Cain sounds like one of you people
Disclosure: I have financially contributed to the Herman Cain campaign.
There’s a minor kerfuffle going on about something that Herman Cain said. It’s widely reported that he said he couldn’t support Rick Perry as the Republican nominee:
[Edited: The previous video no longer allows embedding. So, here is the original excerpt from CNN. The quote begins immediately after the commercial.]
Yep. That’s what he said. And that bothers me.
You see, I’ve been going on and on about how, no matter who the GOP nominee is, we need to support him. And some of you get your panties all in a wad about that.
“I’m not ever going to support Mitt Romney!”
“I won’t vote for Rick Perry!”
“If Sarah Palin isn’t the nominee, I’m not voting!”
“If Sarah Palin is the nominee, I’m not voting!”
“Ron Paul is nuts!”
Okay, that last one is okay. But still, nuts as he is, he’d a darn sight better than Barack Obama. But some of you are saying you won’t support this guy or that girl. Well, now Herman Cain sounds a lot like some of you people. Maybe he’s pandering to the panties-in-a-wad crowd.
I don’t care for that. I suspect Cain will backtrack, and soon. He’ll come up with some statement that sounds like some crafted statement talking about how we can disagree about important issues, but still have the same overriding goal: defeat Barack Obama and return competence to the White House.
But what should he say? Or, better, what should he have said to Wolf Blitzer’s question, “Could you support Rick Perry if he were the nominee?”
- Against Obama? Of course. Hell, Wolf, I’d support you over Barack Obama.
- I fully support Rick Perry for vice-president.
- I would support Rick Perry if Zombie Reagan turned down the nomination.
- Nine, nine, nine.
- Not if he was the Democrat nominee. Has he switched back to being a Democrat?
- That’s a stupid question, Wolf. What do you think I’m going to say? That I wouldn’t support Rick Perry? Do you think I’m stupid?
What do you think Herman Cain should have said?
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(12 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)Tags: 2012, GOP, Herman Cain, News, Videos
September 28th, 2011 at 7:28 pm
“Cain sounds like one of you people”
Which one, Basil?
Whoever it is, we’ll take him/her out behind the shed and…
a.) Have a beer.
b.) Tongue-lash them.
c.) Give them a prize.
d.) Spank their bare bottoms.
e.) All of the above.
This is a heads-Obama-wins-tails-America-loses question.
September 28th, 2011 at 9:12 pm
I love Herman Cain and I hope he is our next president. His only “problem” is that he is not a polished politician and he does not have a rhetoric coach writing his scripts, so he occasionally says something impolitic. But, BUT! It is notable that he has never said anything crazy or stupid. This is a smart man, a true American who knows what it’s like to shift for oneself in this world.
Go Herman Cain!
September 28th, 2011 at 9:12 pm
“I would rather not have to face that decision, and I am doing everything in my power to see to it that Rick Perry will be asked to support ME.” That is a politician’s non-answer, of course, and part (most?) of what people like about Herman Cain is that he doesn’t talk or act like a politician, because he ISN’T one. Yet.
September 28th, 2011 at 9:33 pm
OK, this is completely off-topic, but the reaction to Obama’s speech about the European debt crisis includes the following adjectives: overbearing, arrogant, absurd, pathetic and embarrassing. So glad we elected an intellectual who won’t embarrass us abroad . . .
CAIN!!
September 28th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
I think Cain handled it perfectly. He was asked a question and (gasp!) he answered it. That’s a refreshing change from the usual dodging we get from politicians. Also, you took him out of context: he said he wouldn’t/couldn’t support Perry if the election were held today. He didn’t make it an absolute. Either way, I agree with him 100%. I won’t support certain candidates no matter what, because they might be better than Obama short-term, but if they come in and are just the usual crap on the Right side of things then it just shows moderate Dems and Independents not to bother with conservatives anymore. I’d rather hold out for someone like a Cain who is different from that than settle on a Perry or a Palin, even if it means 4 more years of Obama. I’ll take the short term sacrifice for long term gain.
September 28th, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Of course Herman Cain can’t support Rick Perry. Cain’s a conservative.
September 28th, 2011 at 10:25 pm
I’m not seeing the problem. At this stage of the game, why would he support Perry for president. If Perry were to end up with the nomination, Cain could always change his mind “after getting to know him” and it would have more impact. Why would anyone support Perry or Romney at this point in the nominating process?
September 28th, 2011 at 11:02 pm
I think Herman should have said “First off who the hell would name their child Wolf? Bet you got teased alot when you was a kid!” Then followed up with, “Wolfie baby I’m gonna kick your butt when I see you next time for askin’ such a dumb cracker question”
September 28th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
I like that.
It’s too early to pledge undying support to someone with any McCain-like mushyness on border security.
Cain’s answer preserves a distinct difference from Perry, is the correct and most popular opinion on the border, and may force Perry to take a stronger position.
Mr.Cain may not be a politician, but he has great political instincts, and a ‘supersonic intellect’ as Douglas Urbanski says. http://www.urbanskishow.com/b/Cain-Resonates/-300608345124787270.html
Today, Cain leads the polls, has Perry been asked if he would support Cain?
Why not?
RAaaacist CNN.
Disclosure , I have donated to Herman Cain also.
September 28th, 2011 at 11:23 pm
The sooner the establishment GOP realizes that we won’t support their RINO candidates the better.
Why would they let someone like Cain win the nomination if they could get us to support their steaming piles of politics?
Think about it Basil. This is a game of how much the establishment can keep getting away with. Its always been a game of chicken we were too timid to play until now. Now we’re too mad to let them win anymore. It’s about time.
Great answer Mr. Cain!
September 28th, 2011 at 11:33 pm
I think Cain should have said what he said, Basil. The man is going with his principles.
My principles are such that I could probably stomach a vote for Rick Perry, but I do not begrudge those who will choose otherwise.
September 28th, 2011 at 11:43 pm
“Embedding disabled by request”! Ok, who’s the wise guy who requested that?
Cain’s answer was fine — the problem is the way the question was phrased. If Wolfie asked, “if you had to vote for either Obama or Perry, who would you vote for?” and Cain said “Obama”, that would be news. Wolfina was just playin’ to get Cain to present and feel like he’s not a legit candidate.
My panties are less and less bunchy on the topic of ‘be reasonable with your vote’ because it turns out that reasonableness correlates with the political mono-culture of big government.
September 28th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
Fly, the video was uploaded by Matt Lewis. He didn’t have embedding disabled when I wrote the post, but since then, chose to restrict it. I’ll see if I can find another version hosted somewhere.
September 29th, 2011 at 1:06 am
Since the question is, “What do you think Herman Cain should of said,” I feel free to fully express my opinion. I also think honesty is the best policy so I think Herman Cain should of said…”F**k you Wolf and the horse you rode in on!” Guess that’s probably too honest and is another reason why I’ll never be asked to run for the highest office in the land. Give Herman enough time and I’m sure he’ll learn to phrase his answers in politically correct bulls**t like they all do…..for now I like his honesty.
September 29th, 2011 at 1:38 am
I think Cain should have said, ‘You might be a muckadoo if you come to this site to seriously debate issues.
September 29th, 2011 at 2:52 am
I’m “one of those people” and would love to go behind the shed with you and teach you the finer points of the “sweet science” ma boy! What Conservatives are saying (forget the Republican part) is that we are not voting for a RINO again…EVER!!! So to the GOP, put up a conservative or we ain’t votin’ for him/her! I’m not a Republican anymore and will vote for who I choose. I will not mindlessly throw my vote away on Obama lite just because the “Bigs” in Washington want the status quo…which is what they want!
As long as people do nothing…nothing will change! That is the point of the Tea Party movement! We are sick of both parties squandering our money on stupid and passing laws that limit our freedoms! It’s time to stop marching in lock step and stand up and say ENOUGH to both political parties. If they don’t listen, then a third party may form. Something must change!!! The Orange Boner just last week was going to pass a CR which continued funding for Planned Parenthood! Then some conservatives stepped in and said NO!!!
September 29th, 2011 at 3:52 am
If you want to win, you gotto compromise. You can’t have a 100% true blood conservative as candidate and still win the elections.
Unless the candidate is Herman Cain of course.
September 29th, 2011 at 8:37 am
I firmly believe that a true conservative can be elected if we remain stalwart with our expectations. The left wing has proven that with right (or wrong) support, an ideologue who openly vowed to tear up the Constitution and “fundamentally change America” can be elected. As an American, I demand that the Republican Party, the party of conservative values, nominate a real conservative to represent the Party in the general election.
September 29th, 2011 at 9:02 am
I really wish that Cain would completely embrace his non-politician background:
“Hi, I’m CAIN!, and I’ve never been a politician. In my background, men and women are valued for their ability to lead, speak plainly, develop solutions, and then successfully implement them. If you value these abilities most of all, vote for me. If polished speech is most important to you, I may not satisfy.”
September 29th, 2011 at 9:08 am
We need to dump the RINOs. That said, I honestly believe anyone in those Republican debates is better than the garbage we have in power now, although some are much better than others. The nation can not survive in it’s present form with the current leadership. We need to get the most conservative person we can get intoioffice. But the Caligula from Chicago has got to go.
September 29th, 2011 at 9:39 am
What Herman Cain should have said is the same thing all the Repub candidates should have been saying in the debates: “Barack Obama is a stuttering clusterf*** of a miserable failure.” Oh, wait, that’s what they say over at AoSHQ, so maybe not quite that.
But seriously, any time they get asked a leading question to bash their Republican opponents, they should respond by pointing out how much Obama sucks on that particular issue. Then you say something like, “But I do disagree with [Republican candidate] on [issue]; my position is ___________.”
You can highlight the differences between you and other Republican candidates without resorting to demagoguery and cheap shot name calling, and all the candidates should constantly be pointing out how much Obama sucks. Going negative in primaries (when people still have a lot of other options) is a lot less useful than going negative in the general (when the only options are Republican or communist).
September 29th, 2011 at 10:56 am
I’m so sick of Obama I would vote for Bill Clinton before I would let Obama see another term.
September 29th, 2011 at 12:59 pm
best possible answer? “Perry? Perry who?”
September 29th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Asking Cain if he would support Perry is like asking a nominee for prom queen if she will vote for the other trampy nominee. They are running for the same position. Saying he would support Perry is admitting he himself is not the best candidate.
September 29th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Yeah, Basil, I’m not getting why you’re worked up.
They’re going for the same position. In case you haven’t caught some of the other interviews, the press seems to be holding the Exit door for Cain and is politely asking for his parting thoughts.
He just won a major state’s straw poll (nevermind the importance, or lack thereof, of straw polls). They’re really going to ask him if he’ll support candidates he thinks he is better than?
My hope is that the next debate, they put Cain in the middle with Romney and watch his poll numbers skyrocket. Perry had his chance in the center of the ring vs. the establishment’s pick. He pretty much blew it. Time for a new contender.
Cain for Prez.
September 29th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
You are right Carolethepregnant, he said “today” he couldn’t support him, that leaves tomorrow wide open. As someone else mentioned, why would he support him today when they are running for the same position.
September 29th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
What should he have done? What any politician should have done. What ANYONE should have done. Tell the truth. And I think that’s what he did.
(“Thou shalt not lie”)
September 29th, 2011 at 11:57 pm
F@&k you Wolf!
September 30th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
Sorry its dumb to vote for the lesser of two evils. You have to be willing to stand up for your candidate, not say at least he isn’t Obama. Its as dumb as saying well leprosy isn’t as bad as cancer, or at least you only lost four fingers rather than all five.
Ron Paul is a nuit job. No he isn’t as mad as Obama but both are unfit to be president. Romney and Perry are RINOs, and I wouldn’t be happy to have seen Dole, McCain or Bush.
I want to see a conservative. I don’t want a candidate i CAN BACVK 100%, BUT i WANT ONE i CAN SUPPORT AT LEAST 60% OF THE TIME AND NEITHER rOMNEY NOR pERRY FIT THE BILL.