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.
Cain is dead. When someone like Christiane Amanpour is defending a Republican against the race card you know it’s over.
Cain got blown up by Wallace on the Palestinian Right of Return question weeks ago. He then comes back and blunders back into the same type situation (giving an answer in an area where he’s clearly clueless) and then compounds the problem later in the day when given the chance to redeem himself.
Cain is in the process of exposing himself. I thought it would be in the area of foreign policy (and it still may well be) but he clearly has other issues as well.
Cain was blindsided by the question and reacted emotionally.
Amanpour cynically pushed his button and he jumped.
If that was an attack then Algore is a wizard of science.
Bingo. That's what "allowed Perry to go down in flames".
I think Perry or his family have enough clout to ask the landlord to remove the sign as part of the lease.
Sounds like it was a long term arrangement and it could have easily been removed years ago.
Look, it was a mistake. Cain should know that we don’t do race card politics. In my eyes he is ever so slightly diminished. Not a biggie but a mistake nevertheless.
No big deal, can’t a man give an opinion these days without to face a surgical procedure?
He answered a question without knowing the facts, that makes him wrong. It’s an embarrassing error for Cain not for Perry.
I think you’re wrong that it’s to Perry’s detriment. I think most smart people are tired of this race crap.
All of this BS is just helping Romney and Obama. I like Cain, Perry and Palin. None of them are perfect but I am willing to cut them some slack. They would all do better to concentrate their criticism on Obama.
Have any of your favored candidates given a time line for the deportation to begin?
All of this BS is just helping Romney and Obama. I like Cain, Perry and Palin. None of them are perfect but I am willing to cut them some slack. They would all do better to concentrate their criticism on Obama.
I would suggest that folks listen to what Herman Cain actually said. He was very wise to say what he said. Had he remained completely silent on the issue, it would have been devastating in the Black & other minority communities. Mr. Cain knows the issue will disappear in a few days and it will certainly not hurt Rick Perry because for any objective person of any color, Black or White, this is a non-starter, other then for the left-wing idiots!!! Herman Cain, should he ever get the Pubbie nomination for POTUS wants to win as the man for all seasons, with Whites, Blacks, Hispanics and all other minorities substantially supporting his trek to POTUS. For Mr. Cain to remain totally silent, would have tarred him with the usual Black racist rants, that he is nothing but a White man’s Uncle Tom!!! Some of you folks need to engage the brain before you pull out the shotgun!!!
Rick Perry says U.S. troops may needed in Mexico to fight war against drug cartels
Now changing the subject, I understand that ZERO & The MSM are attempting to make a real BIG deal about the booing of the gay soldier.
Some GOP candidates have spoken without thinking. It is my understanding the people were booing the question not the gay soldier. It is a non event. Unless we can't disagree with gay people about anything.
I would expect you, of all people, to understand the concept of a hunting lease. Perry leased some land for hunting. He found a rock on which someone (not him) had painted a negative name, and painted over it. There is nothing “embarrassing” about what Perry did, but it IS embarrassing to see Cain turning into a common race-baiter, and certain Freepers backing him up. What Cain did was no better than what Sharpton and others have always done. This was never Perry’s land, and depending on what’s in the lease, it’s likely that his use of that land was severely limited. When we lease our place, the only thing they can do on or with our land is HUNT. They have no other rights.
“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.”
I’m not sure he was “playing the race card.” What he was trying to do do was get to Perry. What bothers me more, since I was beginning to take Cain a bit seriously, is that it shows that he doesn’t have his political sea legs, to mix a metaphor. One, never take a Washington Post hit piece seriously until it’s been digested for a couple of days by the various comments from serious people. Most WaPo hit pieces seem vastly overblown, if not outright false. Two, serious politicians don’t take cheap shots very often. (OK, that leaves Obama out.) That’s what you have staff for!
I’ve heard Cain on a few shows and I like a lot of what I hear and some leaves me on edge. Politics is a real business, and just because you manage a serious company doesn’t mean you could manage the Packers or handle the press in a presidential campaign. I figured that Cain would learn quickly some sense of proportion about politics. He has a lot more to learn before I believe he would be effective.
Yeah I know. The whiners don't complain about them breaking Reagan's 11th commandment! If some people's sensitivities are so fragile perhaps they should follow politics at all.
We just need to ignore this crap.
So you were okay with Perry calling conservatives “Heartless”? LOL! That was no big deal right.
You want to talk about losing a vote. Perry lost the conservative base as soon as he said that (and doubled down) during the Republican Debate. BTW, where a lot more people watched then some show on Sundays that very few people watch because they do not like looking at self appointed Washington elitist political hacks that pretend to have the answer to everything.
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