R.I.P. Herman Cain

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Sabin
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Re: R.I.P. Herman Cain

Post by Sabin »

Big Magilla wrote
I purposely noted his passing as a one-liner in the Campaign 2020 thread because I didn't think he was worthy of one of his own. I still don't.
You’re probably not wrong.

Well, at least one nice thing happened to him this day.
"How's the despair?"
Big Magilla
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Re: R.I.P. Herman Cain

Post by Big Magilla »

On the day of John Lewis' funeral in which he was eulogized by three real presidents, you want to discuss this nonentity?

I purposely noted his passing as a one-liner in the Campaign 2020 thread because I didn't think he was worthy of one of his own. I still don't.
Sabin
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Re: R.I.P. Herman Cain

Post by Sabin »

Someone deleted the following July 1 tweet from Herman Cain's account:

“Masks will not be mandatory for the event, which will be attended by President Trump. PEOPLE ARE FED UP!”

So, let's be honest, Herman Cain is going to end up a historical footnote for a few reasons but upon further reflection, I think it's pretty obtuse to write anything about Herman Cain's life without acknowledging the obvious: he was a black Republican. In many ways, he ran as the anti-Obama. He wasn't some out of touch, college professor, black politician. He was a self-made millionaire who became popular with Republican crowds by making statements saying racism wasn't a major problem in the country, all you need to do is pick yourself up by our bootstraps, and major tax cuts. And that was popular in those Republican circles. Although he bandied an anti-intellectualism in his statements that I think is a forerunner to Trump (statements about Muslims, building an electrified fence, etc), I think maybe Herman Cain should be remembered as a member of the Class of 2012 where a group of exciting candidates burst onto the scene selling virtues that the GOP ultimately didn't want. Chris Christie with bipartisanship, Marco Rubio with immigration reform (or really, just being a Latino)... Ben Carson was a substantially more popular black Republican in 2016 because he was remarkably uninformed, talked down to black people more, talked about faith... and did so much better.

Even though Cain's campaign imploded for reasons of sexual harassment and adultery, because maybe the GOP cycle just wasn't as fringe in 2012 and could see he wasn't ready to be President, or because it was just never going to happen, it's worth remembering his statements about Rick Perry's family vacations at a place with a rock called "N*****head." Even though Cain didn't call Perry a racist and merely said that word was "insensitive" to black people -- and even though he followed his statements upon the next day by saying "I really don't care about that word. They painted over it. End of story." -- he called Perry out on the debate stage, said the name of the ranch when the moderators wouldn't, and was applauded for calling out racism. That might be the last time that happens on a GOP debate stage.
"How's the despair?"
Sabin
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R.I.P. Herman Cain

Post by Sabin »

Died battling COVID. Watch, and Louis Gohmert will live.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.c ... virus.html

Herman Cain’s significance might now be “first presidential candidate to die of Coronavirus.” What is going to take for some people to take the virus seriously? At this point, I doubt it’s Herman Cain’s passing. His moment in the sun was too long ago. And even still he was a goofy outsider.

But Herman Cain’s deeper historical significance might be that he’s a slight preview of our dumb world. Nobody would call the 2012 election a model of sanity (my god do i miss it), but look at the GOP that was gearing up with politicians like Christie and Rubio, and then look at Cain. A celebrity businessman who promised to run the country like a company. A foolish array of plans (999). Raucous rallies. Caught on camera admitting he didn’t know his position on Libya but whatever Obama favored he was against. Trailed by sexual harassment allegations — and contemptuous of them to the media. And of course, a campaign full of wackos. There was a Trumpiness to Cain.

I saw on Twitter today: “Imagine surviving the Jim Crow South, somehow managing to prosper, and giving it all up at the end because you wanted the approval of the dumbest racist in the world.”

He was also integral in defeating Clinton’s healthcare plan in 1994.
Last edited by Sabin on Thu Jul 30, 2020 1:24 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"How's the despair?"
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