give a free pass to all those people who are here illegally. I get dozens of calls like this. Not only are they insulted, they say it’s going to backfire because most of the illegals aren’t going to be able to vote anyway. The legal Hispanics here do not like the fact that Democrats are trying to pander to Hispanics by trying to show this false compassion for this illegal immigration issue.”

For true immigration reform, Cain said, the U.S. must

1) secure the border,

2) enforce the current laws and

3) streamline the process for becoming a U.S. citizen.

“‘Comprehensive immigration reform’ is a joke, because it would mean government is capable of solving all three problems at once,” he explained. “When was the last time government solved one problem correctly? Time is up!”

He noted that Republicans tried “comprehensive immigration reform” in 2007, led by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and it failed.

“The Obama administration could not execute ‘Cash for Clunkers,’ not to mention the mishandling of the Gulf oil tragedy,” Cain said. “Add the lawsuit against Arizona and the rhetoric about ‘comprehensive immigration reform,’ and we have a political delay tactic to do nothing.”

Securing the border is not a difficult task with the technology available to the U.S., he said, but pandering and political correctness are keeping the job from getting done.

“Failure to enforce the current immigration laws is just negligence by the federal government,” Cain said. “And when Arizona wants to do something to protect itself, it gets sued. I am on Arizona’s side of this fight.”

He added, “Lastly, no one has reviewed the process for becoming a citizen since dirt! Just ask people who have done it the right way about how frustrating it is.”


12 posted on 12/19/2010 9:01:24 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: HerrBlucher

I believe he was being sarcastic regarding Sarah... see his next post after that. :)


13 posted on 12/19/2010 9:03:12 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Damn, FRiend! Thanks for posting this. I’ve been seeing his name & wondering who the hell he was. You must have read my mind cuz digging up info on him was on my to-do list for today!

Thanks & Merry Christmas.

If I may be so bold (as a newbie FReeper), Id like to predict that Sarah dosent run & instead throws her support behind this dude. I have zero basis for saying this - just a gut feeling. Please don’t flame me.


14 posted on 12/19/2010 9:04:16 AM PST by surroundedbyblue
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To: Artemis Webb

LoL! Yes that does seem to be the case doesn’t it? LOL!

I think this guy is at least a bit more enticing than anyone else offered up at this point.


15 posted on 12/19/2010 9:06:01 AM PST by blarney
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To: HerrBlucher

“I support Sarah, I would support Herman Cain too if he runs. And I would bet that nearly all Sarah supporters have a similar view.”

You said it well. Herman Cain would be a great president - although I’d settle for him as my senator.


16 posted on 12/19/2010 9:07:53 AM PST by Heart of Georgia
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To: SeekAndFind

I know that, and that is why I thought it to be a cheap shot by implying that Sarah supporters are irrational and would not even consider any other candidate regardless of their conservative credentials. That concept is complete garbage.


17 posted on 12/19/2010 9:08:26 AM PST by HerrBlucher (Defund, repeal, investigate, impeach, convict, jail, celebrate.)
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To: SeekAndFind

President Herman? The name is problematic. Not for me but will be for some of the sheeple.


18 posted on 12/19/2010 9:08:40 AM PST by Mercat
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To: Artemis Webb
"*class of 98 needs no sarcasm tags."

~rolling eyes~ Then why submit this post? It's as annoying as those that read "do I really need a /sarc tag?"
I never use /sarc, if some hillbilly with a PC cannot discern sarcasm then that is his or her problem not mine.

19 posted on 12/19/2010 9:13:38 AM PST by jla
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To: SeekAndFind

Is our country screwed up? We have elected as the Chief Executive Office of the United States someone who is unqualified to deliver pizza for Herman Cain.


20 posted on 12/19/2010 9:16:36 AM PST by MIchaelTArchangel (Obama makes me miss Jimmah Cahtah!)
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