Posted on 10/03/2011 8:46:50 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
After Sunday’s Washington Post reported that Texas Governor Rick Perry had utilized a Texas hunting camp named “Niggerhead,” GOP candidate Herman Cain (a former pizza exec. and the only black candidate running for the GOP presidential nomination) wasted little time in accusing Perry of being insensitive to racial issues.
“Since Gov. Perry has been going there for years to hunt,” Cain told ABC’s “This Week,” think that it shows a lack of sensitivity for a long time of not taking that word off of that rock and renaming the place.”
When anchor Christiane Amanpour pushed back — noting that the rock had actually been painted over — Cain doubled-down, saying: “But how long ago was it painted over? So I’m still saying that it is a sign of insensitivity.’’
(Cain made similar comments on Fox News Sunday — demonstrating that this was not a gaffe made in response to a question that simply caught him off guard.)
In a prepared release, Perry Campaign Communications Director Ray Sullivan responded to Cain’s attack, saying: “Mr. Cain is wrong about the Perry family’s quick action to eliminate the word on the rock, but is right the word written by others long ago is insensitive and offensive. That is why the Perrys took quick action to cover and obscure it.”
Sullivan reiterated that the rock had been painted and turned over, and that “The Perrys did not own, name or control the property, they simply rented hunting rights to 1,000 acres of the ranch.”
My take? Cain’s comments were — at best – premature — and at worst, highly irresponsible. It was a cheap shot, and, perhaps is a signal that Cain is willing to play the race card against a fellow Republican when it benefits him.
The fact that Cain spoke out so soon — basing his comments on a newly-posted and thinly-sourced article published by an outlet many conservatives believe to have a liberal bias — speaks to Cain’s lack of political judgment.
This isn’t the first time Cain’s penchant for talking has gotten him in trouble, but in this instance, Cain has aided and abetted those who wish to portray southern conservatives as racists. In so doing, Cain provides cover for anyone wishing to cast Perry as such.
Just last week, Sarah Palin noted that “Herb” Cain was the “flavor of the week.” By siding with the Washington Post and Al Sharpton — against a fellow Republican who appears to have done nothing wrong — Cain might just have proven Palin right.
Embarrassing error? What error, exactly, did Perry commit? His father rented, or leased, a hunting camp 30 or 40 years ago, not Perry, and immediately painted over the name and later still turned the rock over. .... calex59
See Post 129.
The name "Ni##erhead" was a common geographic name in "several English-speaking countries" in the 1800's.
Here is one in Canada:
Here is Ni##erhead, New Zealand.
Watch out, MNJohnnie, if you ever run for office these "Minnesota white racist geographic place names" may be used against you by a Race Baiter.
I guess MNJohnnie expected Perry to get a Time Machine, travel back to the 1800's, and tell the 19th Century Texas locals not to name that geographic place by that name.
After that, Perry should have taken his Time Machine to lecture the 19th Century New Zealand locals and the 19th Century locals in the Yukon about not using such a geographic name.
But, thanks to Cain and his knee-jerk supporters the damage has been done: PERRY IS A RACIST! That was the message all over the Yahoo featured articles this morning.
The bottom line is that Cain is acting as Romney's attack dog and, whether he realizes it or not, so is MNJohnnie.
RESULT: Mitt Romney is now leading the polls.
======================================
Herman Cain in 2011
======================================
Herman Cain's Endorsement of Romney Two Days Before Super Tuesday, 2008
Romney has the leadership qualities United States needs,
By HERMAN CAIN
Published on: 02/03/08
The dynamics of political party connections, the political process itself and public perceptions have once again yielded the top two contenders of each major party in the 2008 presidential race. And once again, the public can only hope that the ultimate winner of the White House will be a candidate with the most leadership substance.
My vote is for Mitt Romney.
History is important, but the future is more important. The success of this country in the future will be shaped by the leadership abilities of the next president.
Our success will not be based on pandering to uninformed voters, promising emotional quick fixes over common sense or nitpicking of opponents' past records. Success will come from focusing on the right problems and solving them. That will mean making tough decisions about some problems that have been with us for decades. It will also mean taking a tough stand on new problems and challenges.
That's what leaders do.
Mitt Romney has done that as a chief executive officer in business, as a governor and as head of the U.S. Olympics. He has done so while balancing political consequences but not compromising fundamental principles of the founding of this country or free-market economics. We have prospered as a nation by strengthening those principles; we will not remain strong if we allow those principles to become diluted with a lack of leadership.
Anyone who wishes to find a reason not to vote for Romney can find one. But the reasons to vote for him are far more compelling. He has successfully managed a real business with other people's money and some of his own. He has balanced budgets. He successfully led a turnaround situation with the Olympics. And he has spent more of his career outside government than inside.
On the other hand, John McCain has spent more of his career inside government than outside, and the reasons not to vote for him as the Republican nominee are very compelling.
He voted against letting people keep more of their money in 2001 and 2003 when President Bush pushed through his tax cuts. He has been part of the escalation of the federal debt during his 20-plus years in the U.S. Senate. He showed questionable leadership on a failed immigration bill. And he showed no leadership by failing to support the president's efforts to establish personal retirement accounts — a proposal that would have started to fix the coming financial train wreck in the Social Security system.
That's not leadership.
I do not question the character, integrity or sincerity of either Mitt Romney or John McCain, nor do I question their desire to do what's best for the country. I do not worry that they would fan the flames of social and religious differences. My focus is on their prospective leadership relative to national security, the economy, federal spending, free-market health care solutions and the elimination of dysfunctional programs.
Mitt Romney's history is more indicative of the substance needed to make major progress on critical issues, and not just to make more politically palatable incremental changes in Washington.
Media momentum and campaign funding aside, there are several other Republican candidates who would not cause me to worry about our grandchildren's future. The two leading Democratic presidential candidates, however, cause me great concern because of their severe lack of leadership substance and their policy proposals.
This is despite Barack Obama's appeal and strong public perception but entirely consistent with Hillary Clinton's self-proclaimed but quite invisible experience.
Great leaders are born, and good leaders keep working on it. We are not favored with an obvious great leader in the 2008 race, as is apparent from the primary process and the results thus far.
But Mitt Romney's leadership credentials offer the best hope of a leader with substance, and the best hope for a good president who could turn out to be great.
Whatever your reasons for supporting Rick Perry you can be sure he cannot survive another hit below the waterline like he took during the last two debate.
debates
That is the law of Texas, voted on by Texans, which deals with Texas issues, Texas taxpayers, and Texas residents.
Cain isn’t really in the race; he’s been making an ass out of himself and it’s just a matter of time before nearly everyone notices.
The interesting thing is that Cain has attracted so much support even though he plainly isn’t a serious candidate in any sense. It’s a measure of how hungry conservatives are for leadership. We needed Ronald Reagan; we got Rick Perry.
It’s going to take some time to get over the disappointment.
With luck, however, Perry will do.
Then how does Herman Cain plan to walk this back?
The ball is in his court.
I don't think you have a full grasp of how tuition rates work within each state. I'll only speak for Texas, though. You are granted in-state tuition rates in Texas b/c you live here and pay taxes here. People who pay out of state tution don't live here. It's quite simple.
Bravo, Johnnie! His supporters have been out of control on FR for weeks.
No analogous.
I said much the same thing on another thread. The Governor of the State of Texas can’t ask his landlord to remove a rock? According to reports, the last time he used the place was sometime in ‘06 or ‘07 when he was Governor. How hard could that have been?
Of course, there are some people who would have refused to have anything to do with a place called by that deeply offensive name.
Honestly, this whole situation reminds me of a set-up by the left (or even another GOP campaign) to get rid of both Perry and Cain! I don’t support Perry (some of his positions bother me), and I’m NOT completely sold on Cain either (haven’t researched him enough). So, I’m coming at this a little bit from the “outside”... Neither Perry nor Cain had my vote to lose, nor have either gained my *loyalty* to their campaigns thus far... in fact, no candidate has... (Just so folks know I’m NOT playing games, and don’t have any agenda here...).
I think people on both sides are taking this WAY too seriously - exactly what the left planned on... For people to say that Cain “Played the race card” when the only reason it was mentioned is because Christiane Amanpour brought it up is disingenuous.
We can’t let the media do this to us — WE need to “get over it”, and get back to talking about the issues that actually apply to the here and now. Don’t let this keep getting blown out of proportion (probably wishful thinking at this point as it seems to have gained a life of its own already).
((((out of control))))
((((out of control))))
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Geeeeeez
I don't think Perry had anything to do with naming the camp. FWIW, I think the dim party needs to address this issue, since he was a dim back then.
Also, there used to be LCRA maps that had N*****head mountain near Lake Buchanan and Titty Mountain as either Travis Peak or one hilltop near it in Travis county.
Well it all depends upon whom you choose to believe as to long was it between the time he leased it and when he painted it over.
“Ever since, any time I ever saw the rock it was painted over,” Perry said.
Sounds exculpatory, doesn't it? Maybe not.
Perry did not OWN that land. Depending on the terms of the lease, it’s likely he could only hunt there.
This is a worthless exculpation. He had every option not to lease it, or to do so with the stipulation that it be removed. It is his choice with his money, as a customer, not a property owner.
How would you characterize a Palin/Cain ticket?
I truly don’t believe it was Cain who instigated the entire thing... If it was then I could completely understand why people are seeing this as an attack BY Cain on Perry. This honestly ALL looks like a leftist attempt at introducing the race card into the GOP campaigns because we WOULDN’T do that (unlike the Dems). Now, I see it this way because I am under the impression that Cain was responding to a journalist’s questions on the issue - if Cain himself was the one to bring it up in the first place then I’d probably have to eat my words.
I’m sorry you’re out of control - truly. It may come from posting waaaaay too many Perry threads that encourage people to disagree with either you or your candidate.
Why don’t you take a well-earned break?
NO. We need to settle this. So it doesn't come up again every damn election to take out (or attempt to take out) a good candidate.
This is outrageous. Cain took it as a gift and unwrapped it with pleasure.
Good people don't run for office because no one will defend them when this happens. As Al Sharpton said yesterday:
“.....But the attacks are set to continue, with the Rev. Al Sharpton telling POLITICO he plans to be “all over” the story on his MSNBC show on Monday afternoon.
“At worst, he either thought it was something he could identify with and even have some bit of irony,” Sharpton said. “At best, he’s insensitive. How can someone who would seek the highest office in the land be so insensitive to the implications of that name?”
Sharpton predicted the issue will harm Perry among Republicans.
“Even though he’s running in a party whose primary [does] not have a substantial African-American vote, the average American does not want to be identified to such racial insensitivity,” Sharpton said. “People say, ‘I don’t want to be identified with something this blatant.’” Source
It was 30 years ago, Miss M. He wasn’t governor then. He (or, I’m told, his father) painted over it, and turned the rock over. They did the right thing.
It’s not his ranch, it’s just a place where they hunt. We lease our place out for hunting sometimes, and at least as far as we’re concerned, they have NO rights to touch anything here other than hunting. They can’t take down our fences, they can’t change the sign at the gate, they can’t mess with the crops. They can hunt, period.
Yup, that will get people to pay attention to you...in a mental health sort of way.
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