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.
By this logic, every location in the south is off limits. If someone once did something wrong in any location, then it can never again be used.
So your own campaign admits Mr Cain was right.
Really stupid of the Perry camp to be keeping this issue alive.
I like Cain, but lost some respect for him as a potential nominee over the past two days because of these twin gaffes.
It was an attack. One of the worst, in fact. Very little that has been said about this HUNTING LEASE (not the same thing as owning the ranch) is factual, actually. I’m tired of this cheap shotting and race baiting. Let Cain join arms with Sharpton and Jackson. I’m done with him, unless he apologizes.
Agreed. He should have couched it as “if it was as claimed in this report, but I understand Perry disputes the circumstances and I know of no other reason to even entertain the idea that he is racist in any way.”
The lack of qualifiers is inexcusable.
The article clearly states that it was painted over in 1983 or 1984. This tells me that he didn't even read the article so he wasn't aware of all the facts and had to rely on her being truthful...
No one ranted about how Perry and Romneyh were un-Presidential as they were throwing garbage at one another in the past two debates.
Herman Cain gave a straight forward answer when asked a question about the N word being used on a rock. He moved on to the next question. If anyone should be chastised it should be the person who asked Cain the question that wasn't factual.
I doubt that Mr. Cain's comment makes much of a difference to anyone else unless your are trying promote another candidate at the expense of Herman Cain.
HAH~! GOTCHA THERE HERMAN. Here's how it should have gone
Amanpour: Mr Cain, Perry is a racist because his hunting camp had "niggerhead" painted on a rock isn't he ?
Cain: That's pretty insensitive
Amanpour: but the rock was painted over
Cain: THEN WHY THE F*** ARE YOU ASKING ME BI***
Perry defending illegal aliens is much more serious than some minor dust up over a word
I don't disagree that it was a cheap shot. At this point, however, I still prefer Cain over Perry.
You should never respond to a story in which you don’t know the facts. It makes the person look stupid. Republicans should always know that the MSM is going to make stuff up to make us look bad.
If someone said to you that CW dislikes Herman Cain because he is black, I would hope that you would find out if this was true before commenting. If you did comment before finding out the facts, you should later apologize when you are found to be wrong.
Maybe Perry and Cain should have a beer summit! lol
I didn't see the "sarcasm" tag--I hope I'm wrong if I think this depicts an attitude that is one of the main reasons we keep getting horrible candidates: no one feels like it's "their job" to personally look into who's running.
I am not a Perry supporter. However, Cain blew any chance of me going his way once he dropped the race card. Republicans, black or white, don’t do that silliness. That is for the left to pull.
Amen to that. I forget which FReeper made the comment (but I thought it very accurate) that "The headstone of Western Civilization will bear the following epitaph: 'We Didn't Want to Offend...'".
the democrats and rinos are grasping at anything with which to attack Herman. They are scared sh*tless of Herman Cain
Perry was already done before this...
Perry toasted himself by bashing his own conservative base calling them Heartless.
To say Herman Cain is responsible for Perry’s downfall is a stretch.
In the past Cain has spoke of things and later had to amend his comments, because afterwards he researched and found his comments lacking. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he does so in this case as well.
Cain’s going to save the republican party and the country. Didn’t you hear? He’s the most qualified candidate we can come up with as the nominee. I guess we’re all racists because we are angry that Cain stooped to racial politics. Hell, I’d vote for Congressman Allen West in a heartbeat. He’s a war hero and a smart guy. This election should also be about having Commander-in-Chief credentials (which Rick Perry and most governors have).
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