-
What’s So Moderate About Iran’s New President?
June 15, 2013 | 9 comments
-
When Did The Obama Admin Know Syria Was Using Chemical Weapons?
June 14, 2013 | 15 comments
-
If Erdogan’s Hold On Power is Threatened
June 13, 2013 | 4 comments
-
Dodgers, D’Backs to Open 2014 Season in Australia
June 12, 2013 | 2 comments
-
Gomez: Some GOPers Deny Science
June 12, 2013 | 10 comments
The Spectacle Blog
I disagree with John Tabin’s take on Herman Cain.
First, Tabin asserts “the more we learn, the more serious and credible the allegations appear to be.” But as Jeff Lord points out there is no more substance to the allegations than there was 24 hours ago. We still have nothing but rumor and innuendo. We shouldn’t be prepared to ruin a man’s life, much less his political future, on the basis of thin air.
Second, if the die is cast then why hasn’t it affected Herman Cain’s poll numbers? According to Rasmussen, Cain maintains a three point lead over Mitt Romney in their latest national poll and has a ten point lead over Romney in the crucial primary state of South Carolina. I’m not saying those polls number can’t change. After all, Newt Gingrich’s numbers are ascending. But as of today it would be a mistake to write off Cain.
Third, the presidential election will take place in 370 days from now. While I don’t discount the possibility President Obama could be re-elected I don’t think his re-election is a foregone conclusion. Nor do I think Republicans “concede the general election in advance” should Republicans choose to nominate Cain. As the old adage goes, “A week in politics is a lifetime.” Well, if a week in politics is a lifetime then a year from now is an eternity.
View all comments (45) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/11/03/dont-underestimate-cain
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- How Not To Buy a Fighter
- Drink Earlier, Drink Less
- The Continuing Crisis
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Bob| 11.3.11 @ 9:53PM
Cain, Tribal Chief of Swaziland and take Ms. Bachmann with you as your running mate. I will send you both a campaign donation. Just don't get into a taxi with your running mate Michele if they have any there.
Jack in Wi| 11.4.11 @ 7:37AM
I predicted weeks ago that Herm Cain was history and it was down to Ron Paul and Mitt Romney, They are the only 2 standing who have the money and personal following to win the nomination.
It is time to have a long, civil, intelligent, and honest debate about the future of this party and country between Romney and Ron Paul. They both did the best against Obama in pre Herman polls. Ron Paul has been right on the issues for 3 decades and has put forth real solutions to the mess we are in. He also has by far the biggest group of activists on his side. Romney is the best of the elite candidates, at least in my opinion. Let these 2 guys have the debate, lets have the primaries, and see if we can unite the party and country to defeat Obama.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.4.11 @ 10:05AM
My vote will go to Romney before Paul.. He's a kook on foreign policy. Jusssssst sayin'!
Mal_Content| 11.4.11 @ 10:13AM
What is kooky about it exactly? Can you expand on that?
Noodge| 11.4.11 @ 11:35AM
Start here:
http://www.pjtv.com/s/GU4TINI
Mal_Content| 11.4.11 @ 11:37AM
My work firewall blocks that. Can you summarize?
Occam's Tool| 11.4.11 @ 7:38PM
It's OK for Iran to have nukes. That's pretty spooky, and ooky, Mal. Iran attacked sovereign US soil and is still at war with us.
Clint| 11.3.11 @ 10:00PM
"Ron Paul wins both tallies at GOP straw poll in Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa (CNN) - Ron Paul has won two separate tallies for the National Federation of Republican Assemblies Presidential Straw Poll.
Paul won both the Iowa-voters-only count at the Saturday convention in Des Moines as well as a tally of non-Iowans who participated.
In the Iowa voters result, Paul took 82%. Following him were Herman Cain with 14.7%, Rick Santorum with 1%, Newt Gingrich with 0.9%, Michele Bachmann with 0.5%, Rick Perry with 0.5%, Gary Johnson with 0.2%, with Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman 0%.
The total number of votes cast in that tally was 430.
In the tally of non-Iowans who voted, Paul won 26% followed by Cain at 25%, Perry and Santorum tied at 16%, Gingrich at 11%, Bachmann at 6%, Romney at 1%, and Huntsman and Johnson with 0%.
CalMark| 11.3.11 @ 10:08PM
Oh, shut up, you obsessive dingbat.
Occam's Tool| 11.4.11 @ 7:41PM
Cal,
very well played, sir, except that what he (C(lint) Elegans) truly is is a 302 neuroned self fertilizing hermaphroditic roundworm. Think about all those pieces: small brained, internally bisexual, capable of literally screwing himself. I used to work with C Elegans doing genetics experiments (better than fruit flies, by far). They were much smarter than Clint, and considerably more opleasant to be around.
You, Cal, do beautiful work.
JohnPrester| 11.3.11 @ 11:56PM
It was a straw poll in which you had to PAY TO VOTE. You win that kind of poll by having supporters smart enough not to waste their money buying votes in a fake poll.
creeper| 11.4.11 @ 9:38AM
"The total number of votes cast in that tally was 430."
And just how difficult do you think it would be to skew a poll (which is nothing more than pay-to-play) with that number of votes?
Clint| 11.3.11 @ 10:14PM
Why don't you try & make me Colliefornia Fruit.
Herman Cain has more trouble.
" Herman Cain's campaign Wednesday called a report of a third former employee claiming he engaged in inappropriate behavior an example of "baseless allegations."
The former National Restaurant Association employee said she considered filing a workplace complaint against Cain, the Associated Press reported. She said that Cain made sexually suggestive remarks or gestures and that the behavior included a private invitation to Cain's corporate apartment, according to the AP. The two worked together in the late 1990s, the report said."
This third women isn't handcuffed with a confidentiality agreement.
CalMark| 11.3.11 @ 10:19PM
OK, Paulbot dingbat:
Anyone who's spent time here knows why you're posting these vicious smears. It's in support of Your Hero, God's Understudy, DOCTOR Ron "Perfect" Paul.
Now, then. That news story is almost two days old. Why hasn't she come out? Where are the facts? Actually, let's start really basic: what is her name, and what are her specific accusations?
Clint| 11.3.11 @ 10:32PM
"A third woman in less than a week has come forth with allegations that GOP candidate Herman Cain exhibited unwanted behavior towards her in the past.
The latest incident, revealed by The Associated Press, suggests that the former pizzaman was inappropriately aggressive towards a female cohort that worked for the National Restaurant Association during his stint there as president in the 1990s. The woman, who offered her comments to the AP anonymously, says that Cain made sexually suggestive remarks to her and during one incident personally invited her back to Cain’s corporate apartment."
And, the third women isn't handcuffed by a confidentiality agreement.
CalMark| 11.3.11 @ 10:36PM
GREAT response! NOT. (I needed to add the "NOT" because I don't think Paulbots understand irony.)
Brilliant. Answering my request for more facts (who, what, when, where, why, how--specifics, in other words) with...the same exact thing you said before. In fact, re-posting your original post. Bad formatting, and all!
BTW, I'm done arguing with you. It doesn't mean I'm surrendering. It means I'm tired of fighting with mind-numbed idiots.
Occam's Tool| 11.4.11 @ 7:42PM
Aaaand, this is all we get. What we call a "high tech lynching" back in Galveston, where I went to school.
Clint| 11.3.11 @ 10:26PM
Tell it to the third women, Fruit.
Meanwhile, pollster Chris Wilson — who said he polled for the National Restaurant Association during Cain’s tenure, and whose firm has more recently done work for an outside super PAC supporting Perry — told Oklahoma radio station KTOK that he had witnessed harassment by Cain toward a very low-level staffer who was maybe two years out of college.
“I was around a couple of times when this happened, and anyone who was involved with the NRA at the time knew that this was going to come up,” Wilson told interviewer Reid Mullins.
CalMark| 11.3.11 @ 10:33PM
Once again, dingbat, specifics.
"I saw it man. It was really bad, dude."
OK, so...what EXACTLY was it?
All we've got so far is a bunch of people saying, "It's really, really, REALLY bad. Toxic. Deadly." But nobody provides details: accuser identity (going public means giving the accused a chance to respond to a person, whose credibility can be judged, not some shadow), facts. Who, what, when, where, why, how.
I can tell all these facts (as opposed to your made-up "facts") are making your head explode. Sorry about that. Maybe DOCTOR Ron Paul can come and help you clean it up.
Clint| 11.3.11 @ 11:04PM
Tell it to the three women & the man, Caniac.
I didn't make up anything Fruit.
You seem so angst ridden & all atwitter.
Take Twp Slices of Pizza & Call The Godfather In The Morning, Caniac.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.4.11 @ 10:03AM
Who are these women? As far as I know, there are zero women until they are identified. Otherwise unknown subjects can say whatever. Doesn't make it true, douche-pony.
Dan| 11.3.11 @ 10:36PM
The other thing I find fascinating is the level of sympathy Conservatives are extending Cain.
But just a month ago or so, CAIN HIMSELF came off the top rope against Perry because of a painted rock, and didn't hesitate, DIDN'T HESITATE to drop the race card against Perry, and now isn't hesitating in trying to use the race card against any Republicans with problems on how he's handled, or rather, mishandled this entire drama.
Cain RUTHLESSLY went after Perry and came out and effectively accused him of being a closet racist, and now Cain is out there wildly, WILDLY hurling accusations against any and all who might stand to gain by his political demise.
This guy is a flat out joke of a candidate, ---------------- and that's being charitable.
This guy is now a ballistic missile that is all over the place and probably going to hurt our chances, unless something is done, and fast.
This Cain candidacy needs to have somebody punch the abort button pronto.
CalMark| 11.3.11 @ 10:39PM
Nobody's perfect.
Your man Barack is hiding academic and Illinois legislature records are. You know, stuff that every other candidate has to release or get accused of hiding stuff. His life story, his positions, everything about him--you could drive a truck through the holes.
Now, why don't you run along and ask your buddy Barack to come clean. In the interest of objectivity and fairness.
Dan| 11.4.11 @ 11:13AM
"My man" Barack?
WTF?
Snap out of it.
It's now obligatory to conclude that Cain's candidacy is a sick joke, what with him wanting to trade terrorists on Gitmo for POWs and him confusing and conflating what it is to be pro-life and pro-choice, ---------------- but in that the sane and the prudent must swiftly dismiss Cain from their consideration does not in any way mean they somehow swing all across the political spectrum into supporting that whack job Obama.
That's EXACTLY the type of wild and unthinking commentary that mirror images Cain's own rhetorical excesses.
Cain has demonstrated himself to be a political joke.
Live with it.
Deal with it.
Man up and accept it.
And then move on and select somebody else.
CalMark| 11.4.11 @ 2:59PM
"It's now obligatory to conclude that Cain's candidacy is a sick joke,"
Just because you said so?
Even though Cain hasn't slipped in the polls?
If you're not for Cain, who ARE you for? I think you're an Obamista plant.
Clint| 11.3.11 @ 10:38PM
I don't have to specify anything, Asshole
Drip, Drip, Drip.
This story keeps growing.
The Herminator is now The Hunted.
CalMark| 11.3.11 @ 10:40PM
Aha. I'm violating my desire to step away.
"I don't have to specify anything, Asshole"
In other words, no hard facts, no actual identities are required. The innuendo and sleaze, much of which PJ Media had to retract (they who couldn't even keep their sources straight) is enough by itself.
I win.
Clint| 11.3.11 @ 10:48PM
Aha !
The Herminator Loses.
"The National Restaurant Association is expected to announce on Friday whether it will publish a statement from one of the women who accused Herman Cain of inappropriate behaviour when he was chairman of the organisation.
A spokeswoman for the association, Sue Hensley, said a copy of the woman's statement had been received from her lawyer on Thursday and would be considered overnight.
The decision of the association, which Cain headed in the late 90s when the alleged sexual harassment took place, looks like a lose-lose situation for him. If published the statement could provide the first detailed account of what until now have only been vague charges. If the organisation refuses to publish it will look as if there is something significant to hide."
creeper| 11.4.11 @ 9:42AM
How can she do this? She took their money to remain silent.
Scott| 11.4.11 @ 3:28PM
The agreemennt was with the NRA. If the NRA wants to make the agreement null, they can do so. Not that complicated.
mzk1| 11.4.11 @ 6:36AM
Why don't we have any decent Paul supporters here? I think I'm going to try to draft one.
Occam's Tool| 11.4.11 @ 7:47PM
mzk1: there is an answer to "Why don't we have any decent Paul supporters here?"
Res Ipsa Loquitur.
martin j smith| 11.4.11 @ 7:15AM
We have a robot a computer generated thing. That is the Ron Paul supporter.
Teflon93| 11.4.11 @ 8:02AM
You don't understand, Aaron---we have to hurry up and nominate Romney NOW, before anbody has a chance to think about it much less vet the man, because everybody else is completely unelectable and we really need to run a liberal Republican this time!
Why do you look so suspicious?
Sean| 11.4.11 @ 9:55AM
These accusations better become public now. During the general election someone will pay these women so they can break their nondisclosure agreements. Big deal if they have to pay back 35k when someone will offer them 100k plus to talk. If these allegation are true and harmful then Republicans will lose easily.
ncatty| 11.4.11 @ 10:00AM
"..the more we learn the more serious and credible the allegations seem to be.." So what? I will stipulate that they are all true. It does not disqualify him from holding Grover Cleveland's (Ma Ma where's my Pa? Gone to the White House Ha Ha Ha") office, not to mention other more recent strayers from the marital bed.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.4.11 @ 10:02AM
A-Freakin'-Men Goldstein!!
JPM| 11.4.11 @ 10:26AM
Cain is toast and there is an astonishing degree of self-delusion on display in the conservasphere this week.
We haven't seen all the evidence yet, but we can see the outlines of the story that is emerging. Cain headed the NRA for three years. During that time he commuted to DC. His wife lived in Omaha. He liked to party with his subordinates to fill his weekday evenings. Sometimes he hit on junior employees. At least once it worked. At least twice it earned him sexual harrassment charges the NRA had to settle. The NRA let Cain leave after a single term, probably at least in part because his unique approach to HR was a liability.
None of this is yet perfectly nailed down, but enough information has already been published so that it's just foolish to suppose that the facts will be any better for him when it all shakes out than they seem right now. They may very well be worse.
Cain isn't the victim of innuendo based on fragmentary evidence. He's the beneficiary of it. If he thought he could improve his situation by airing the facts, they'd be aired by now. He's the guy who's keeping the available information fragmentary. He could call on the NRA to open its files and on anyone with a complaint to come forward. He hasn't and he won't. He doesn't want to deal with the facts and he doesn't want to face his accusers. He wants to keep spinning yarns about baseless claims that are themselves baseless. That tells you everything you need to know about Herman Cain.
But, as it happens, we know more. We know that Cain has been lying, repeatedly and flagrantly all week. There were two settlements not one. There are people who witnessed other instances of Cain propositioning employees and any number of NRA employees were aware that Cain was not entirely honorable in his dealings with the female staff. His sexual harrassment problems were never about comparing somebody's height to his wife's. The claims against him were hardly "baseless" or grounded in an inadequate employee's resentment.
We also know that Cain has tried to divert attention from the story by trying to blame others for spreading it, as if such a story could be repressed in an inbred town like DC. Innocent men don't lie to cover their tracks and they don't try to divert attenion from accusations by peddling irrelevant, and irresponsible charges.
OJ Simpson is more likely to find the real killers than Herman Cain is to be vindicated as his story unfolds. The conservatives who rush to defend him are setting themselves up to look astoundingly foolish in very short order.
Cain is done and we still have time for a Gingrich bubble before the silly season ends.
ncatty| 11.4.11 @ 12:59PM
So you find Gingrich morally superior to Cain?
CalMark| 11.4.11 @ 3:02PM
Wow. Stuffy, snotty, self-righteous, and self-deluding all in one looooong, unreadable post.
"None of this is yet perfectly nailed down, but enough information has already been published so that it's just foolish to suppose that the facts will be any better for him when it all shakes out than they seem right now. They may very well be worse."
Ummm...where are the facts? Who, what, when, where, why? You know, something we can all look at and address?
As opposed to innuendo and anonymous accusers, neither of which can be vetted and can mean whatever anybody wants it to. Which in your case clearly means "license to unhinged accusations."
bill glass| 11.4.11 @ 11:10AM
I think Cain will get through this, and maybe be stronger. Hiring a pr/media person might help some, but the situation is obvious, and taking down the Cain candidacy is a top priority for all the front tier of Obama, Romney,Perry...and if he would get even 25% of the minority vote, he'd easily win.
Scott| 11.4.11 @ 3:26PM
Cain is toast. And that's a good thing for the GOP, because he would have been an epic disaster in a general election.
AVCurmudgeon| 11.5.11 @ 1:06PM
Agreed, Aaron. And not only do we not know any more about the lurid details today than we did earlier in the week, it seems there really aren't any more to know: Herman Cain did something on the job that seems to have offended some women's sensibilities (something that has never happened to any man I have ever known). The women complained and accepted money in settlement rather than pursue the matter in court. Herman in fact did not know about the terms of the settlement. Wow. If I lost any sleep over this at all in the last few days I'm going back to bed right now to make up for it.