To the establishment pols, Cain struggled. To the Frank Luntz focus group who watched the debate, Cain was the clear winner.
So now it’s the duty of the establishment pols and the establishment media to assure us that Cain can’t win:
Still, no matter how bright Cain shone last night, he has little chance of winning the nomination. While he has some personal money, he doesn’t have nearly enough cash to fund his own campaign. And fundraising could be tough for him in such a crowded field with lots of better known candidates running.
He also lost his only other major race — a 2004 primary against now-Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.). That kind of electoral record is not likely to inspire much confidence among major donors. (Read our full case against Herman Cain.) While he’s popular with tea party voters, their impact in early states will be diluted by open primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Cain is also still relatively unknown. While this debate undoubtedly helped change that a bit, he probably won’t be as lucky the next time around. On a field of second or third tier candidates, it was easy for Cain to stand out. In a debate with contenders who poll in the double digits, he’s not going to get as much screen time or support.
The only real problem Cain has, if you ask me, is from someone like Bachmann or Palin, other Tea Party favorites who are equally plain-talking and no-nonsense legal conservatives. But Cain’s business background will help him every bit as much as, say, Mitt Romneys — without the baggage of Romneycare to go along with it.
The establishment GOP no longer controls the outcome necessarily. And Cain’s popularity with the Tea Party — coupled with Tea Party support from major conservative radio personalities like Limbaugh, Levin, Beck, Ingraham, etc., — will guarantee that Cain’s profile is raised, and his fundraising efforts promoted.
In a backlash election, were I a Democrat or a GOP insider, I’d be very worried about an articulate, no-nonsense conservative not at all beholden to the party machinery.
Remember a few months ago when the most feared Republican presidential prospect was <ominous chord> Jon Huntsman?
I couldn’t help but notice that you made no mention of his melanin levels, which everybody knows is really the most important, most defining element of a candidate’s character.
Then I saw that you threw in a little “articulate” descriptor at the end, so I’m pleased to know that your RAAAAACIST! bona fides are intact.
Four years ago folks were saying many of the same things about that little Obama kid as a recall.
Cain will get a taste of being Palinized.
But I suspect he knows it and will rise to the occasion. Who said you know you are over the target when you are catching flak?
You could be a black, Native American, female, gay, Jew-athiest, if you are enough of a threat to their lefty core principals you will be destroyed.
The progressives will talk down any candidate like Cain, because he is the kind of person who can capture the imagination. He scares them. They will also play the race card eventually, saying that the GOP is racist and running Cain because of his melanin level, which also serve to accentuate the left’s inherent racism to those who are paying attention. If you haven’t watched any of his speeches on youtube, you should look into them. He is a much better speaker than President Present.
From what I know of the man, and what he has said so far, I would be happy to vote for him (happier than voting for just about any other “real” candidate). Maybe he could get Bachmann as his running mate. Talk about an identity politics moment.
That’s an odd thing to compile on a guy who can’t win.
And he’s clean too!
Unlike those filthy hoochies, I mean.
There are plenty of filthy hoochies in the republican party, very few of them are women.
Which is just the way RINOs and Copperheads like it. There will be just enough voters in the Copperhead primary to keep it interesting, while the majority are devoted to picking the RINO who can a) be beaten or b) be rolled if he happens to win. Can we say John McCain?
This is astounding! Cain was the clear winner last night, on the merits as well as presentation. And who gives a tinkers damn what Cilliza and the “insiders” think; of course, they want some milquetoast like Pawlenty, who’s proven he’ll go along with the cap-n-trade charade in the name of “comity” when he thinks it’ll score him points. Just like Romney…
Ron Paul, for the good points he did make comes off like a buffoon. I’m willing to listen to Johnson again, but he need to polish his delivery greatly. And Santorum, while confident and assertive came off to me as being woefully unprepared; I could only imagine how he’d do with a panel staffed uxclusively with MFM proggs.
No, Cain was the clear winner last night, and not because the Frank Luntz was wowed, but on merit. About the only thing I was less than impressed by was the foreign policy aspect of his performance, but that was no different than any of the other participants.
Exactly why is a ‘Tea Party’ Party a bad thing again? Ain’t it nice when your enemies (the establicans) provide you with the ammunition to neutralize them? There ain’t no dilution in a ‘Tea Party’ Party vote… the Establicans would be hard pressed to clear 20%.
I’m willing to listen to Johnson again, but he need to polish his delivery greatly.
Who???
There was a dude named Johnson there?
Did he say “but ya doesn’t hasta call me Johnson!”?
Just don’t get in between a tamale and Michelle Obama. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/05/stand-clear-of-michelle-and-a-tamale-obama-says-about-wife.html You might get hurt.
Condi eats lunch. That was such a light lunch any bets she’s still hungry?
well known mittens fanboy hughhewitt :
link
I voted for Fred Thompson last primary. Some country-club Repub, establishment type might try to discourage me from voting for Cain -for that, I’d say its a done deal at this point that he has my vote…
But, really, nr, who doesn’t expect an Establican like Hewett to push The Party Line (which, as anyone who can think is aware, has nothing to do with any “Big Tent”)?
As opposed to somebody who spends more time primping his hair than John Edwards, and who couldn’t even beat John McCain for the nomination in 2008?
I think Hewitt’s just pissed the Huntsman juggernaut never got off the ground.
[…] pols and the establishment media to assure us that Cain can’t win . . .” – Jeff Goldstein, Protein WisdomI’ve already dealt with Noah Kristula-Green’s sneering dismissal of Herman Cain. Now go […]
[…] John Guardinos of the world can’t manage to do that soon, no one could blame us for asking how much of their stupefaction is honest and how much is intentional. var a2a_config = a2a_config || {}; a2a_config.linkname="Herman Cain is a Mysterious and Powerful […]
Well I don’t understand why the author of the post thinks he understands the “American voting public” better than politicians.
Most everyone could blog about what politicians (especially in the abstract) don’t understand; Not everyone can get elected.
Or write a (somewhat) pedestrian account of specific examples of “the LEFT” abusing, and therefore purposefully deceiving the receiver of, words. And therin lies unlimited wealth, happiness, and possibly even a touch of Buckleyesquness (but spelled mo betta).
Dude. Quit me.
What I don’t understand is why the author of comment #23 thinks there’s any limit to what he doesn’t understand.
Some disestablishing going on.
[…] Update: Jeff Goldstein gets it. […]