Cain Ends Campaign:A Book Tour Gone Bad, Plus the Return of the Donald

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:03:54 PM EST
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Herman Cain never intended to really run for President. He was running to sell a book and to get a Fox News gig. It was bad luck for him that he became "the frontrunner" for the GOP nomination (in reality he had no chance whatsoever of being the GOP nominee despite Nate Silver's insistence otherwise.) CNN's Erick Erickson writes at Red State:

I had thought and expected that Cain would continue until Iowa. He had enough money. Dropping out after losing in Iowa would have distracted from the present issues. Dropping out now will be viewed by a great many as an admission against interests [sic] that Herman Cain did have a 13 year affair.

In any event, Cain is out [. . . a]nd soon [. . .] will be forgotten. It is a sad ending for a good man.

I forgot him already. The big question in the GOP nomination fight is who is going to show up for The Donald's Debate:

It’s officially a reality television Republican primary now. Donald Trump is pairing up with Newsmax, the conservative magazine and news Web site, to moderate a presidential debate in Des Moines on Dec. 27.

How sweet is that? Trump is toxic with the general population but the GOP crazies still like him to some extent. And The Donald will not be ignored. Damned if they do and damned if they don't for the GOP candidates and The Donald Debate. I've not watched any GOP debates yet, but I'll live blog that one if anyone shows up just for the ridicule fun.

Speaking for me only

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Cain Ends Campaign:A Book Tour Gone Bad, Plus the Return of the Donald | 66 comments (66 topical)

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Every other GOP interest group got (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by ruffian on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:57:20 PM EST

to stage a debate. Why not the 'Egomaniac Millionaires who Toyed With Running For President' constituency? Maybe Bloomberg will be on the panel. And now Cain is free to help ask the questions too.

Sorry I will have family in town. We will be getting our entertainment at Disneyworld instead.

Cain doesn't have to spend (5.00 / 2) (#9)
by jeffinalabama on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 03:05:27 PM EST

Christmas and New Years' in Iowa now...

He can come to Astana. (none / 0) (#10)
by observed on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 03:14:06 PM EST

It's unseasonably warm here----6C right now.
If the temperature gets above freezing, it could get ugly. Apparently they don't have salt for roads here, as it never gets above freezing once winter starts.


: off the Cain thread, but on the salt thread (none / 0) (#67)
by DFLer on Mon Dec 05, 2011 at 02:27:18 PM EST

They're going to combine road salt with beet juice here in Minnesota, to enable the salt to de-ice at lower temperatures. I wonder if it will turn the roads pink.

True (none / 0) (#11)
by CoralGables on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 03:14:20 PM EST

but now he may have to spend it facing a verbal slaughter at home, which will likely be far worse than anything the blogosphere threw at him.


: Yup, Siberia Would Probably be Warmer (none / 0) (#65)
by ScottW714 on Mon Dec 05, 2011 at 10:15:51 AM EST

And if Mrs Cain has any sense, Herman will be explaining every charge on his bank statements for years to come.
No more Hoochie Momma Slush Fund, no more locked phone, no more trust, or worse, the republican nightmare, divorce. Not because of some silly 'Family Values' non-sense, but because it mean giving up half of their net worth...

On the one hand... (5.00 / 2) (#12)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 03:15:56 PM EST

I feel bad that my friend who was/is Cain's Iowa Director of Communications is out of a job. But on the other, you lie down with dogs...

Maybe now I can read her Facebook posts again.

Perhaps (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by themomcat on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 03:16:08 PM EST

The Donald and the Pizza Man can co-host.

My Man, Herman Cain (5.00 / 0) (#14)
by Daniel on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 03:20:20 PM EST

My Man, Herman. Say i ain't so, Pizza man! I mean, the only REAL entertainment amongst the stodgy Republicans, if you can call them that. I mean, Newty boy? PAAAAA LEEEESE! I pray he gets the nomination. Rick Perry? Dumb as dirt. Michelle Bachman? From Planet Pluto. Rick 'the man with the best google last name' Santorum? When you're Sarah Palin's pick, you know you're in trouble. Mitt? I mean, who the f#$k elects a guy named Mitt? One tv interview and he melts down!
Now if Obamaman can fire the hell out of little Timmy Geithner and the rest of the Rubin/Summers crowd, we MIGHT have a chance to DO something about this economy too.

: what makes you think (5.00 / 4) (#18)
by TeresaInPa on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 06:44:05 PM EST

that Obama isn't doing exactly what he wants to do with the economy at this time?

Sort of seems like (5.00 / 2) (#15)
by lilburro on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 05:00:09 PM EST

running for President as a Republican has become an entirely different affair than, you know, actually running for President. Weirdly enough the celebrity politician types (Palin, Cain, Gingrich) are actually popular. I guess being President and being a figure in the Fox News mediated reality Republicans live in is more or less the same thing.

That's my thesis anyway.

Well, in 2008, "serious" people (5.00 / 4) (#29)
by observed on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 10:09:48 PM EST

gushed over the "rock star" appeal of Obama.
The Democrats may be behind the curve of the GOP, but only by a little.


That has nothing to do (5.00 / 2) (#32)
by lilburro on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 12:46:59 AM EST

with what I actually wrote.

Obama did not drop out of the race to become a commentator on MSNBC. Yes, he did and does have charisma, but that's not what I am talking about.

I get that people are not happy with the job Obama has done as President. But facile comparisons of Obama with whatever horrible thing is going on are tiring and neglect the real differences between the parties and their organization. Look at this list and tell me who on it similar to Cain, Palin, Bachmann, or Gingrich. This year's GOP primaries are playing by their own rules.


And I forgot about Trump, even! n/t (5.00 / 0) (#33)
by lilburro on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 12:47:51 AM EST

It's not a facile comparison. (5.00 / 1) (#34)
by observed on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 12:52:40 AM EST

The selection of Presidential candidates of both parties is a pathetic farce.


I just don't see (5.00 / 1) (#36)
by lilburro on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 12:57:05 AM EST

how what you're saying is useful analysis. It ignores the behemoth that is Fox News and the way it influences the right.

You may think both parties are bad, but they're not bad in the same way. It's like you're espousing a negative version of bipartisanship. Both parties have the same __. No, they don't.


Not bad in the same way? (5.00 / 0) (#38)
by sj on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 04:11:04 AM EST

What difference does that make, really? Cancer and diabetes aren't bad in the same way either, but either one will put a hurt on you.


Well, you treat (none / 0) (#58)
by lilburro on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 02:42:02 PM EST

cancer and diabetes differently. And the Republican and Democratic bases want/value different things.

I'm not saying you have to think Democrats are better. But the bizarre GOP primary is the kind of bizarre only the GOP could produce. We have our Ron Paul (Dennis Kucinich), but no equivalent to Trump, Cain, Bachmann, or Gingrich, all of whom the GOP base have claimed they actually want to be President.


: This is true (5.00 / 2) (#62)
by sj on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 03:59:42 PM EST

And the Republican and Democratic bases want/value different things.
Definitely. But to my infinite chagrin -- and sometimes despair -- the Republicans have done a better job of electing office holders who represent their base.

Trump (5.00 / 2) (#20)
by Ga6thDem on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 06:52:36 PM EST

is the perfect moderator for a GOP debate. Every circus needs a carnival barker. Right?

I LOVE the Trump idea. (5.00 / 2) (#23)
by inclusiveheart on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 07:54:15 PM EST

The GOP field of Presidential candidates will come off looking like nothing more than Apprentices.

I think that that is pretty brilliant electoral politics for everyone except the GOP.

And, all the while (5.00 / 3) (#30)
by NYShooter on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 10:13:23 PM EST

Obama is whispering, "Yes, there is a God."

As the Republicans continue portraying their version of Kafka Redux, 2011, Obama's incompetence and betrayals get a stealth pass.

: Kafka vs his smarter brother (5.00 / 1) (#60)
by Mr Natural on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 02:55:15 PM EST

I listened to Trump talk about this yesterday (5.00 / 3) (#44)
by Militarytracy on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 09:10:41 AM EST

while working on the kitchen, he also said that he might consider running for President as an Independent (sigh, I really have important things to do fer phucks sake...get this kitchen back together, Christmas...phuck off Donald), but then added that truly he loves what he does now (as if it is in any way a comparison to being President, but okay wasting my time fool).

He was insulted when the interviewer asked if he was concerned about giving the GOP nomination process an Apprentice atmosphere, he said that the Apprentice has been brilliant or some such crap.

I haven't watched a GOP debate yet this go around, I never watched a single episode of the Apprentice. It was enough watching the upcoming episode trailers for the Apprentice to understand that I never want to ever watch a single episode. Watching a few clips from the first couple of debates that made headlines were enough. I get it. The Republican party has toyed with its voting base so much that they are all mostly out of their damn minds now. Who knew that with enough money pumping out loads of crazy propaganda you could actually break a base...give it a nervous breakdown and turn it into a babbling giggling with self idiot?

break a base...? (none / 0) (#46)
by Edger on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 09:19:22 AM EST

give it a nervous breakdown and turn it into a babbling giggling with self idiot?

Or worse?

See "obamabot"


I can't equate the Democratic base (5.00 / 2) (#51)
by Militarytracy on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 10:31:49 AM EST

to the insanity of the Republican base. They cheer about killing people, they cheer letting people die when healthcare is sitting right in front of the dying person.....we tend to get a little starry eyed but there are way too many fights about deviating from a solid liberal platform at Orange for me to think that the Democratic base and Republican base are anywhere near the same level of massive agreed upon crazy.


: Of course there is no equivalency (5.00 / 1) (#52)
by Edger on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 10:47:03 AM EST

between the democratic base and the republican base.
If there were, Obama's poll numbers would be soaring and he'd be looking at a landslide next year.
The cartoon is a illustration of him wondering why his base isn't responding, and not getting it.

Ron Paul isn't happy with the Donald (4.75 / 4) (#1)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:13:24 PM EST

"The selection of a reality television personality to host a presidential debate that voters nationwide will be watching is beneath the office of the Presidency and flies in the face of that office's history and dignity.
"Mr. Trump's participation as moderator will distract from questions and answers concerning important issues such as the national economy, crushing federal government debt, the role of the federal government, foreign policy, and the like.
"To be sure, Mr. Trump's participation will contribute to an unwanted circus-like atmosphere."

[Emphasis added.]

Newt is going to be there though. After all, what's a circus without a clown.

That's rich (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by ruffian on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:52:02 PM EST

By all means, let's not have a circus-like atmosphere at a GOP debate. Unwanted by whom? Their voters do not seem to mind.


Very true (5.00 / 1) (#19)
by Ga6thDem on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 06:50:59 PM EST

but you have to at least give Paul credit for being embarrassed by having Trump as a moderator.


It is a strange straw to break the camel's back (none / 0) (#27)
by ruffian on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 09:39:08 PM EST

He's not embarrassed to stand there with the rest of the contents of the clown car and answer questions about evolution (in the negative).

Maybe this will push him over the edge into an independent run.


I know (5.00 / 1) (#41)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 05:29:36 AM EST

but I've come to the decision that Ron Paul might be the most sane of them all which isn't saying a lot I know.


Since R. Paul abhors government regulation (none / 0) (#55)
by christinep on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 12:36:23 PM EST

as interfering with people's liberties, etc. etc.

He & Newt may be alike on the abolition of Child Labor Laws thing. Say what.


Yeah (none / 0) (#56)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 01:56:39 PM EST

but at least Paul has SOME good stances like he thinks we ought to quit trying to build an empire which is more than I can say for the crazed neocon rantings of most of the GOP.


On the other hand, (5.00 / 1) (#57)
by Zorba on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 02:33:28 PM EST

Paul is "pro-life" and opposed to abortion. Although he doesn't think that the federal government should be in the mix- he does feel that it's up to the states to ban abortion or restrict it or not. Not a very good stance for women's reproductive rights, however. I would hate to leave any woman's reproductive rights up to the state that they lived in. If I were a libertarian, state's rights type of person, I would probably argue that then, if you don't like your state, move. My answer to that would be- yes, the same thing could have been said about slavery (way back when), segregation, interracial marriage, voting rights, and all kinds of things. When do individual state laws trump federal laws? Never, when individual and collective rights are concerned.


Oh, (none / 0) (#59)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 02:48:27 PM EST

I know that he has plenty of bad ones and the stance on choice is totally nonsensical when you're trying to be a "libertarian". If you're feel that the government shouldn't regulate anything then you really seem kind of stupid when you come back and say oh, well, you shouldn't regulate anything except decisions that women make????


: He lies, based on his actual (5.00 / 1) (#61)
by observed on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 03:57:47 PM EST

professional expertise. Paul has been an obstetrician for decades, but says he has never seen a case where abortion is medically necessary.
He's simply lying.
Because he's a doctor, I find this the most objectionable thing about him. The fact he's barking mad and no one seems to notice comes second.

Ron Paul doesn't like the idea of being (5.00 / 1) (#22)
by inclusiveheart on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 07:50:35 PM EST

Donald Trump's Apprentice.


The Donald was actually espousing some (none / 0) (#2)
by observed on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:34:20 PM EST

kind of economic populism a while back.
Maybe he can host an "OWS" debate.
The Donald has lots of empathy for the 99%, after all---the 99% of the top 1% who are worth less than him.


Although (none / 0) (#17)
by sj on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 06:10:26 PM EST

I would really like a circus without a clown. Clowns. ::shudder::

Whether it's a Republican debate or Barnum and Bailey.


: Clowns...or marionette puppets (5.00 / 1) (#26)
by christinep on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 09:05:04 PM EST

The subjects of a horrow movie. The scariest of the movies...'Always could see the dolls with strings & the macabre smile-eyes waiting till night to pounce. Clowns...similar.

This is just to make it clear ... (none / 0) (#25)
by Robot Porter on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 08:47:25 PM EST

to anyone who hasn't caught on yet that this isn't a real Republican race. Just a jokey bit of TV entertainment.

Of course, most people will still take this race seriously. More fools them.


Herman is just suspending, not ending, (none / 0) (#3)
by KeysDan on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:41:54 PM EST

his campaign. After all, as one of the Koch Brothers (from another mother) he is a savvy businessman--a suspended campaign may allow eligibility for federal matching funds in 2012. However, we can fault the business acumen of David and Charles for not vetting Brother Herman thereby resulting in a Cain Mutiny--where his major investors turned on him.

: hmmm.. I think Ron Paul is reall the other (4.00 / 1) (#4)
by observed on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:49:19 PM EST

brother.. the brother from another planet.

: I'll tell you, anyone who invested money (none / 0) (#6)
by tigercourse on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:54:56 PM EST

in Herman Cain sure as heck deserves to lose it when he rides off into the sunset. I hope he buys a yacht with their money and gets away with it.

: He has to just suspend (none / 0) (#7)
by Towanda on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 02:56:53 PM EST

as I recall from the 2008 campaign, if he has any hope of some of those pledges turning into cash in hand, plus there are bills to be paid.
It's over.

Mr. Cain had the Lede on News Corp (none / 0) (#16)
by oculus on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 06:05:39 PM EST

bldg. Tonight.

The truth (none / 0) (#21)
by lentinel on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 07:06:45 PM EST

is that you, and many others, will watch a debate moderated by Trump. For the ridicule. Maybe. But you will tune in.

On the other hand, it is hard to imagine tuning in to any of the other debates. Democrat or Republican.

I don't know exactly what that means, but I think it means something.

If infidelity was a real issue with GOP (none / 0) (#24)
by inclusiveheart on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 07:56:47 PM EST

voters, Gingrich would be trailing.

I think that being black whilst "driving" is Cain's problem with respect to GOP voters.

Yes, I'm sure they only just realized he (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by tigercourse on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 12:22:38 AM EST

was black. See, all those huge racists just assumed he had a terrible tan for that month and a half he was leading polls.

The infidelity was not what destroyed Cain's campaign. It fell apart after the harassment revelations.


Yeah I agree (5.00 / 1) (#35)
by lilburro on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 12:53:43 AM EST

if anything I think his race was initially exciting for some of the GOP. In fact I wonder if he would've gotten as far as he did if he wasn't black...I think for the GOP he felt like an answer to Obama in some way (in an actually kind of racist sense, as in "oh yeah well WE HAVE A BLACK GUY TOO!!" the same way people seemed to think Palin was an answer to Hillary ...trying to reduce people, Obama, Clinton, Cain, Palin, to their gender or race).

I say this because i lived with someone who watched a ton of Fox News and people were just crazy about Cain. He filled some kind of need. But perhaps that need was just to get Bachmann from out of the front of the race.

It's really amazing how much they hate Mitt, isn't it?


: I agree (none / 0) (#40)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 05:27:35 AM EST

with you about Cain. I think it had something to do with trying to shake the general perception of the GOP that they are a bunch of racists. It's not like the GOP didn't work hard at getting that reputation but since that kind of stuff doesn't play well with the voters anymore...

No (none / 0) (#39)
by Ga6thDem on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 05:22:37 AM EST

actually I don't think it was the infidelity. I think it was the fact that he was interviewed about policy and came off as a complete dolt. I mean if this was such a big issue Gingrich wouldn't be doing very well either.


: You could say that his positions on (5.00 / 1) (#42)
by observed on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 06:31:59 AM EST

foreign policy were "all over the map".

Plus the fact that they are way too authoritaritan (none / 0) (#28)
by ruffian on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 09:44:00 PM EST

to pick someone they never heard of until six months ago. They are not the party for overnight superstars.


Uh, if the issue was Cain's race (none / 0) (#43)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 08:40:46 AM EST

how did he get into the lead?

On the other hand, many on the Right claim that it was Cain's race that outraged the Demos because he had dared to leave the reservation.

He did suffer from the Palin syndrome. He wasn't part of the Repub establishment. Even worse, he was beating the anointed Mitt Romney.

No matter, the fact is that Cain was finally taken down by unproven claims of sexual harassment.

And here everyone had been thinking that Clinton had got us past the sex issue in Presidential politics.

Oh well, it's Newt turn to the media/Demo's target. But he's been there before so he won't be as easy as Cain.


Let me see.. (5.00 / 1) (#53)
by Repack Rider on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 11:34:56 AM EST

He did suffer from the Palin syndrome.

Which is generally described as overwhelming, incredible, you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it, evolution denying stupidity.

What is it about morons that the GOP likes so much?


: Morons give their base (5.00 / 3) (#54)
by Edger on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 11:39:41 AM EST

someone to look up to?

All he has to do is open his mouth ... (none / 0) (#45)
by Yman on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 09:18:34 AM EST

... and insert his foot for the millionth time.

Heh - "many on the right claim" a lot of things - humans roamed the earth with dinosaurs, people receiving food stamps can use them to go to Hawaii (Newt), HPV vaccines cause mental retardation, Obama's trying to form a private army, there's no scientific consensus on global warming, etc, etc.

"Us"? Most Democrats are past it ... have been for a long time. Republicans? Not so much ... a few more votes and they would have impeached Clinton. Of course, they're fine with it when the candidate is one of their own, "family values" candidates.


Not gonna engage (none / 0) (#47)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 09:26:18 AM EST

you because all you do is make false claims about what I write.

Remember you claimed I lied about oil drilling?


I do (none / 0) (#48)
by Yman on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 09:28:58 AM EST

... and you did.


Everyone can read the link and know the facts. (none / 0) (#49)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 09:38:02 AM EST

And I am no longer going to respond to you. Your tactics are devious and dishonest and just lead to endless and useless back and forth that Jeralyn has asked us several times not to engage in.


: Did You Just Call the Kettle Black ? (none / 0) (#66)
by ScottW714 on Mon Dec 05, 2011 at 10:33:57 AM EST

The sun rises, and Jim (none / 0) (#50)
by observed on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 10:02:50 AM EST

tells another whopper. Cause and effect? You be the judge.
link


since the whole "GOP" primary (none / 0) (#37)
by cpinva on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 01:39:23 AM EST

is simply really bad "reality tv", it makes perfectly good sense for mr. trump to moderate one of their "debates". i submit they should switch to a "survivor" type format, with the lowest polling "candidate" being eliminated, literally, from the race. the eliminated candidates heads, placed on pikes, will be displayed on stage, at each of the subsequent "debates".

let's see how badly these people really want the GOP nomination.

Site violater ASSE (none / 0) (#64)
by sj on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 10:26:00 PM EST

Eddie Haskell style