And on October 16, he begins to bob and weave, when he tells David Gregory on Meet the Press:
MR. GREGORY: What about abortion? You want to overturn Roe v. Wade. Could you support or condone abortion under any exceptions at all?
MR. CAIN: I believe in life from conception, and I do not agree with abortion under any circumstances.
MR. GREGORY: Exceptions for rape and incest?
MR. CAIN: Not for rape and incest because...
MR. GREGORY: What about life of the mother?
MR. CAIN: Because if you look at, you look at rape and incest, the, the percentage of those instances is so miniscule that there are other options. If it's the life of the mother, that family's going to have to make that decision.
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm. But you can--would you condone abortion if the life of the mother were...
MR. CAIN: That family is going to have to make that...
MR. GREGORY: You won't render a judgment on that.
MR. CAIN: That family is going to have to make that decision.
Then he steps in it, as far as conservatives are concerned. On October 19, he tells Piers Morgan on CNN, it's not the President's job to decide whether abortion is legal.
No, it comes down to is, it’s not the government’s role — or anybody else’s role — to make that decision. Secondly, if you look at the statistical incidents, you’re not talking about that big a number. So what I’m saying is, it ultimately gets down to a choice that that family or that mother has to make. Not me as president. Not some politician. Not a bureaucrat. It gets down to that family. And whatever they decide, they decide. I shouldn’t try to tell them what decision to make for such a sensitive decision....The government shouldn’t be trying to tell people everything to do, especially when it comes to a social decision that they need to make. (my emphasis.)
On October 21, Cain is trying to walk back, but doesn't quite get there. He tells Martha MacCallum on Fox:
Look, abortion should not be legal, that is clear, but if that family made a decision to break the law, that is that family’s decision, that’s all I’m trying to stay.
Then, last night at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition dinner, Cain does another 180. Now it would be his job as President again to step in:
“I would strengthen all of our current laws that prevent abortion...I believe that abortion should be clearly stated and illegal across this country.”
That's all he would say on the topic. Seems he's in defensive mode:
As other candidates worked the crowd, Mr. Cain stayed in his campaign bus until it was his time to take the stage. He left the room shortly after he finished speaking.
Cain is like an ice cream cone that's melting fast. And I think he's about out of flavors.