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Farewell to the Spectator
December 16, 2011 | 8 comments
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Tentative Praise for Ryan’s New Bipartisan Medicare Plan
December 15, 2011 | 3 comments
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The Day Ahead: Thursday, December 15
December 15, 2011 | 0 comments
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Examiner for Romney, National Review Against Gingrich
December 14, 2011 | 39 comments
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Paul Ryan to Introduce New Medicare Plan with Democrat Ron Wyden
December 14, 2011 | 4 comments
The Spectacle Blog
The twists and turns in Herman Cain’s latest misadventure are too many too follow, at this point, unless it’s your full-time job. Erick Erickson’s summary, however, more or less captures the state of affairs.
It boils down to this: either Cain has failed abysmally to fend off an utterly predictable line of attack, or he’s done something wrong that would endanger his campaign if it became known.
I think the first possibility is more likely. This wouldn’t be the first time the Cain campaign has inexplicably committed a major unforced error. Remember that it was less than two weeks ago that Cain was accidentally espousing a pro-choice position (a gross miscommunication that was never fully clarified, by the way). But the sooner Cain clears this up, the better.
View all comments (15) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Joseph Lawler
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/11/03/going-off-the-rails-on-a-crazy
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somnolence| 11.3.11 @ 9:48AM
If he was to fall by the wayside the only other viable choices for me are Bachmann and Santorum. That's it. I won't waste my valuable vote on the others, so if millions are like that next year, Obama may have four more years. Hope SCOTUS resounds with finality on Obamacare next year.
LarryK| 11.3.11 @ 11:41AM
Fret not. There will be four more years of Obama.
Pretzel for the Gas Jets| 11.3.11 @ 11:48AM
Why not Perry?
Dai Alanye | 11.3.11 @ 1:08PM
The charges against Cain are so lacking in substance that all the critics now have to wail about is the incompetence of The Cain Campaign's response. Personally, I don't intend to get worried until National Enquirer chimes in. When it comes to political scandal they are the journal of record.
As for Erickkk Erickkkson, never trust a man who doesn't know how to spell his own name. I've distrusted the arrogant so-and-so from his first blog post years back.
Sean| 11.3.11 @ 10:11AM
Cain is becoming the affirmative action nominee. He doesn't know that China is a nuclear power. He doesn't have a coherent abortion stance. He claims racism when his past is exposed. He is clueless on economics supporting TARP and thinking the economy was swell in 2008.
Wayne| 11.3.11 @ 10:25AM
And either this author is using this nebulous event to clear the path for the candidate he chooses, or he is just prone to judgment without facts. Better give us some facts and leave the judgment to us voters. So far the attacks on Cain are not working.
Ricco| 11.3.11 @ 11:03AM
Erickson's words are "stupid, bizarrely, more troubling, even more troubling, great puzzles."
If this is what a candidate for the nomination is exhibiting with his cult-of-personality professional staff that is giving him advice, then he is far from being ready for prime-time.
Simon Templar| 11.3.11 @ 11:30AM
Lawler, you are pathetic.
The only thing that has gone off the rails is you and the GOP beltway sycophants. I have watched this inane self destructive circus now for nearly a week. You people will never learn. We no longer live in an age where we can afford these circular firing squads, divisiveness, and cheap dirty politics. This is not vetting anyone and it is certainly not journalism.
The really amazing thing here is the fact that conservatives have been telling the public that they are more deserving and capable of leading this nation and that there philosphy is one where the dignity of the individual, his rights, and the rule of law are paramount. They sell the idea that they are the rational, reasoned, and honest people.
Well, you have demonstrated none of these attributes or characteristics.
In fact, you have done worse, you played the chump. You have helped pave the way for Obama's reelection. You have demonstrated to the independents that you are no different than your opposition, perhaps even worse, you are self destructive, stupid, and disloyal to yourself, your principles, and those on the same team.
The criticisms are something to behold. Let us review.
The man is not speaking enough about it.
They man is speaking too much about it.
The man should have addressed it earlier.
The man should not address it at all.
The man should know all the details of something that happened 15 years ago.
The man does not know the details as he never was given the details and records are sealed and agreements signed NOT to discuss the alleged incidents.
The accusers want to protect their reputations but will not come forward. The bid scoop journalist at politico will not give specifics.
The man must prove his innocence when he can not face his accusers nor see the charges or accusations.
The acusations themselves. Flimsy, not supported, lame, unsubstantiated, hearsay, never proven, settled out of court. The best yet, what we have are women who were allegedly made to feel uncomfortable "by gestures that were not overtly sexual."
Enough really is enough.
LarryK| 11.3.11 @ 11:47AM
So Simon, why not tell us how you really feel about this?
Sad isn't it. With the Cain "problem" the Lamestream media is barking like a bunch of Rottweilers. When it was William Jefferson Clinton or pretty hair Edwards, you could hear the crickets.
JPM| 11.3.11 @ 11:53AM
We can't dismiss the possibility that we are looking at both incompetence and moral turpitude. The incompetence is now beyond rational dispute. We'll likely find out just how bad Cain's conduct was in time. At this point, who cares? The incompetence is disqualifying. Any hard evidence of moral turpitude will just mound the dirt a bit higher on Cain's political grave.
Casey Abell| 11.3.11 @ 11:56AM
Erickson's summary is good with one exception. He dismisses the Politico story as a "nothingburger" and says the site only knew it was a real story when Cain reacted badly.
That's ridiculous. Politico knew they had a huge story because there were verifiable financial settlements involved. They did give Cain time to respond and he didn't. But that hardly convinced Politico they had a big story. They knew it from the beginning. They knew about the money.
I realize the American Spectator site is Cain For President, much like Bill Kristol made Weekly Standard into Christie For President a while back. But maybe all the Spectator writers should pause for a moment and reflect on whether Cain is really deserving of such unwavering support. Quin Hillyer has had a few second thoughts. Maybe some other folks here should rethink a little, too.
Dan| 11.3.11 @ 12:52PM
He's DONE!
Good riddance!
He owes the whole Republican Party an apology for wasting our time, and wasting our time in an election where the very soul of this dear country is up for grabs.
I'm livid with him. Utterly livid. I'm more disgusted with him than with Romney, who I deem an intellectual degenerate.
Bumr50| 11.3.11 @ 1:14PM
Erickson is nothing more than a Perry shill.
Everyone knows it.
Disgruntled Perrywinkles everywhere cry "foul"- falls on deaf ears.
CalMark| 11.3.11 @ 1:56PM
Lawler, you contemptible JERK.
Brain-dead political wonks like you have been savaging Cain for months for his "incompetent campaign management" and "mistakes" and "contradictions."
You know what Cain's real problem is? He's not a plastic, blow-dried, pre-packaged a**hole RINO, the only kind of candidate that guys like you appreciate.
I didn't used to be a Cain fan. Then he grew on me--precisely for the reasons you and your elitist ilk despise him with unreasoning, irrational brutality.
We need someone new and different in Washington. Since it looks like Cain is catching on, you Romney-ites have decided to take him out.
Just know this: the people are very, very, VERY angry. If this destruction of Cain continues, they'll be even angrier. Especially if this destroys him and in retrospect (like on January 20, 2013) it seems a tempest in a teapot--and someone else is being inaugurated, with Cain not even making it out of November, 2011. FOR NOTHING.
So be careful, Mr. Elite Media Type: folks like you might just find yourself losing what you value most, your influence and elite status. And for a pompous, self-important writer, that's the worst fate of all.
Dan| 11.3.11 @ 3:01PM
For the life of me, I can't understand supposed CONSERVATIVES giving Cain one pass after another on one issue after another.
Cain screwed up the pro-life, pro-choice issue. Most of us ask ourselves how is such a thing even remotely possible. But with Herm, it was a piece of cake.
He hadn't a clue, not a single clue about what the right of return was, WHICH means that he hasn't been paying attention to THE foreign policy problem of the entire world, which is the Arab/Israeli dispute.
Yet nonetheless, Conservatives are out there going to bat for this guy, saying he's not some plastic politician.
No, he's not a plastic politician, he's a citizen who has been in a PLASTIC bubble for the last 25 years, and is now not just UNQUALIFIED for high office, but positively DISQUALIFIED therefrom.
This guy can't even defend his own 999 plan as somebody could who really had a handle on it.
Asked just about any question beyond the compass and square of his 999 plan, and he's apt to haul in yet to be named "experts" who will guide him. YET some Conservatives don't have their 6th sense in overdrive!
Conservatives, possessed of a healthy skepticism, should be dismissing this clown from their consideration, with extreme prejudice.
And now on top of his widespread cluelessness, which isn't charming, and is highly unsuited for the position he seeks, {See Obama, Barack H.} now we can add weird behavior that he doesn't seem to find bizarre, and weird accusations against him, the details of which strangely, yet conveniently, momentarily escape him.
So we're all supposed to believe the guy got fingered as creepy harasser yet the details of those accusations he can't recall, and he has to refresh himself about.
And that's supposed to fly, that's supposed to cut it.
Not for me. Not for this Conservative.