Posted on 11/04/2011 10:42:33 AM PDT by Brookhaven
First, I am not saying Romney’s campaign leaked any information or is behind the current Cain controversy. That’s not what this is about.
If the accusations against Cain turn out to be serious by today’s standards, then it’s better they come out now so Cain can get out of the race now.
But, what if they were only serious by 1990’s standards? Take the recent accusation of inappropriate behavior against Cain by an Iowa radio host, where Cain said the following to a radio station female staffer:
“Darling, do you mind doctoring my tea for me?”
People are rolling on the floor laughing at the Iowa radio host for even suggesting this is somehow inappropriate behavior, but in the 1990’s it would have been grounds from two sexual harassment accusations:
The rule in the 1990’s was: if the woman felt a statement or action created a hostile work environment, then it was sexual harassment--period, end of story. The intentions of the man were simply not pertinent. A simple offhand remark like “That dress looks good on you” could, and often did, result in a sexual harassment complaint.
And, it was a zero tolerance policy. One time was all it took to get “harassers” reprimanded and “victims” a settlement.
Nobody really knows what the two complaints against Cain are, and the way information is slowly being dripped out, it’s likely we won’t know for several weeks or even months. Eventually though, the specifics will come out.
What if this episode fatally damages the Herman Cain campaign, and long after the fact we discover the infractions were along the lines of “Darling, do you mind doctoring my tea for me?” What if it’s something that is laughable as a sexual harassment charge today, but would have been taken dead serious in the 1990’s? My guess there would be a backlash against the GOP establishment, and thus against the GOP establishment candidate: Mitt Romney.
There is a perception among GOP voters that the Republican establishment has picked their candidate; is trying to push their candidate through; and is attempting to undercut any non-establishment candidate. In many minds, this primary isn’t about the various candidates; it’s about the GOP old-guard vs. the Tea Party.
When the actual facts are revealed, and if (as Erick Erickson has predicted) they turn out to be “a nothing burger”, what will be the reaction of the Tea Party wing of the GOP? Will they say “We still need to vote for the GOP nominee, because the alternative so bad” or will they say “That was the last straw, I’m not voting for the GOP establishment candidate no matter what”? The fact is, you’ll probably have some voters in both camps. That’s a problem for Romney. It won’t take that many “last straw” voters to sink his general election chances.
While Cain’s current problems are good news for Romney now, it is potentially very bad news for Romney down the road. It’s better for everyone on the GOP side to get everything out in the open and over with now, rather than allowing the current drip, drip, drip of information to continue and not have the actual facts revealed until after the nominee is chosen.
How can you “sink” what’s already “sunk?”
do you have any relationship to Brookhaven National Labs?
Good article. I remember the atmosphere of the 90’s how anyone who made any kind of hint at distinguishing between the sexes was a bigot, pervert, homophobe, racist. I’ve thought about that a few times since all this started. I wonder if BJ Clinton should be credited with putting all that to rest.
—The rule in the 1990’s was: if the woman felt a statement or action created a hostile work environment, then it was sexual harassment—period, end of story.—
Wow! I was just talking to friends about that last night. The rule was that if a woman felt harassed, then by definition she had been harassed.
It was ludicrous and allowed a lot of five figure settlements for nothing.
The republican establishment would have been smart to rally round Cain during this episode. But they’re not smart.
IMHO, what we’re seeing is the battle between the upstart tea party and the GOP establishment play out.
Had Michele Bachmann or Ron Paul shown the same numbers that Cain has, they’d be getting the same treatment.
There really is a fight going on to see who will control the party.
The GOP establishment didn’t like the fact that so many GOP establishment candidates lost to “tea party” candidates in the 2010 primaries. Even though the majority of the tea partiers went on to win in the general election, the loss of control by the establishment is what they worry about.
It seems we’re in for a repeat of the 1964 election, where the GOP establishment decided it would rather throw the electiion to the Democrats rather than support an outsider (Goldwater).
Honey, would you mind peeling me a grape?
When Mitt Romney speaks, Karl Rove gets a tingle up his leg.
If the accusations turn out to be truthful then Cain deserves to be roasted like Gary Hart was.
If the accusations turn out to be hog swill then who ever is responsible for throwing the mud and B.S. deserves to have that pooh hit them in a broadside.
Miss, do you have any Grey Poupon?
What if this episode fatally damages the Herman Cain campaign, and long after the fact we discover the infractions were along the lines of "Darling, do you mind doctoring my tea for me?" What if it's something that is laughable as a sexual harassment charge today, but would have been taken dead serious in the 1990's? My guess there would be a backlash against the GOP establishment, and thus against the GOP establishment candidate: Mitt Romney.
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