Reaganite Republican, in the throes of supporting Donald Trump, chided me for mentioning Herman Cain. I responded that Politics as Team Sports is what got us into this mess. Hero worshipers hoot and catcall when their hero is up and somebody else's is down. We're in serious trouble, and we need a serious president.
Herman Cain is a serious man, but I wanted to investigate further. Anytime someone comes out of the blue and sounds really good, you just know there's something cringe-worthy or worse in their background. It's all going great and then the candidate casually mentions how the government is spying on you through your toaster, or something kooky like that. So I've done some investigating, and I have yet to find anything damning. I also watch the YouTube videos. It's easy for people to start pandering to their crowd and end up doing or saying something irresponsible. Herman Cain has not indulged in any of that.
I'm not a big YouTube pusher, but I invite you to watch this, or any Herman Cain video and judge for yourself. He says the right things, not because someone coached him, but because he has life experiences that are relevant to the office of president.
It's about a half-hour long, so you may want to let it load up and just skip through it.
Facts about Herman Cain:
- Still married to his first wife, the love of his life
- Bachelors degree in mathematics
- 6 years as a mathematician for the Department of the Navy
- Masters degree in Computer Science
- Executive, Coca-cola
- Executive, and eventually a Vice President of Pillsbury
- Took a "step down" to run a failing Burger King region, turning it into a top performer
- CEO, Godfathers Pizza
- Chairman, National Restaurant Association
- Board member and later chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
This is a man who understands America and our founding principles. He knows how business works, how money works and he has a deep understanding of economic issues. His only blind spot is foreign policy, but his background suggests he knows how to hire the right people and make good decisions.
Two factors give me pause: He supported TARP, and he was a FED governor. He's said he supported TARP at the beginning, but they abused it, and his FED role actually means he probably has a better understanding than the average bear of money and finance. I want to know more about where he stands on auditing the FED and if that organization's role should be dialed back or even eliminated.
Nobody's perfect. On balance, Herman Cain is in my top tier.
Herman Cain's Website
Herman Cain Defends Bank Bailouts
Herman Cain Supported Tarp
24 comments:
I don't have time to watch the video right now.
But I did read everything at Cain's website. Overall, I think that he would make a good President. He sure beats the hell out of Mitt Romney, who may well get the nomination.
Is Cain electable? I have my doubts.
he did change his mind about hiring Musslims in his cabinet so we shall see...((hugs))
So far he is the only conservative to announce his intention to run,,,
Well it looks like he might have some much needed experience in terms of financial crap.
I generally don't harp too much on foreign policy experience, because other than the foreign policy committees in congress and what not, there's not many ways to get a lot of experience in it.
How many governors have foreign policy experience before they become president? Not many, I think.
I too am leery of any candidate who has, or has had, ties to the Federal Reserve and who supported TARP.
I can't remember having heard any arguments in favor of the Fed. It's always just been there as an accepted part of the Establishment no one thought much about until Ron Paul came on the scene. Does anyone know what the ostensible purpose was in forming the Fed in the first place? What was the rationale for giving control of the value of our currency and of the means of supplying it to the nation to a group of unelected, unaccountable, shadowy private bankers with international connections and no certain loyalty to the United States?
Mr. Cain is in many ways an appealing figure. I don't think his success has been the result of Affirmative Action, but I don't know that for sure, do you?
His Evangelical Country Preacher style wears on me a bit after the first three or four minutes. He really does sound more like he's presiding over a Revival Tent Meeting than a political rally, but anyone who says straight out that he's for the elimination of the capital gains tax gets my attention, and may very well get my vote.
And of course, let's face it, it would be a political stroke of genius to run not just another "person of color," but a full-blooded Negro against Obama. That might very well be the only possible way to get the nation to focus on the issues and ideas instead of the red herring hat is "race."
Just as most of the nation was in an Anybody-But-Bush mood in 2008, I'm in an Anybody-But-Obama mood right now -- and I mean ANYBODY.
Why I'll bet if we pulled a New York taxi cab driver out of his vehicle at random and installed him in the White House willy nilly, he'd do a better job of administering the country's affairs than the The Community Organizer aka The Chit from Chicago.
~ FreeThinke
I have met him personally and was lucky enough to take a few pictures with him. He joined our local Tea Party and American's for Prosperity rally.
He is straightforward and doesn't pull any punches. I like that he stands for traditional values and is not ashamed to admit he loves the Lord.
He also did a great job on an interview last night with Bill O'Reilly.
From the beginning of meeting and hearing this man speak, I had hoped that he would run for president and low and behold he did!
He's got my vote.
For anyone who thinks Donald Trump is a conservative, pray tell why?
The #1 recipient of Trump political money among candidates is Charles Rangel
The #1 recipient of Trump political money among comittees is the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Comittee.
While his contributions cross party lines, he donates 50% more money to Democrats than he does Republicans. (data: center for responsive politics at opensecrets.org)
As for Herman Cain, were the primary right now, I'd vote for him.
Cheers!
Silver, you list Cain's extremely impressive resume, and then assert, "This is a man who understands America and our founding principles," yet there is nothing in that extremely impressive resume that would automatically confer that.
What does being a mathematician and a businessman have to do with Constitutional Law, Foreign Policy, Criminal and Civil Law, Civics, Social Policy, and all the other things that go into public service? All that stupid blather about "running government like a business" is just stupid blather. Government IS NOT a business. It is GOVERNMENT.
JMJ
Government is not a business. It is government.
Well my my, doesn't that explain a lot of what's wrong with liberal progressivism and why democrats think they can spend money they don't have.
You want to know why he "understands America and our founding principles"? Follow the links to his website.
Cheers!
Jersey: What Finntann said.
Cain's experience demonstrates hard work, good judgment and competency. His words and the stances he takes are what demonstrate his respect for the constitution.
As for government not being a business... No kidding. If it were, it would have been forced to declare bankruptcy.
Could you imagine anyone patronizing such an incompetent business that screws up everything it touches?
"What does being a mathematician and a businessman have to do with Constitutional Law, Foreign Policy, Criminal and Civil Law, Civics, Social Policy, and all the other things that go into public service?"
To understand mathematics and accomplish success in the business world demonstrates considerable brainpower, courage and an ability to deal effectively with practical reality. The "policy" fields cited -- including the Law, itself, -- involve purely theoretical constructs imposed gratuitously from positions of authority. Many of these notions, most of which have been generated in the ivory towers of academia where lofty sounding pseudo-ideals, wishful thinking and an attitude of insufferable condescension towards the practical world, form the basis of faulty, unworkable precepts that push us ever closer towards the Abyss. Unfortunately most of those who have been elected or appointed to fill these positions of authority have proven themselves to be incompetent, idiotic or downright malevolent considering the generally dismal results their machinations have achieved.
I'd take a civil engineer, who knows how to build a bridge, dig a tunnel or construct a skyscraper, over a social engineer any day -- just as I would vote for a man who demonstrates the ability to meet a payroll from the profits his understanding of markets and efficient means of production have generated over a blundering, bullying bureaucrat all the time.
Insight, vision and insatiable curiosity may be the root of all great accomplishment, but merely building castles in the air in hopes of eliminating poverty by unseating the rich and destroying all evidence of privilege never has and never will produce anything but chaos, violence, increased poverty and despair.
In short: We need more mathematicians and fewer theoreticians to guide us.
~ FreeThinke
I have heard Cain on speak on TV and like what I am hearing but will not give up my vote to anybody yet. Cain will prove to be a very strong candidate and stronger if he over comes his foreign policy snafu. He will be a strong underdog and predict will give the establishment is desperately shake up it needs-Maybe a front runner sooner than later.
Let the race begin and fireworks go off!!!
RedneckRon
Cain thinks the right of Americans to bear arms should be a states' rights issue. I've never warmed to his candidacy (for a host of reasons), but that sealed the deal for me. Next!
Fuzzy: I have to look in to that. The 2nd Amendment is the law of the land and states cannot abrogate it. I need to go see the context.
Thanks for the info!
I'm glad that we're all (it seems)taking the time to vet these candidate much more than has been done in the past. I'm not a fan of the Fed, or the slush fund known as TARP, but Cain certainly exhibits qualities that make for a good POTUS. First and foremost is his business leadership. He has had success in several levels of business. That means he knows how to hire well, delegate, inspire, and, in the end, get results.
No wonder the lefties hate him.
Guys! Guys!
Herman Cain speaks in platitudes. He has offered no serious, substantial, specific plans. He's a phony.
His background suggests a President Cain would be more closely in bed with the big-moneyed interests than any preisident ever. We've had enough of that already. We certainly don't need more.
He's not nearly the conservative, libertarian, Honest Every Man, you guys seem to think he is.
JMJ
Jersey: This is a true statement: He has offered no serious, substantial, specific plans.
But the rest is unbelievable, coming from someone who voted for Obama, the biggest empty suit to ever get elected.
The more important point about Mr. Cain, Silver, is that his suits are filled by the banks.
Again - he's not what you seem to think he is.
And I would easily - morally, ethically, intelligently, civically, etc - take Obama over Cain any day. Any smart, civic-mided American would do the same. I think you would too, if you knew where Cain was really coming from. Imagine a government of nothing but Geithners, Paulsons, etc...? Well, that's a Cain Administration.
JMJ
Silverfiddle, Actually Cain has offered a serious specific plan on taxes. It is two tiered process that ends with enacting the Fairtax bill already on the docket in congress.
Cain knows business and economics, which we sorely need right now. Most of the polls asking what's most important is jobs and the economy, with the debt coming in after. This is my guess as to why Cain is doing so well, along with his charming personality.
The 2nd amendment statement was in a rapid fire with Wolfe Blitzer on CNN. Cain initially said he solidly for the 2nd amendment, and Wolfe asked about states regulating guns and Cain answered with states should be able to regulate, which for those that believe states should have more power than federal, is why Cain ended up saying that. To me he was in error because of recent 2nd amendment cases and 14th amendment supremacy clause, forcing states to adopt federal bill of rights ect.
I haven't see Cain update this issue on his site or any other interview yet but my bet it will come up. My opinion is that Cain needs to study up more on a lot of side issues instead of just answering on the fly half the time. That and he needs to put forth more on his 'principles' that lead him to a decision after he has all the info. Those are my 2 complaints of him so far. Otherwise I really like him.
Anon: Thank you for the explanation. That puts it in context
Jersey: We have a government full of Geithners and Paulsons right now. They are an infestation that is there whether the government is an R or a D.
It's worse with a lefty in the white house because we also have the pointy headed theorists who want to regulate everything.
About all you and I agree on is that the DC-Wall Street axis of evil is killing us and we need to break it. I just don't know how.
Anon: Thank you for the explanation. That puts it in context
Jersey: We have a government full of Geithners and Paulsons right now. They are an infestation that is there whether the government is an R or a D.
It's worse with a lefty in the white house because we also have the pointy headed theorists who want to regulate everything.
About all you and I agree on is that the DC-Wall Street axis of evil is killing us and we need to break it. I just don't know how.
The thing to watch for is past actions, never mind what they say, what have they done in the past on critical matters. That tells you what they'll be like in the top job.
- Took a "step down" to run a failing Burger King region, turning it into a top performer
Nope, Pillsbury brought in an executive from McDonald's. His plan was instituted in all districts including Cain's. That district did very well but Cain did not develop the business changes.
- CEO, Godfathers Pizza
Godfathers didn't make a dime after he took over. Pillsbury finally unloaded it and it's a trivial business in the market today.
So let's stack Obama's real-world experience up against Cain's. Oh, wait, Obama doesn't have any...
I know, he has lived in public housing for the past two years, be we've seen no accomplishments and no signs that he's learned anything.
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