Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Cain is out. What now?


Yesterday Herman Cain announced his decision to suspend his campaign for President of the United States.  While I am a big fan of Mr. Cain I think he made the right decision here for several reasons.

         The left and their media attack dogs were holding his head under water and were never going to give him any air.  They couldn’t afford to, as I have said before, they were scared to death of the prospect of having to run their messiah against another black man.  While their minions were writhing around trying to tie Cain’s support among conservatives to racism because that is all they have, they were falling flat on their faces in the process.

      While I personally do not think for a minute that Mr. Cain is guilty of any of the things he was accused of, these fictional issues did illuminate a major fault, and that was crisis management.  He and his team could have ended or at least lessened the impact of the attacks with a strong message right out of the gate.  This inadequacy was made even more glaringly obvious when it was revealed that he and his team knew days before the breaking of the first accusation that it was coming and yet fumbled so badly in their response that he didn’t just look unprepared but also guilty.  Had they a proper answer to the charges they most likely would have benefitted in the end.  This is apparent by his initial rise in the polls after the first accusation.  The base understands these dirty tricks by the left and the media and would have been sympathetic to his plight had he responded properly.  Had that happened the left may have hesitated before producing another woman.

          After the first accusation he and his team failed to learn a lesson and prepare for number two and three.  Those responses were almost as tardy and weak as the first.  This indicates that the people he surrounds himself with are incompetent and does not send a message that he is prepared for the highest office.  I think his drop in support has more to do with that than the accusations against him.

         While I do not fault him for this foreign policy question answer/non-answer, I know he was really tired at the time, his thoughts on foreign issues are not much more coherent when he is wide awake.  He has some really good ideas on domestic policy but unfortunately that is only half the job.  I happen to think that principle can get you through on foreign policy issues and no doubt Cain could apply that.  But he would have to debate Obama if he won the nomination and his dyslexia over such issues would be glaringly obvious.

     It really pains me to say all of this because I was so enamored with the idea of a Washington outsider coming in and shaking things up.  And to a certain extent the candidacy of Cain and Bachmann and the potential candidacy of Sarah Palin has done just that.  The conversation has moved decidedly to the right this year.  Mitt, Newt and the rest of the pack have had to take up a more conservative stance on issues than we talked about in 2008.  I give Cain and his early successes part of the credit for that.  But now we must move on and select who we want to back next.  I continue to adopt an “anyone but Romney” approach to this primary season.  And in spite of his occasional transgressions on some issues in the past I now hang my hat on Newt Gingrich.  

    The reasons for my decision to endorse Newt are numerous.  For all his faults (and he has several) he still is probably most conservative “viable” candidate left to oppose the Ken doll.  Santorum is a really staunch conservative but is not really likable.  From what I understand he is not particularly liked even in his home state of Pennsylvania, and he always has that perpetual pissed off look on his face.  While I do too concerning American politics over the past several years, it does not help you to become President. 

     The upside of Newt is that he is definitely the “smartest guy in the room” and will devastate the Socialist and Chief in any debate.  In fact if Newt gets the nomination, I expect that the Obama camp will refuse to debate.  Newt is also very good at handling, disarming and eviscerating a hostile press.  His press conferences would become a spectator sport kinda like watching Christians being eaten by lions.  (Of course I don’t mean to compare the media to Christians here)  Newt also understands exactly what is required for this country to flourish.  He is a free market principle guy for the most part and understands the Constitution and what it really means better than any of the so-called constitutional scholars you hear on the alphabet networks.  He has a past, and that will get dredged up.  (If only the media spent half the time researching Obama’s past as they have on any of the Republican candidates.)  But that is a storm he will have to weather.  I think he is uniquely qualified to handle those storms unless they find out he murdered his children or something.  Of course knowing the left and the press I am sure they will accuse him of that anyway once it starts looking like he might win.  And by left I also mean the Romney camp of course.

    At the end of the day, whoever the nominee is, (even Romney) we must get behind that candidate and support them like they were our own kin.  This country cannot survive four more years of Barack Hussein Obama, especially if he does not have to worry about re-election.

     Amici mei habete fidem!