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My Skepticism About The Cain Allegations

By Aaron Goldstein on 10.31.11 @ 3:56PM

Like Joe Lawler and Quin Hillyer, I recognize the seriousness of the allegations which have been leveled against Herman Cain.

But I also know a rat when I smell one. As Hillyer notes, the allegations of sexual harrassment took place before Cain ran for political office. Fair enough. But it begs the following questions.

Why didn't this come to light during his brief run for the White House in 2000?

Why didn't this come to light when he ran for GOP nomination for the Senate in Georgia back in 2004?

And why didn't this come to light when he announced he would be running for President back in May?

I'll tell you why. It's because Herman Cain now has a chance to be elected President of the United States and that scares the purveyors of the status quo to no end. I submit that these allegations would never have seen the light of day if he was down in Jon Huntsman territory. Up until a few hours ago, people were fuming because Mark Block puffed a cigarette in a campaign ad. Up until a few hours ago, the actions of his campaign manager was the worst thing you could say about Herman Cain.

Well, they've upped the ante now. But as the old saying goes, "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger." I have a feeling that peple will take one look at these allegations they will be inclined to quote The Church Lady and say, "Well, isn't that convenient?" When it's all said and done, I believe this will galvanize even more people to Cain's corner.

View all comments (28) | Leave a comment

Tina B| 10.31.11 @ 4:05PM

Amen to that!

Let the games begin.
Herman, it's time to throw down.

PattyMor| 10.31.11 @ 4:11PM

The more the Marxist Media attacks Herman Cain, the more I like Herman. He's a Christian and as such, he can draw on the strength to weather the storm. With God, all things are possible. The MM sees him as a threat, so they quickly roll out their electronic "lynching". Its all so predicatable

Let's use Alinsy's Rules for Radicals against them and call the Marxist Media, "The Lynchers".

George S| 10.31.11 @ 4:42PM

The odoriferous rat had nothing to do with the fact that there are two settlements. Herman Cain is a relatively unknown quantity -- we should all hope that's all there is.

Clint| 10.31.11 @ 5:05PM

" Cain’s TARP talk, praise of the Fed could hurt him with conservative voters
By Cameron Joseph - 10/13/11 08:38 PM ET

Businessman Herman Cain has shot to the top of the polls with support from Tea Party members, but his backing of the Troubled Asset Relief Program and opposition to auditing the Federal Reserve could hurt him with those same voters.

Levi Russell, the spokesman for the fiscally conservative group Americans for Prosperity, said that Cain will have to explain his stances on these issues if he is to remain a first-tier candidate.

“Among the Tea Party audience, the TARP bailout is something they’re adamantly against, and they’re going to absolutely need to hear more from him on this issue to be comfortable with him,” said Russell. “I don’t know one Tea Party activist who’d say it’s a bad idea to audit the Fed, that’s not a popular position for him to be staking out.”

The tea Party Rebellion Is Here.

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 10.31.11 @ 5:17PM

Some studies indicate that 90% of women feel sexually harassed in the workplace. It's most likely because men and women think differently. Where ever and when ever women appear in the workplace drama isn't far behind.

solidground| 10.31.11 @ 5:42PM

Talk about a tempest in a teapot. It IS very conceivable that the restaurant association paid off a couple of women to make them go away. So what? The incidence of women accusing powerful men of harassment, either in an effort to enrich themselves or as payback for some slight or other, imagined or real, is at epidemic levels. Apparently, one woman admitted to receiving a five-figure settlement. If there were concrete evidence and a strong case for harassment, no self-serving lawyer (which is 99% of them) would ever fold his or her cards and walk away for a measly five figures, which of course could be as little as ten grand. It will be interesting to watch the usual suspects, all of whom stood up in defense of Billy Clinton's sexual escapades, crawl out from under their respective rocks to screech their collective indignation.

MikeBee| 11.1.11 @ 12:01PM

SolidGround,
You bring up a good point. In Michigan, if a company fires either a black person or a woman, the chances of a complaint of either harassment or discrimination are very high. The complaints are simply measures taken by the fired person either to get their job back, or to "get back at" the company who fired them.

Secondly, it is not known what type of harassment was claimed. The liberals who exposed this story immediately assumed that it was Sexual harassment, given their liberal (and racist) assumptions about all black men. But, the claims could have been for harassment of Senior workers, or for harassment of minorities (women), also. Much more info is needed, but don't look to the Left to provide that info. They already have created the story that they are preconceived to believe about black men.

David W| 10.31.11 @ 6:46PM

At a previous job I was almost accused of behaving "inappropriately" toward a homosexual employee. Fortunately that person's manager came to me instead of HR. There were several problems - 1) I had no idea that the man was a homosexual (didn't care either). 2) When I talked with him he said that I hadn't caused a problem but that his manager kept asking why he was leaving and that was the only thing he could think of saying.

Had his manager gone to HR and if the HR person was a "jerk" I could have at least been written up for it, if not outright fired. Even though there was nothing to it, it would have been easier to fire me (or pay him off). When I was a manager at a previous previous company, I took a special harassment class (mid-90s). Just responding to a lawsuit filing would cost roughly $90,000 in that county. That is before trial and without a settlement. If there was enough doubt then the company would probably settle instead of spending $100K to save $10,000.

Clint| 10.31.11 @ 6:52PM

" Politico reported that at least two unnamed women complained about "sexually suggestive behavior" by Cain to colleagues and senior officials at the National Restaurant Association.

The story said the association paid the women, who were not named in the story, to leave the organization. The women were also barred from discussing their departures."

bluecollarbytes| 10.31.11 @ 7:49PM

How could ANYONE have problems with 'the seriousness of the charges' when no one has even provided the exact nature of the 'serious charges'?

Or is there an assumption at work that Cain is guilty of sumpthin?

unbelievable

Kingofthenet| 10.31.11 @ 7:56PM

Seriously what is wrong with Herman asking a lady in HIS Hotel Room, if she minds extra sausage with her side of American Buck?

Cris Worth| 10.31.11 @ 9:40PM

I don't comment much on this blog anymore but this is a fascinating read on liberal mentality. Liberals didn't have to do much with Rick Perry they read him right let the conservatives attack him with his immigration positions. Perry stepped right in the trap calling critics heartless effectively ending his campaign and leaving him in the role of spoiler. Perry has a mean streak in him and he's doing a fine job bringing down both Romney and Cain. Cain fumbled the abortion question leaving people to wonder what this man really stands for. Hence the hit piece in Politico. Cain fumbled this issue also dovetailing nicely with the liberal plan to make people ask who really Herman Cain is. Conservative commentators fell into the trap talking about the issue all day defending him and bringing in known associates vouching for his integrity yet Cain finally admitted he was cited for sexual harassment and compensation was rendered. Cain supporters are worried and now they are asking too who really is Herman Cain?

Chuck| 10.31.11 @ 9:56PM

Herman Cain said the charges were baseless yet a transfer of money apparently occurred. Follow the money trail Cain said he was unaware of a cash settlement with his accusers orchestrated by the National Restaurant Association. Probe further if Cain's fingerprints figuratively speaking appears on the money transfers or not.

burt| 10.31.11 @ 10:20PM

So we are supposed to believe a single vowel from Obama JournOlists (Comrade Maggie and Little Liar Johnny Martin) and Soros former employee (Kenny Vogel) .
Yes , Johnny Martin was spotted skipping and celebrating at the 2008 Obama fest In Denver and Commie Ken Vogel actual worked for George Soros .
So Leftico is really scared for their Messiah wont be able to thrash the weak sister Mittens in the general so they cooked up this tired hit piece .

Gold BC| 10.31.11 @ 10:34PM

Check to see who might have given this story a push. Many suspects out there including the man whose poll numbers have sunk to Davy Jones' Locker depths...Rick Perry? Romney is not so subtle either. But I agree with the theme of posts just above me. Something is wrong here, Cain is showing a pattern of vague answers at the outset of various tempestuous issues opening up a can of worms and giving the interpretation this man is either clueless or worse hiding something.

Hard Right Turn| 11.1.11 @ 1:22AM

Based on what we have been told so far, it should be fairly obvious that these women were gold diggers. They got nothing.

Adjoran| 11.1.11 @ 6:10AM

Would Martin and Maggie and the others have signed their names to an article citing only non-specific allegations from anonymous sources if the accused were Barack Obama? Would Politico publish such a piece?

Glenn Reynolds posed those questions, and they are central. It's a hit piece from the left. I haven't picked a candidate yet and have some serious reservations about Cain, but I can see this is typical leftist smearing. They immediately put the target in the position of having to defend himself when there are no charges!

A couple of women he used to work with 15 years ago found he "made them uncomfortable" but not in a directly sexual way, but still enough to be harassment in their eyes, but they never filed any such charges, took small payouts and signed confidentiality agreements and were never heard from again until the smear machine gets into gear.

The presumption of malice from Politico is well earned. Who do they think they are?

Casey Abell| 11.1.11 @ 8:48AM

Cain now admits that he knew about a financial settlement of at least one of the complaints. Directly contradicts his earlier statements. But at least he doesn't look completely clueless as to how the complaints were resolved.

Casey Abell| 11.1.11 @ 9:23AM

And, Aaron, let's be honest here. If, say, Mitt Romney had settled two sexual harassment complaints with financial payouts, would you be quite so skeptical about the story? Especially if Romney at first denied that he even knew there were settlements in the cases, then admitted that he knew about at least one payment.

Aaron Goldstein| 11.1.11 @ 11:28AM

If allegations of sexual harassment came to light against Mitt Romney more than a decade after the fact and if his polls number indicated he could beat Obama, then yes I would be quite skeptical.

Casey Abell| 11.1.11 @ 1:53PM

Well, one "if" isn't an "if." Romney's poll numbers indicate that he has a very good chance of beating Obama, a much better chance than any other GOP candidate. Cain's poll numbers indicate that he would get walloped by nearly double digits against Barry...

http://www.realclearpolitics.c.....dates.html

And I'm sorry, but I really think you would be more willing to believe the worst about Romney. Especially if he "misspoke" about the sexual harassment complaints as much as Cain has. Now Herm has started a song and dance about how an "agreement" isn't a "settlement."

Aaron Goldstein| 11.1.11 @ 2:57PM

You can believe what you want to believe. Yet you miss my point. Actually you miss two points.

First, Mitt Romney has been a public figure for a better part of two decades and is, of course, part of a political family. It would be hard to imagine that an allegation of sexual harassment against Romney could have kept under wraps for more than a decade.

Second, this is the sort of story that would only see the light of day if the candidate in question had any chance of knocking off Obama. I do not believe these accusations against Cain would have been brought back to light if he were polling in single digits.

Speaking of polling, Cain is only behind Obama by five points in the latest Rasmussen poll.

http://www.rasmussenreports.co.....l_matchups

Casey Abell| 11.1.11 @ 3:49PM

"It would be hard to imagine that an allegation of sexual harassment against Romney could have kept under wraps for more than a decade."

I'm missing that point? How? It's obvious. And irrelevant. The issue is how you would react if Romney were accused of sexual harassment. I think you would be much more willing to believe the worst about Romney than you are about Cain. Regardless of how old the complaints were.

I'll admit this is all obviously hypothetical and can't be proved one way or the other. Romney is not likely to face sexual harassment complaints.

"Second, this is the sort of story that would only see the light of day if the candidate in question had any chance of knocking off Obama."

Don't accept your premise. Cain is down close to double digits to Obama in the RCP average. I don't think he has a realistic chance against Barry, especially if he stays on that wretched national sales tax.

"Speaking of polling, Cain is only behind Obama by five points in the latest Rasmussen poll."

Wow. Rasmussen has been much kinder to Cain than other pollsters. If he has Cain down by five, it's grim for Herm. Once upon a time, Rasmussen actually had Cain up by two against Obama. He's the only pollster who has ever shown Herm beating Barry.

http://www.realclearpolitics.c.....-2003.html

Aaron Goldstein| 11.1.11 @ 4:24PM

You state that the issue is how I would react if this sort of accusation was leveled against Romney.

I said that I would be quite skeptical of accusations of this nature against Romney. Your response to that was, "And I'm sorry, but I really think you would be more willing to believe the worst about Romney."

Very well then. You are entitled to your opinion but you are profoundly wrong.

With that I can just as easily say that you are more than willing to believe to worst about Cain hence your reliance on polls taken by RCP, the same organization which is trying to bring Cain down.

As for polling, Rasmussen has a stellar reputation.

http://washingtonindependent.c.....at-matters

Dai Alanye| 11.1.11 @ 8:30PM

Since Romney has been dishonest and shifty about so many matters it would be perfectly natural to give more credence to charges against him. But because Politico so obviously leans left it is also natural to doubt their motives in any case harmful to Republicans.

SUSEYQUE| 11.1.11 @ 12:32PM

Several weeks ago, word started circulating that Cain’s business record was not quite as impressive as he claims, specifically as it relates to his tenure as head of the National Restaurant Association. Some of his peers privately said that they were astonished at how he was being portrayed. They said that his less than three-year tenure (rather brief in the Washington trade-association world) was rocky and that the restaurant folks couldn’t get rid of him soon enough—possibly because of sexual-harassment allegations. They said it took some time to get the association back on sound financial footing after he left. Some who worked with Cain said that he spent considerable time running around the country giving speeches and that he was a policy lightweight, both internally and externally. But they hesitated to be more specific.

MyGirlFriday| 11.1.11 @ 1:33PM

Suseyque,
"Several weeks ago, word started circulating that Cain's business..." Who is "word?" What is your source of this maligning gossip? Are there any facts that substantiate "word's" allegations? If not, you should not repeat hearsay.