Herman_Cain_2A

= **Herman Cain** =

-julie kleberg

Biography: -Julie Kleberg

Synopsis
Sometimes called the Hermanator, Herman Cain was born on December 13, 1945. After earning degrees from Morehouse College and Purdue University, Cain worked for Coca-Cola and Pillsbury Company. He later successfully revived the Godfather's Pizza chain. In 2004, Cain made a failed bid for the Senate. He returned to the political fold in 2011 as a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

 QUOTES
 Just to be clear, I'm running for president of the United States of America, and I'm not running for second place. – Herman Cain

Early Years
Herman Cain grew up poor in Atlanta, Georgia. Both of his parents struggled to care for him and his brother. His mother worked as a domestic and his father held several jobs, including serving as a chauffeur for the Coca-Cola Co. Cain's parents stressed the importance of education, a lesson he took to heart. In 1967, Cain graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He continued his studies at Purdue University, earning a master's degree in computer science. During this time, Cain worked for the U.S. Navy. There he helped design fire control systems.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder
With his advanced technical skills, Cain became a systems analyst for Coca-Cola. He then moved in 1977 to food giant Pillsbury where he worked his way up to vice president. Switching from information technology to business management, Cain went to work at the company's Burger King division. Cain learned the ropes by manning the grills himself and eventually became a regional vice president for the fast-food chain. In 1986, Cain took on his biggest business challenge. He accepted the post of president and CEO of the failing Godfather's Pizza chain. In fourteen months, Cain managed to turn the pizza chain around, cutting the number of stores by a third and boosted sales at the remaining restaurants. He and other executives later bought the chain from Pillsbury.

Political Ambitions
Cain emerged on the national political stage in the mid-1990s. As the head of the National Restaurant Association, he challenged President [|Bill Clinton] on healthcare at a television event. Known to be blunt and outspoken, Cain publicly criticized First Lady [|Hillary Clinton] 's plans for healthcare reform. He thought the suggested reforms would have a negative impact on business. In 2004, Cain sought political office for the first time. He failed in his bid to win one of Georgia's Senate seats. Undeterred, Cain has thrown himself into the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. He originally appeared to be a long shot for the nomination, but he has picked up some momentum during the campaign. In August 2011, Cain came in fourth in the Iowa Straw Poll, beating out such better known candidates as [|Rick Perry] and [|Mitt Romney]. He won the Florida Straw Poll a month later. Cain has won over supporters with his direct, no nonsense approach to reforming government. His plan for creating a fair, flat tax for businesses and individuals, however, has come under fire by critics for being unclear and for potentially placing a greater tax burden on lower-income Americans. His sense of humor has also landed in political hot water for making jokes about building a electrical fence on the U.S. border. Cain also made a notable foreign policy gaff when he said that he could not name the president of Uzbekistan was and "knowing who is the head of some of these small insignificant states around the world" was not as important as focusing on domestic issues. Despite these missteps, he has become one of the candidates to watch as the race for the Republican presidential nomination heats up.

Personal Life
Cain lives in Sandy Springs, Georgia, with his wife Gloria. The couple has two children and several grandchildren. A devoted fan of gospel music, Cain once recorded his own album of religious songs. He has also hosted his own radio show for an Atlanta station and written several books.

21 things you didn't know about Herman Cain:

H erman Cain – or the Hermanator, as he calls himself in his new book – is so confident he'll be elected president on November 6, 2012, he’s already sketched out his first 90 days in office. Among the things he says he’ll do in the early days of a Cain administration: “Treat our __ economic system __ as I would a corporation on the verge of bankruptcy: Step one, make a 10 percent across-the-board cut” in all government departments. Step two, he says, would include “vertical deep dives” in which every department would be asked to justify its cost and directly answer the question, “Is it still in the best interests of the country?” __ Election 2012 Complete Coverage __ According to a new __ CBS News poll __, Cain, 65, is now tied with Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, atop the field of Republican presidential candidates. Among GOP primary voters, __ support for Cain __ now stands at 17 percent support, compared with 5 percent two weeks ago. (Rick Perry has fallen 11 percentage points in just two weeks.) Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan has attracted voters: He’d replace the current tax code with a nine-percent flat income tax, a nine-percent corporate tax, and a nine-percent national sales tax. Cain’s new book, //This Is Herman Cain!: My Journey to the White House,// was released on Tuesday, October 4, by Threshold Editions, the conservative imprint of Simon & Schuster. And on the topic of conservatism, Cain says his Supreme Court litmus test will be, “conservative, conservative, conservative. All I’ve got to ask them is, ‘Are you going to enforce the Constitution to the best of your ability?’” Other positions and bits of personal background that emerge from the pages of the former businessman’s book:
 * 1) To become energy independent, he believes this country should tap into the oil reserves of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). “The area proposed for ANWR production comprises less than one percent of the refuge’s 19 million acres and could yield billions and billions of barrels of recoverable oil,” he argues. “It’s as if the answer to energy independence is close at hand, but excessive regulations and environmental extremists who influence timid legislators are holding America hostage to __ foreign oil __.” He adds, “When I become president, we will adopt a Drill Here, Drill Now strategy,” with a “bold goal” of “zero dependence on foreign oil.”
 * 2) He would “unbundle education” down to the local level, and reward the teachers “who enrich the lives of their students” and hold accountable those who do not. “It means making those on the ground responsible for the teaching and learning that goes on in their communities. It means expanding school vouchers and charter schools. It means offering parents choices for their children’s education.”
 * 3) He would work to cut down “excessive governmental regulation,” lessening the bureaucracy “while helping businesses succeed.”
 * 4) He would __ hit the unions __ hard. “The desire of unions to make unsustainable demands on local, state, and federal government, irrespective of the devastating impact, is totally illogical, not to mention showing a collective disregard for the taxpayer.” He’s a supporter of __ Scott Walker __, governor of Wisconsin, for his efforts to curb public employees’ union rights.
 * 5) He believes that “if you mess with Israel, you’re messing with the United States of America. Don’t mess with us. Don’t mess with us. Is that real clear?” On the subject of foreign policy, he says, “I know enough about the importance of supporting one’s allies… You don’t throw your faithful friends under the bus,” as he says President Obama did by demanding a return to the pre-1967 __ Six Day War __ borders.
 * 6) He plans on replacing Obamacare with “__ Caincare __,” something he describes in rather glorious and non-specific terms: It’s a “compassionate approach to providing the best possible diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care for Americans of all ages.”
 * 7) He grew up in the segregated Atlanta of the ‘50s and ‘60s, one of two sons of Luther Cain, Jr. (Herman Cain’s brother, Thurman, died in his early 50s, of drug and alcohol-related health problems). Cain’s father worked “three jobs until he could make it off of two jobs; then he worked those two jobs until he could make it off of that one job.” (Those three jobs were barber, janitor, and chauffeur.)
 * 8) Cain was salutatorian and president of his high school class at Samuel Howard Archer High School in Atlanta. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1967 with a degree in mathematics. He later earned a master’s degree in computer science.
 * 9) He received 25 job offers after college graduation, he says, and took a job as a mathematician with the U.S. Navy in Dahlgren, Virginia.
 * 10) He encountered discrimination “even after major civil rights legislation had been passed,” and describes how he “couldn’t get a haircut in the barbershop of my choosing” in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where a barber “told me that they were not allowed to cut black people’s hair.” That day, Cain walked out the door, bought a pair of clippers and cut his own hair – something he still does to this day. He left government work for a job at Coca-Cola, working there for four years as a project manager. At age 32 he then left to join Pillsbury, eventually heading up its management information systems in the consumer products division. From there he went to Burger King, running its Philadelphia region so well he was offered the CEO position at Godfather’s Pizza, headquartered in Miami, in 1986.
 * 11) He left government work for a job at Coca-Cola, working there for four years as a project manager. At age 32 he then left to join Pillsbury, eventually heading up its management information systems in the consumer products division. From there he went to Burger King, running its Philadelphia region so well he was offered the CEO position at Godfather’s Pizza, headquartered in Miami, in 1986.
 * 12) He prefers deep-dish pizza to thin-crust pizza.
 * 13) After his success at Godfather’s while still in his 40s, he served on the boards of several major corporations, including Nabisco, Whirlpool, and Super Valu. He was chairman of the board and president of the National Restaurant Association; chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in 1995; and advisor to the Dole-Kemp ticket in the 1996 presidential campaign.
 * 14) In 1998 he became CEO of RetailDNA, a start-up technology company focused on “smart marketing applications for retail businesses.”
 * 15) He beat stage-four cancer – it was found in his colon and liver in 2006 – and after surgery and chemotherapy that year, he’s been cancer free since.
 * 16) As a __ black conservative __ whose campaign is now taking off, he understands that “liberals in the media and elsewhere are getting nervous about me.” But he doesn’t hold a grudge against Jon Stewart, who recently mocked him in the tone of Amos ‘n’ Andy and Stepin Fetchit: “I guess Jon Stewart is trying to be funny. He doesn’t offend me, because I know who I am. I just look forward to the day when he has to call me ‘Mr. President.’ He can do it in an Amos ‘n’ Andy dialect.”
 * 17) He bluntly lists his “weaknesses”: “I don’t claim to know everything. I don’t pander to groups. I am terrible at political correctness.”
 * 18) He sees himself “as being American first, black second, and conservative third.”
 * 19) He doesn’t much like Black History Month. “Why do we get only a month?” says Cain. “How come we can’t get a whole year?”
 * 20) He declares that “as a man made exceptional by God’s grace,” he “prayerfully looks forward” to making “America exceptional again.”
 * 21) He already knows the meal he wants on his deathbed: “a fork-tender roast, collard greens, green beans, candied yams, hand-shucked corn, and homemade cornbread.”

-Julie Kleberg

Herman Cain is reassesing his campaign because of all the sex charges. He has stated, though, that he is not going to quit on his campaign. He says that he is a victim of a greater force that is keeping him out of the white house. This article is talking about Cain's sex charges and how people are trying to assasinate his character. Julie Kleberg

Reassessment

The Herman Cain campaign is "reassessing" its strategy in the wake of a woman's claim that she and Cain had engaged in a 13-year extramarital relationship, a senior staffer to the campaign told CBS News and National Journal on condition of anonymity. The staffer made the statement following reports that Cain told supporters Tuesday morning that he is reassessing his role in the Republican presidential race. On a five-minute conference call, Cain told his senior staff that he would complete the assessment "over the next several days," [|according to National Review].

Cain reportedly said on the call that he needs to decide if the affair allegation creates "too much of a cloud, in some people's minds, as to whether or not they would be able to support us going forth."  Ginger White poses for a photo near Dunwoody, Ga., Nov. 28, 2011. (Credit: AP Photo/Greg Bluestein) On Monday, [|Ginger White came forward alleging the long-term "very inappropriate" relationship with the former Godfather's Pizza CEO]. Cain said he knew White but denied the affair. A statement from Cain's lawyer said White's claims of a consensual affair between two adults is not a legitimate news story.

[|Could Cain overcome the latest allegations?] Cain slipped in the polls following late-October accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple women while he was head of the National Restaurant Association, accusations he has strongly denied. From the middle of October through the first week of November, Cain was polling in the 20-30 percent range, putting him atop polls of the GOP presidential contenders. Recent polls show him sliding to support in the mid-teens, behind Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. The Cain senior staffer told CBS News that the reassessment is no different than the one that took place "when the first false allegations came out" as well as after the Cain's Florida straw poll victory.

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Cain spokesman JD Gordon, meanwhile, told CBS News that "It's a reassessment of where we stand and the road ahead, similar to other times in the campaign's history." Gordon told the Washington Post that Cain "is not thinking of dropping out of the race."

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">One Cain supporter who was on the conference call suggested to CBS News that Cain is simply in the process of retooling his campaign to deal with the problems with messaging, fundraising and other issues in the wake of the allegations.

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Meanwhile, Rep. Michele Bachmann suggested Tuesday morning that the people around her believe Cain is "done" in the wake of the affair claim. <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">"Everyone has said to me yesterday - when it came out yesterday, everyone said this is it he's done," the Republican presidential candidate said on the Scott Hennen radio show. "People just don't see that there is an ability for him to be able to come back after that." <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">On another radio show later in the day, Bachmann added that Cain's team "recognize[s] that the support has really dropped out of the campaign." <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">According to National Review, Cain was "somber" on the conference call Tuesday. He said he "unequivocally" denies the charges of an affair, adding that he had been attempting to help White "financially because she was out of work and destitute, desperate."

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">"So, thinking that she was a friend -- and I have helped many friends -- I now know that she wasn't the friend that I thought she was," he added. "But it was a just a friendship relationship." <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #024382; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Woman alleges 13-year affair with Herman Cain]

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">"That being said, obviously, this is cause for reassessment," Cain continued. He then went on to say the campaign has made "reassessments" in the past based on financial concerns and other matters but was "able to hang in there."

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">"Now, with this latest one, we have to do an assessment as to whether or not this is going to create too much of a cloud, in some people's minds, as to whether or not they would be able to support us going forth," added Cain.

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">He said the situation has "taken a toll on my wife and family."

<span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">"Any time you put another cloud of doubt, unfortunately, in the court of public opinion, for some people, you're guilty until proven innocent," said Cain. "And so, the public will have to decide whether they believe her or whether they believe me. That's why we're going to give it time, to see what type of response we get from our supporters." <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Lori Klein, an Arizona state Senator and Cain's Arizona state chairman, told CBS News she stands by Cain. <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">She says she has known him for 12 years and he's "never been anything but a gentlemen - and I am not an unattractive woman." <span style="display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Klein suggested that if Cain is innocent he should sue White for libel and went on to attack the media for digging up the allegations. She also said that in politics, "we want a virgin to do a hooker's job."

Herman Cain is reassessing his campaign to examine problems such as "fundraising and messaging". Also, Cain talked about how the allegations against him about the affair have created a "cloud" of his image for voters.

-Bradley Luptak

Herman Cain suspends his campaign. -Julie Kleberg



SUSPENDS RACE
ATLANTA — Herman Cain, the charismatic former radio host and pizza magnate who electrified the Republican race for the White House, said Saturday that he was suspending his campaign after more than a month of fighting allegations of sexual misconduct. With his wife, Gloria, at his side, Cain, 65, broke the news before several hundred disappointed supporters who had gathered for what was to have been the opening of his new national headquarters. He continued to deny accusations that he sexually harassed several women while he was president of the National Restaurant Association and that he carried on a 13-year extramarital affair with Atlanta-area woman Ginger White. He suspended his campaign, he said, because the accusations and the media coverage were hurting his family. The accusations have brought "a tremendous painful price on my family," he said. "These false and unproven allegations continue to be spinned in the media and in the court of public opinion so as to create a cloud of doubt over me and this campaign and my family. That spin hurts." Cain said he will now turn his attention to "Plan B," which begins with a new website — thecainsolutions.com — that he said he will use to continue to advocate for the ideas he raised in the campaign. And, by suspending rather than ending his campaign, Cain can continue to raise money and will also qualify for federal matching funds for 2012 candidates. White's attorney said in a statement after the announcement that Cain had disparaged his client and should apologize. Cain had called her a "troubled Atlanta businesswoman" whom he had tried to help. "We continue to encourage Mr. Cain to retract these statements and apologize for the way he has characterized these women in the media," Ed Buckley said. Cain's campaign had no immediate response. Jim Rosser of Brookhaven was among the more than 400 people in attendance Saturday. Like many in the crowd, he had hoped Cain would be able to continue campaigning. "He could win the nomination, but all this stuff has got to be cleaned up," said Rosser, 62, a retired manager at AT&T. But in an interview, Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz, an expert on presidential politics, said Cain's difficulties became insurmountable after White went on television last week and said she and Cain had had an affair. "On top of everything else, it was going to make it very difficult for him to be taken seriously about anything else and to raise money," Abramowitz said. Cain and his wife met with about a dozen top supporters before Saturday's speech to inform them of his decision. In his address, Cain said he intends to endorse another candidate for the GOP nomination. A possible recipient of that support is Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and Georgia congressman with whom Cain enjoys a close relationship. Following Cain's announcement, Gingrich issued a statement saying Cain would continue to be "a powerful voice in the conservative movement." When Cain joined the already crowded GOP field in May, few national opinion leaders gave him much of a chance against more experienced, better-funded and better-known opponents. Over the next four months, Cain did little to change their minds. In debates, his combination of inspirational speaker's fire and natural-born charm served him well. But outside those gatherings, Cain drew little attention. He released his 9-9-9 tax plan Aug. 18. But it was largely ignored as Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumped into the race and became the instant, if brief, frontrunner. It wasn't until late September that the "Cain train" began its surge with a surprise win in the closely contested Florida straw poll. He surged in the polls just as Perry's campaign began to lurch, and suddenly it was a Mitt Romney vs. Cain contest. Then, on Oct. 30, his troubles began. Washington-based Politico reported that two women had accused Cain of sexual harassment when he was head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. On Nov. 7, a Chicago woman held a news conference to say that Cain had groped her in 1997. And Monday, White went on Atlanta television and said she had had a 13-year extramarital affair with Cain. Cain, who has denied the accusations, said Saturday that he had "made many mistakes in life. Everybody has. \u2026 And I take responsibility for the mistakes I've made, and I have been the very first to own up to any mistakes I've made." "I am at peace with my God," he added. "I am at peace with my wife. And she is at peace with me."

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Herman Cain, GOPer accused of sexual harassment: ‘How you beat Obama? Beat him with a Cain!’-<span style="color: #282828; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 24px; vertical-align: baseline;">julie kleberg ===== == Read more: <span style="color: #003399; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/herman-cain-goper-accused-sexual-harassment-beat-obama-beat-a-cain-article-1.976183#ixzz1dQlRLGOC] == Herman Cain isn't letting allegations of sexual harassment stop him from cracking jokes — or raising eyebrows. The embattled Republican presidential candidate zeroed in on President Obama at a stop in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Thursday, telling supporters, "How you beat Obama? Beat him with a Cain!" When a reporter asked him to clarify his remarks — which could be interpreted as promoting violence — Cain got testy, saying, "Cain. Herman Cain, C-A-I-N. Do I have to connect all the dots for you?" Cain's crack came just minutes after he again apologized for characterizing ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the Republican presidential debate this week as "Princess Nancy." "I apologize for calling her Princess Pelosi, if that's the biggest story you all want, OK?" he said, according to the<span style="color: #015fb6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[| Boston Globe]. "I apologize. I apologize for calling her Princess Pelosi. You know, I remember when Speaker Pelosi called me and the Tea Party people Astroturf. I don't remember anybody asking about that story," he added. When asked why he apologized, Cain quipped, "So you all will stop asking me about it. I'm about the big issues, fixing this economy, not focusing on stuff like that." The ex-pizza business magnate <span style="color: #015fb6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|was also was caught on tape] Thursday laughing after a supporter in Kalamazoo, Mich., brought up Anita Hill, the woman who accused Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment 20 years ago "Is she going to endorse me?" a chuckling Cain asked a supporter who brought up Hill's name. At least four women have accused Cain of sexually harassing them when he was head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. The Tea Party favorite has vehemently denied the accusations. Despite the claims, Cain has been staying afloat. A new <span style="color: #015fb6; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|CBS News poll] shows the GOPer narrowly beating former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich in a three-way race. // With News Wire Services //

Read more: <span style="color: #003399; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/herman-cain-goper-accused-sexual-harassment-beat-obama-beat-a-cain-article-1.976183#ixzz1dQlIlOr8]

This following article talks about Cain's drop in the polls and how he stumbled over Libya

**(CNN)** - Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain took a moment Monday to clarify his position on Libya: He needs more information.

After an uncomfortable eight-second pause to collect his thoughts, the GOP contender explained that he would need to know more before he could unequivocally agree or disagree with President Barack Obama's actions in the conflicted country. Cain was <span style="color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">[|meeting with the editorial board] of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel when Libya came up. "Okay, Libya," he responded when asked whether he agreed with President Obama's actions in the region. Eight seconds later, after looking up, biting his lip and blinking repeatedly, Cain asked, "President Obama supported the uprising, correct?" "I just want to make sure we're talking about the same thing before I say 'Yes, I agree' or 'No, I do not agree." But just as Cain, a former conservative talk radio host, started to respond to the question, he then changed his mind. "I do not agree with the way he handled it for the following reasons - um, no, that's a different one," he said, before uncrossing and crossing his legs, shifting position in his seat, and adjusting his jacket. "Let's see, I've got to go back, see," he continues. "(I've) got all this stuff twirling around in my head." "Are you asking me did I agree or not agree with Obama?" Cain finally settled on a response after hearing the question rephrased a second time. "It's not a simple yes/no because there are different pieces and I would've gone about assessing the situation differently, which might have caused us to end up at the same place, but I think more could've been done was, what's the nature of the opposition?" He explained that he would have gotten more information on determining who the opposition was, but said, "I'm sure that our intelligence people had some of that information." Although he declined to criticize the president, Cain said he didn't think enough was done. And before he was challenged on the clarity of his response, Cain asserted, "I'm not trying to hedge on the questions, it's just that's my nature as a businessman, I need to know all of the facts, I would need to know all of the alternatives." "It's not a clear yes/no," he said again. "Because of all those things I think that should have been assessed… I don't know that they were or were not assessed." "I didn't see reports of that assessment." Campaign spokesman J.D. Gordon described the video of Cain's awkward moment as "out of context in some measure." "He just had to think about it," Gordon said, because the candidate "had been getting a lot of briefings on the subtleties of the Arab Spring." Gordon pointed out that Cain had been fielding questions from several editorial board members for 45 minutes and "skipping around from every topic from A to Z." Cain's popularity fell 11 points in a CNN/ORC International Poll released Monday, falling to third place behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Cain's candidacy has been plagued by allegations of sexual harassment in recent weeks, which he has said are not true. And he had a simple explanation for his apparent stumble at an event in Wisconsin late Monday: “I mean, they asked me a question about Libya, and I paused…so I could gather my thoughts," he said. "You know, it’s really complimentary when people start documenting my pauses. You know it’s one thing to document every word. It was a pause. That’s all it was. Good grief.”

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=<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 2.4em;">Herman Cain: the Taliban are in Libya = [] ==<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #404040; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 1.6em;">Herman Cain has once again stumbled badly over a question on Libya, suggesting that the Taliban may be involved in the country's new government. ==

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #282828; display: block; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 10px;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em;">The former pizza executive's week began with him appearing stumped by a ** [|basic question on US policy in Libya] ** and ended with the strange suggestion that the Taliban - based in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan - could be part of the post-Gaddafi government. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #282828; display: block; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 10px;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em;">At a press conference in Orlando, Florida, a cheerful Mr Cain defended his handling of the earlier Libyan question, saying he was merely asking the reporter to clarify what he meant when he asked whether the candidate agreed with President Barack Obama's handling of the conflict. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #282828; display: block; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 10px;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em;">“Do I agree with siding with the opposition? Do I agree with saying that Gaddafi should go? Do I agree that they now have a country where you've got Taliban and Al Qaeda that's going to be part of the government?” Mr Cain said. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #282828; display: block; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 10px;"> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em;">“Do I agree with not knowing the government was going to — which part was he asking me about? I was trying to get him to be specific and he wouldn't be specific.” The comment drew immediate derision from American media, with CNN host Wolf Blitzer saying it would be "big news" if what Mr Cain had said was true. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #282828; display: block; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 10px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em;"> Mr Cain, who is also an ordained minister, led the Republican pack for several weeks but recent stumbles and allegations of sexual harassment appear to have caused severe damage to his standing in the polls. The most recent poll for Fox News had him at 15 per cent, trailing former Governor Mitt Romney on 22 and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on 23. Mr Gingrich appears to have benefited most from Mr Cain's difficulties as he moves into space once held by the businessman as a more conservative alternative Mr Romney. Mr Cain has repeatedly struggled with foreign policy questions, at one point appearing unaware that China had nuclear weapons. His aides will be working hard to avoid any further gaffes during the national security-themed debate in Washington on Saturday. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #282828; display: block; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 10px;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #282828; display: block; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 10px;"> = Herman Cain presses ahead with bid = [|Herman Cain] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #282828; display: block; font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 10px;"> WEST CHESTER, Ohio (AP) — His campaign rocked anew, a feisty Herman Cain claimed a “groundswell of positive support” from backers on Wednesday and accused critics of trying to derail his White House bid as he worked to stem the fallout of allegations of a 13-year extramarital affair. “They’re attacking my character, my reputation and my name in order to try to bring me down,” a feisty Cain told a friendly crowd without naming his critics. “But, you see, I don’t believe that America is going to let that happen.” Questions about the campaign’s viability hovered over Cain’s one-day bus tour through Ohio. It came a day after the candidate told staff he was reassessing his campaign after Ginger White, an Atlanta businesswoman, alleged in media interviews that she and Cain had a long-running sexual affair. “We are reassessing as we speak. Reassessment means reevaluation,” Cain told reporters after his well-received speech to roughly 150 people in a hotel meeting room. He gave no indication to the audience that he was considering abandoning his bid — even though he’s told staff that he would make a decision in the next few days about whether to continue his bid. “It’s been a groundswell of positive support,” Cain insisted to reporters, even as there was evidence in early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire that at least some supporters were abandoning him.

=<span style="color: #61c250; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 1.65em;">Republicans' Opinions of Cain Show Wide Gender Gap =

<span style="color: #7c7e80; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 1em;">Men much more positive than women toward Cain
by Jeffrey M. Jones [|http://www.gallup.com/poll/151028/Republicans-Opinions-Cain-Show-Wide-Gender-Gap.aspx]

PRINCETON, NJ -- Republican men view GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain much more positively than do Republican women. Fifty-eight percent of Republican men have a favorable view of Cain and 26% an unfavorable view, for a net favorable rating of +32. Among Republican women, 42% view Cain favorably and 34% unfavorably, for a net favorable of +8.

These results are based on interviews with 1,415 Republicans conducted in Nov. 14-27 Gallup Daily tracking. The net favorable scores reported here, based on all Republicans, are distinct from Gallup's Positive Intensity Scores, which indicate the extent of strongly positive views of the candidates based on Republicans familiar with them. On Monday, after the data were collected, Cain was forced to respond to a Georgia woman's claim that he had a long-term extramarital affair with her. That report came on the heels of a series of sexual harassment allegations against Cain. News reports on Tuesday indicated he is considering dropping out of the race for the presidential nomination. Cain's image has suffered greatly in recent weeks, based not only on the sexual harassment allegations but also on questions about his grasp of policy issues, such as the situation in Libya. His Positive Intensity Score has tumbled from 34 in early October to 9 now. Also, Gallup's most recent update on Republican nomination preferences shows Cain [|slipping behind Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich].

A defiant Herman Cain suspended his faltering bid for the Republican presidential nomination Saturday amid a drumbeat of sexual misconduct allegations against him, throwing his staunchly conservative supporters up for grabs with just one month to go before the lead-off caucuses in Iowa. Cain condemned the accusations as "false and unproven" but said they had been hurtful to his family, particularly his wife, Gloria, and were drowning out his ability to deliver his message. His wife stood behind him on the stage, smiling and waving as the crowd chanted her name. "So as of today, with a lot of prayer and soul-searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distractions and the continued hurt caused on me and my family," a tired-looking Cain told about 400 supporters. Cain's announcement came five days after an Atlanta-area woman, Ginger White, claimed she and Cain had an affair for more than a decade, a claim that followed several allegations of sexual harassment against the Georgia businessman. "Now, I have made many mistakes in life. Everybody has. I've made mistakes professionally, personally, as a candidate, in terms of how I run my campaign. And I take responsibility for the mistakes I've made, and I have been the very first to own up to any mistakes I've made," he said. But Cain intoned: "I am at peace with my God. I am at peace with my wife. And she is at peace with me." White's attorney said in a statement after the announcement that Cain had disparaged his client and should apologize. Cain had called her a "troubled Atlanta businesswoman" whom he had tried to help. "We continue to encourage Mr. Cain to retract these statements and apologize for the way he has characterized these women in the media," Edward Buckley said. Cain's campaign had no immediate response. Cain's announcement provides a new twist in what has already been a volatile Republican race. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has, so far, been the biggest beneficiary of Cain's precipitous slide. Polls show Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney atop the field in what is shaping up as a two-man race heading into early voting states. But others, such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, will likely make a strong play for Cain's anti-establishment tea party backing as they look to rise as a viable alternative to Romney, whose conservative credentials are suspect in some GOP circles. Cain said he would offer an endorsement, and his former rivals were quick to issue statements on Saturday praising his conservative ideals and grassroots appeal. At a tea party rally in Staten Island, Gingrich praised Cain for bringing optimism and big ideas to the race. "He had the courage to launch the 9-9-9 plan, which, whether you liked it or disliked it, was a big idea and started to elevate the debate toward big solutions and not the usual nitpicking, consultant-driven negativity," Gingrich said. He was referring to Cain's catchy but controversial plan to scrap the current tax code for a 9 percent tax on personal and corporate income as well as a new 9 percent national sales tax. Some disappointed Cain supporters were clearly in search of a candidate on Saturday following his withdrawal. "I don't know where I will go now," Janet Edwards, 52, said following Cain's announcement. "I guess I have to start looking at the rest of them." Cain told supporters he planned to continue his efforts to influence Washington and announced "Plan B" — what he called a grassroots effort to return government to the people. "I am not going to be silenced, and I am not going away. And therefore, as of today, Plan B," he said. Plan B includes formation of TheCainSolutions.com, which he described as a grassroots effort to bring government back to the people. It would also continue to push his signature 9-9-9 plan. Cain's announcement was a remarkable turnabout for a man that just weeks ago vaulted out of nowhere to the top of the GOP field, propelled by a populist, outsider appeal and his tax overhaul plan. Saturday's event was a bizarre piece of political theater even for a campaign that has seemed to thrive on defying convention. Cain marked the end of his bid at what was supposed to be the grand opening of his new campaign headquarters in Atlanta. Minutes before he took the stage to pull the plug, aides and supporters took to the podium to urge attendees to vote for Cain and travel to early voting states to rev up support for his bid. "Join the Cain train," David McCleary, Cain's Georgia director, urged the audience. Volunteers had been up through the night preparing the former flooring warehouse to open as the new hub of Cain's early-state outreach. He marveled at rising from a childhood in Atlanta marked by segregated water fountains and poverty to what he called "the final four" of the presidential contest. The former Godfather's Pizza chief executive, who has never held elective office, rose just weeks ago to lead the Republican race. But he fumbled policy questions, leaving some to wonder whether he was ready for the presidency. Then it was revealed at the end of October that the National Restaurant Association had paid settlements to two women who claimed Cain sexually harassed them while he was president of the organization. A third woman told The Associated Press that Cain made inappropriate sexual advances but that she didn't file a complaint. A fourth woman also stepped forward to accuse Cain of groping her in a car in 1997. Cain has denied wrongdoing in all cases and continued to do so Saturday. Polls suggest his popularity had suffered. A Des Moines Register poll released Friday showed Cain's support plunging, with backing from 8 percent of Republican caucus goers in Iowa, compared with 23 percent a month ago. =<span style="font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 28px;">Herman Cain suspends campaign =
 * Cain Suspends Campaign Shifting GOP Race By SHANNON McCAFFREYATLANTA || go.com ||

[|http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/herman-cain-suspends-campaign-2011207.html] By Aaron Gould Sheinin

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,'MS Trebuchet',sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"> THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,'MS Trebuchet',sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;"> ATLANTA — Herman Cain, the charismatic former radio host and pizza magnate who electrified the Republican race for the White House, said Saturday that he was suspending his campaign after more than a month of fighting allegations of sexual misconduct. With his wife, Gloria, at his side, Cain, 65, broke the news before several hundred disappointed supporters who had gathered for what was to have been the opening of his new national headquarters. He continued to deny accusations that he sexually harassed several women while he was president of the National Restaurant Association and that he carried on a 13-year extramarital affair with Atlanta-area woman Ginger White. He suspended his campaign, he said, because the accusations and the media coverage were hurting his family. The accusations have brought "a tremendous painful price on my family," he said. "These false and unproven allegations continue to be spinned in the media and in the court of public opinion so as to create a cloud of doubt over me and this campaign and my family. That spin hurts." Cain said he will now turn his attention to "Plan B," which begins with a new website — thecainsolutions.com — that he said he will use to continue to advocate for the ideas he raised in the campaign. And, by suspending rather than ending his campaign, Cain can continue to raise money and will also qualify for federal matching funds for 2012 candidates. White's attorney said in a statement after the announcement that Cain had disparaged his client and should apologize. Cain had called her a "troubled Atlanta businesswoman" whom he had tried to help. "We continue to encourage Mr. Cain to retract these statements and apologize for the way he has characterized these women in the media," Ed Buckley said. Cain's campaign had no immediate response. Jim Rosser of Brookhaven was among the more than 400 people in attendance Saturday. Like many in the crowd, he had hoped Cain would be able to continue campaigning. "He could win the nomination, but all this stuff has got to be cleaned up," said Rosser, 62, a retired manager at AT&T. But in an interview, Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz, an expert on presidential politics, said Cain's difficulties became insurmountable after White went on television last week and said she and Cain had had an affair. "On top of everything else, it was going to make it very difficult for him to be taken seriously about anything else and to raise money," Abramowitz said. Cain and his wife met with about a dozen top supporters before Saturday's speech to inform them of his decision. In his address, Cain said he intends to endorse another candidate for the GOP nomination. A possible recipient of that support is Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker and Georgia congressman with whom Cain enjoys a close relationship. Following Cain's announcement, Gingrich issued a statement saying Cain would continue to be "a powerful voice in the conservative movement." When Cain joined the already crowded GOP field in May, few national opinion leaders gave him much of a chance against more experienced, better-funded and better-known opponents. Over the next four months, Cain did little to change their minds. In debates, his combination of inspirational speaker's fire and natural-born charm served him well. But outside those gatherings, Cain drew little attention. He released his 9-9-9 tax plan Aug. 18. But it was largely ignored as Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumped into the race and became the instant, if brief, frontrunner. It wasn't until late September that the "Cain train" began its surge with a surprise win in the closely contested Florida straw poll. He surged in the polls just as Perry's campaign began to lurch, and suddenly it was a Mitt Romney vs. Cain contest. Then, on Oct. 30, his troubles began. Washington-based Politico reported that two women had accused Cain of sexual harassment when he was head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. On Nov. 7, a Chicago woman held a news conference to say that Cain had groped her in 1997. And Monday, White went on Atlanta television and said she had had a 13-year extramarital affair with Cain. Cain, who has denied the accusations, said Saturday that he had "made many mistakes in life. Everybody has. \u2026 And I take responsibility for the mistakes I've made, and I have been the very first to own up to any mistakes I've made." "I am at peace with my God," he added. "I am at peace with my wife. And she is at peace with me." Additional material from The Associated Press.