SHOCK POLL: Herman Cain Leads GOP Nationally! (PPP Poll has Romney trailing by 8 points)

Business Insider ^ | 10/12/2011 | Zeke Miller

[SeekAndFind]

Businessman Herman Cain has risen to the top of a national poll of Republican primary voters, upending the GOP field yet again this cycle.

Cain has the support of 30 percent of Republicans in the Public Policy Polling survey, trailed by Mitt Romney at 22 percent, Newt Gingrich at 15 percent, and Rick Perry at 14 percent. Cain is also the second choice of 24 percent of those polled — the highest of any candidate.

In a two-person race, Romney would lead Perry 48-38, Cain would lead Romney 48-36, and Cain would destroy Perry 55-27.

The poll was conducted before last night's Washington Post-Bloomberg debate, in which Cain alienated some members of the tea party (his largest constituency) by saying he admired Alan Greenspan's leadership of the Federal Reserve.

PPP has a checkered history with polling — and this poll has a VERY large 4.5 percent margin of error — so don't read too much into this just yet.

[Mr. Lucky]

Actually, what's quite shameful is that someone would pretend to be a conservative but consider someone who wasn't a professional politician not to have "experience".

Cain was employed by the Department of the Navy for six years, is an associate Pastor, was Chairman of the Kansas City Federal Reserve and was a successful corporate turn around specialist. Yeah, no experience there which would be of any value in leading America out of its morass.

[Brookhaven]

How long has Allen West been in office? Less than 2 years. Not long enough to be the VP candidate Cain needs.

Sessons from Alabama might fit the bill. Inhofe from Oklahoma.

Somebody off the house armed services committee might work also. Maybe Joe “you lie” Wilson ;) or Duncan Hunter.

[Sudetenland]

Time will tell. His 9-9-9 plan has to withstand considerable scrutiny and it seems to be the only arrow in his quiver--aside from his being a black conservative.

He's a great guy and his life story is compelling--the idealization of "The American Dream," but he does come with some baggage. I also see his lack of any governmental experience as a handicap--it sounds great in theory, but if you don't know how Washington DC works, a person can be blind-sided very easily. He needs to understand that, by the time Congress gets through with his 9-9-9 plan, it may resemble the New Deal. I think he's naive if he thinks he can constrain government through legislation--history tells a different story.

[shield]

Greenspan? What’s with that?

[Brookhaven]

I think your analysis is 100% correct, but I think the RINO VP on the ticket will be someone with a strong defense background (I posted a possiblity earlier with a barf alert).

Romney will end up being secretary of commerce or something like that (where he can run again). He’ll need to be drawn in, or he’ll do to Cain what he did to McCain/Palin—undercut the campaign while claiming he’s supporting it.

Perry doesn’t bring anything to the table for Cain, as I can’t see Obama winning Texas.

[Vigilanteman]

Neither Texas nor Massachusetts is a swing state. I think Romney comes out ahead in the swing state category since he can lay a tenuous claim both to Michigan (where his Dad was the governor) and the northeast/Great Lakes region where states like New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan (of course) and New Jersey (thanks to the Cristie endorsement) might possibly be put into play with his better debating skills.

Not sure who comes out ahead in the cash category, but I'd probably give the edge to Perry based on his more recent government experience which can be better parlayed into ties with crony capitalism.

Overall, I'd say the two are pretty much a wash and the edge might go to the first one to bow out gracefully and get behind Herman Cain.

[netmilsmom]

If it were up to me, Wilson or Hunter!!!! Good choices.

[chilepup]

Yes, but Ras was graded as less accurate than PPP. It is the truth...now, take it for what it is worth.

[cvq3842]

What got thousands upon thousands of ordinary Americans involved in politics and holding rallies? Their opposition to Obamacare.

Who is the clear candidate of the Republican establishment? The guy who signed the same basic scheme into law in his state when he was governor.

Could the Republican establishment possibly be more tone-deaf? Or are they sending a clear message?

Looks like they would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven. Losing the election is less terrible than losing their own status. Real reform terrifies them.

[EDINVA]

And Newt has been living in VA since @ 1999. Good enough for you?

[Brookhaven]

If we can get Cain to push a 9-9-0 (no sales tax) plan, with the slashing of government to be on a downward trend towards 18%, then 12%, then we have a winner.

I think the solution is to add a stipulation to the sales tax portion of his plan. The sales tax won't go into effect until a constitutional amendment passes that:

1. Prohibits the federal government from having a VAT (value added tax).
2. Requires a 2/3 majority to raise taxes

If the amendment is never ratified, then the sales tax part would never take affect, and the plan would just be a standard flat tax (your suggested 9-9-0 plan).

I happen to like a national sales tax, but I understand people's trepidation about it. This would seem to be an answer that would address their fears, and allow us to go forward with overhauling the tax code.

Given the countries moode, the 2/3 requirement to raise taxes would probably be a big vote getter by itself (imho).

Cain has said his current plan is a starting point, not the end product, so there's no reason it can't be modified to address voter's concerns.

[LibertyRocks]

People were really stupid to support George Washington - after all he was never a Senator, or a Representative, or a judge. The only thing Washington REALLY had experience in was leading the army, and being from a rich family! How crazy were those people???

[Disclaimer: I have a great amount of respect for George Washington. I’m only using him to make a point...]

In the REAL WORLD - most people understand that our forefathers never intended people to be CAREER politicians. With all the corruption in Washington DC I believe our only chance at really getting rid of the corruption IS to back someone whose experience is on the ‘other side’, and NOT someone who is backed by the current political establishment of EITHER party.

Herman Cain HAS executive experience, and a PROVEN track record of excellence. The fact that the media and the GOP elite are scratching their heads indicates to me that he is one of US - and NOT one of the political insiders. That increases his value, it doesn’t detract from it AT ALL.

Who would YOU rather see win the nomination? Romney? Perry? ETC? Everyone else on that stage seems to have such great experience - within the government that has led us to where we are today! I don’t want more of the same, do you???

[Grunthor]

Frankly I don’t know. I wasn’t all that politically active during Greenspans tenure and am not all that knowledgable why he was good or bad.

The result of that is that I just don’t care much about that. I think the problem you might have is that darned few people watched that debate last night, so I think it’s going to be a non-issue.

[Grunthor]

I wasn’t saying that Texas or Mass. are swing states I was wondering if there was someone out there from one that would help on a Cain ticket.

[AFveteran]

Newt would be a much greater service as RNC Chair where he could be out there smackin’ down idiots like Debbie Wa Wa on a daily basis. Newt is a pit bull.

[tutstar]

bump

[cvq3842]

Extremely well-said! I am not quite that old, but I do remember even a few decades ago a much different society. No credit cards, but lay-away. And Christmas clubs - put away a dollar or two a week for fifty weeks, and have money for gifts, plus interest. And I rarely see local teens pumping gas, cutting lawns, or working fast-food counters. Seems we’ve had to import all these workers from far flung lands, where English is not spoken.

But attitudes changed. I’ll never forget one time in college, it slowed hard and the building manager at my dorm asked some students if they wanted to earn some money by shoveling snow. The little punks said “no, that’s why we went to college.” Jerks. I was very angry, even at the time, about it.

[LibertyRocks]

It’s not SUPPOSED to be complicated! The politicians over the last 100 years especially have MADE the system too complicated with all the alphabet soup agencies, and tax codes, and regulations on businesses, etc... etc...

I’m with you. Back to the basics is where we need to go! No more of this double-talk and pretending to support one thing when actions indicate a different intention altogether.

[InterceptPoint]

And that’s too bad ‘cause the MSM will crucify him if he’s our candidate.
+++++++++++++++++
Making him no different than any other GOP candidate.

The MSM will treat them all like they are the scum of the earth, Cain included. Trust me, they will dig up some comment that Cain made in Jr. High School and torture him to death with it. Anything to preserve the wonderful peace and tranquility that is the hallmark of the Obama Administration.

[Highlander1754]

Herman Cain is a liar.

On December 29, 2010, Cain, former director and chairman at the Kansas City Federal Reserve, said the following.

“Some people say that we ought to audit the Fed. Here’s what I do know. The Federal Reserve already has so many internal audits it’s ridiculous. I don’t know why people think we’re gonna learn this great amount of information by auditing the Federal Reserve. I think a lot of people are calling for this audit of the Federal Reserve because they don’t know enough about it. There’s no hidden secrets going on in the Federal Reserve to my knowledge.”