Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain
shined in last night’s debate—the contrast with his Republican competition is
stark. Cain was lucid, on-point, comfortable and none too thin on specifics.
His competition was pretty much the opposite of these admirable qualities. Will
polls in the coming days and weeks reflect a bump in his support? Some are
saying “yes,” while others are saying “hells to the yes.”
Cain got a universal standing
ovation last night for surviving his bout with cancer, and managed to somewhat
skillfully spin his experience into an attack on Affordable Care Act (AKA “ObamaCare”).
Cain got specific, as he has in the past, with his proposal for a flat tax rate
(AKA “9-9-9,” 9 percent corporate, income and sales taxes across the board).
Cain is a successful businessman
without the taint of professional politics—some see this as a shortcoming while
others think it is a badge of honor. There is a lot to say about Herman Cain,
but perhaps the most compelling has been the alacrity with which he has gone
from an inexperienced debater, so obviously out of his depth, to a stand out
candidate who blows his professional competition away.
In the past, Cain has
struck me in the past as out of his element and it showed on stage—it cost
him in the credibility sector. Confidence almost always yields trustworthiness,
earned or not. Cain was lacking, but has come back strong.
In last night’s debate, he went
after Romney hard. Punching above his weight class, he landed serious blows.
Cain has chosen the fiscal conservatism route, rather than harping away at
divisive social issues. Were he ever to get past the primaries and into the
general election, a very long shot to be sure, his African American roots may
force the loyal Democratic bloc of black voters to rethink their loyalty. (95 percent of African American's voted Democratic in 2008. Today Obama's support among African Americans is largly intact in the high 80s) The
knee-jerk instinct by some partisan Democrats to equate opposition to Democratic
policies with racism would be muted if not exposed as ridiculous (for an
example of this tactic used on Cain and failing dismally, please see this clip
of Countdown
with Keith Olbermann in which guest Janeane Garofalo accused Cain of being
a purchased shield for GOPers to avoid being called out as racists).
In short, while it is a long road to
hoe for Cain, he has evolved dramatically over this campaign. Whether his
standing out last night was due to his own acumen or the relative weakness of
the Republican competition is moot at this point. The question is, can he
successfully exploit the new look he is getting from those who wrote him off early?
If last night is any indication, the
answer is a resounding “hells to the yeah!”
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