People everywhere he goes react to that statement with standing ovations and cheers - which tells me they are just fine with a non-career politician. :-)
Cain is not a contender and never will be. He hasn't got anything like the campaign organization and institutional support it takes to make a serious bid for a major party presidential nomination. Most election cycles have a no hoper or two who make a splash for a time. Pat Robertson, Pat Buchanan, and Michelle Bachmann all had their moments in the sun. None of them ever had a chance to win, and Cain doesn't either.
He looks like a contender right now because the bulk of the party is unwilling to face our binary choice between Romney and Perry, yet. Before anyone votes, that binary choice will be clear even to the dimmest among us. Very few actual voters are going to support a talk show host when push comes to shove. Cain's candidacy will go the way of Robertson's and Buchanan's, having even less impact.
Most of us will grumble about our constrained choice, and then select from the realistic options and Cain isn ‘t one of those options.