The Spectacle Blog
Herman Cain’s long-term strategy of building grassroots “infrastructures” through the Tea Party movement gives the Republican front-runner a decisive advantage, his campaign’s controversial chief of staff said Thursday.
“We run a million miles an hour. And you know what? We make mistakes. But they can’t catch us,” Mark Block told me in a telephone interview.
Describing the strategy that led to the campaign’s key breakthrough — an upset victory in the Sept. 24 Florida straw poll — Block talked about “how many dozens of trips that Mr. Cain made into Florida prior to the Florida straw poll and all the Tea Party groups that he spoke at their rallies. … We had built an infrastructure down there. … I remember going into, for God’s sake, Fargo, North Dakota, in February or March, freezing my butt off, and the first people we met was the Tea Party groups, the 9/12-ers, the grassroots organizations. This is why I say that we’re running a million miles an hour — they can’t catch us, Stacy, ‘cause you can’t build those infrastructures overnight.”
Cain has insisted on running his presidential campaign debt-free, and has often been criticized for not having significant paid staff in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early states in the 2012 primary calendar. But that has proved to be an advantage, Block said, now that the campaign’s fundraising has taken off. The campaign said Thursday it has raised more than $9 million since Oct. 1, a pace of $225,000 a day.
“We got a lot of criticism … because we didn’t have a massive staff in every state and we didn’t have a massive staff in Atlanta,” Block said. “And we didn’t have this and we didn’t have that and we didn’t have all this other stuff. . . . Because we didn’t want to burn that cash. So we come out of the Florida straw poll with extremely low fixed costs. If I’m talking like a businessman, it’s because [Cain] runs it like a business. So our burn rate is small, compared to all of the other campaigns, because we don’t have a lot of fixed overhead. So now, as the cash comes in, right, I don’t have a lot of bills to pay.”
The Cain campaign yesterday announced the names of county chairmen in all 67 Florida counties, a list heavy on Tea Party activists, but also including key Republican officials.
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Simon Templar| 11.11.11 @ 1:44AM
The way he IS running his campaign is the major reason why he should strongly consider his candidacy. Rove and the others do not know what the hell they are talking about because they can not think out of the conventional box they live in.
Yes, he is running it like a business man. This is exactly what we need in government. He is living the rhetoric.
Jack in Wi| 11.11.11 @ 4:36AM
Mr. Federal Reserve.
Mr Endless wars for Israel.
Mr TARP and other bailouts.
Mr. Gaffe a day.
Mr. Nein, Nein, Nein. A huge tax increase for the poor and Middle class. A huge tax decrease for the rich, in the middle of a Terrible depression.
Mr. can't keep his hands off the help and has the company pay off 2 of them.
Mr. Ignorance about History, Geography, Economics, Fiscal Policy, and Foreign Policy.
Mr. pro-choice on abortion. When that doesn't work he becomes Mr. Incoherence.
Mr Lies in the Debate about the Fed Audit, and is outed as a liar in minutes.
Mr. My Favorite advisors will be Henry Kissinger and Alan Greenspan.
Mr. I will balance the Federal Budget, but I can't name any program I will cut.
Mr. Because I ran a couple Pizza Parlours and was an affirmative action hire to be front man and lobbyist for the National Resturant Association I am qualified to be President of the USA.
If this is what theTea Party has become and Herman Cain by some horrible and unlikely quirk of fate would become the Republican nominee, they would rightly go to their place in the ash heap of history, with the Federalists and Whigs.
aware| 11.11.11 @ 7:30AM
One banker stooge is as good as another.
Sean| 11.11.11 @ 7:46AM
Pretty much sums it up.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 10:15AM
uggghhh.....
Margie| 11.11.11 @ 10:40AM
Paul-bots will be Paul-bots.
Bumr50| 11.11.11 @ 8:27AM
Cain's campaign is shattering paradigms.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 10:14AM
Boo-ya-ka!!!
Clint| 11.11.11 @ 8:31AM
" The vocal leader of Tea Party Nation has a message for Herman Cain: leave the Republican presidential race.
"Herman Cain has got to go," Judson Phillips wrote Wednesday in a post on his group's website.
"I will repeat what I have said earlier. I like Herman Cain. Of all of the candidates, he would probably be my first choice to sit down and have a pizza with. But to quote the famous line from 'The Godfather,' it's not personal, it's business."
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 10:16AM
Was that before or after the voice lie detector story was published?
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/stor.....l-advances
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 10:24AM
Judson Phillips IS NOT the founder of the Tea Party, he is the founder of a social networking website for tea partiers called "Tea Party Nation".
Sounds like a schmuck to me.
Margie| 11.11.11 @ 10:38AM
Clint has got to go.. and he will eventually.. to Hades.
Clint| 11.11.11 @ 1:27PM
RINO-CINO Crank Lady Margie Said She Will Vote Fro The RINO-CINO Frontman,Mittens Romney.
We Are Being Set Up By RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges For The Ruling Elites' Frontman Mittens Romney.
These Are The RINO-CINO Flunkie Stooges Who Gave Us The Serial Traitor To Conservatism, John McCain Of McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy,McCain-Lieberman,Gang Of 14, Opposing Bush Tax Cuts Of 2001 & 2003,TARP.
Now They Are Trying To Give Us RomneyCare,TARP, Cynical Flip-Flops On Abortion, Gays, Refuses to Sign Pro-Life Pledge, Illegal Immigrants, "Little Chain Saw Al" At Bain, Crony Capitalism Campaign Money Trail.....
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
Margie| 11.11.11 @ 4:10PM
You're so blinded by your sin that you can't even see how much of a stooge YOU actually are.
somnolence| 11.11.11 @ 9:07AM
I have never heard of Judson Phillips. I have been aware of Herman Cain since 1993. Phillips may as well be The Invisible Man to me. At this moment I will say I most certainly will vote for the GOP nominee, no matter who he/she is. Now can anyone else on this page say that? I'm a Cain supporter BTW.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 10:22AM
Count me in!
Anthony M| 11.11.11 @ 9:35AM
Cain or Obama? Guess we have to start looking at third parties.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 10:21AM
That just means you're only option is Obama.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 10:16AM
Yeah Booooooyyyyyy!!! Herman Cain proven INNOCENT! READ IT AND WEEP PAULBOTS!
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/stor.....l-advances
Clint| 11.11.11 @ 1:32PM
PigBoy Watches Cain's Front Door While Rick Perry's Camp Brakes In Cain's Back Door.
"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."
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 1:51PM
Breaks***
Still no evidence?
Why is it Herman Cain had this huge outbreak of sexual harassment at the NRA but nowhere else in his long career?
Derek Leaberry| 11.11.11 @ 10:22AM
Cain is a fine businessman but would seem to have limited knowledge outside his realm of expertise. For instance, he didn't know that China has had nuclear weapons for the last half-century. This weakness combined with his tax plan, which would raise taxes on two-thirds of the voting population, would probably limit his political support to the low 40s against the admittedly failed president which we are saddled with presently. If the Republican Party desperately wishes to lose to Barack Obama in 2012, then nominate Herman Cain.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 10:28AM
And Obama knows everything apparently and is unwilling to listen and take the advice of the real experts on the ground. Personally, I'm not looking for a know-it-all, I'm looking for someone humble enough to listen to the people who really do know something.
Derek Leaberry| 11.11.11 @ 11:12AM
Electability is also important. Barack Obama starts the election with roughly 43 % of the vote. These are the sort of people who would vote for Obama even if he showed up at a televised news conference with a naked woman at each side while he chainsawed a baby in half. The anti-Obama vote is also at about 43 %. Winning the middle 15 % will be difficult for Mr. Cain for the reasons I've already stated.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 11:22AM
Historically, Incumbent presidents haven't won elections without at least having that number at 50% before the republican nominee is chosen.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 11:23AM
Not to mention, Obama's record SHOULD be enough to get a majority of moderates. But I would never take for granted the level of stupidity in America.
Derek Leaberry| 11.11.11 @ 1:44PM
You understand the truth about 60 million of our fellow voters.
The Knife| 11.11.11 @ 11:27AM
Paul-bots and many of the AS and other conservative pundits are attempting to herd conservatives into either the Ron Paul or the Romney camps respectively using similar techniques. As a candidate enters into a challenge position they take an ax to him or as is more commonly the case repeat the claims of others. Romney never gets touched, ever. He is the front runner who hardly ever has conservatives writing about him. Curious. We have grown to expect this from the Paul-bots and it won't help their guy. The cynical position of AS pundits will lead to Obama getting reelected. They are being to clever by half.
bill glass| 11.11.11 @ 12:02PM
Cain is going to be a BIG PLAYER in 2012. Whether or not he can hold on is a big question, but his supporters have been pretty loyal in the face of some serious charges and resultant damaging assertions. He's making some waves, that's for sure.
John| 11.11.11 @ 12:42PM
Herman Cain is a RINO who thinks he is the best clown in the GOP Primary circus. Cain is damaging the GOP field, he need to end his campaign. Otherwise, we may have a candidate who will wind up in prison instead of the WH. You can run but you cannot hide, Herman Cain.
Truth to Power| 11.11.11 @ 1:05PM
It is time to take your lithium, John.
PhilTheCapitalistPig| 11.11.11 @ 1:53PM
LMAO!!....
anyway...
John| 11.11.11 @ 1:28PM
Herman Cain is a fraud-a certified RINO. He was never elected and now he wants to the POTUS. Cain was hiding his banker during the 2010 midterm election cycle, instead of helping the conservative candidates like Sarah Palin, Newt, and others. The 2010 midterm ensures a GOP comeback for the race for the 2012 showdown. Then Cain jumps in the bandwagon and is faking to be a conservative. He needs to end his campaign because he is sabotaging the GOP momentum. Cain is disgrace and politically dead.
Margie| 11.11.11 @ 4:13PM
I bet you think you're a monkey's uncle, too.