Posted on 10/20/2011 8:14:36 PM PDT by justsaynomore
Herman Cain is the man of the hour in American politics. In the latest Zogby poll, out yesterday, he leads former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney by 20 points, in the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
Enthusiasm for Mr. Cain, a successful businessman and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, who has never held elected office, is palpable. It is, in part, a sign of voter discontent with Washington and a system which, at best, can only be termed as dysfunctional.
Herman Cain might win the Republican nomination and go on to become, as he terms himself, the first American Black Conservative to become President of the United States. If he does not take the nomination, it seems likely he will be considered for the vice presidential spot on the ticket. Cain, however, does not seem to be angling for second place. His rise in the polls is strong and his delivery on the stump is powerful.
Mr. Cain continues to successfully introduce himself to the American people. With a straw poll win in Florida, good showings in other polls and a new book out this week, titled This is Herman Cain: My Journey to the White House, it is all systems go in the former CEO’s efforts to capture the presidency.
With all that said, Herman Cain joins featured columnist Jay Bildstein and myself for an extraordinary interview covering a variety of topics, including the economic policies he would implement as president.
As followers of CYInterview know, Jay Bildstein has put forward what he terms The 50 Percent Solution to Bring America Back to Prosperity. The solution is elegant in its simplicity. Get America’s political leaders – the Congress, the president and the vice president – to accept a 50% pay cut demonstrating, no matter what side of the aisle they are on, that they are willing to lead by example.
The solution starts the process of shared sacrifice at its logical beginning, with America’s leaders. After all, real change takes hold in a society when leaders embrace change for themselves first.
Jay believes, and I agree, that if our leaders led by example, people in the United States would be far more confident about the future of the country. Unfortunately, when politicians talk about all the things that will have to be cut during these tough times, their own salaries are rarely if ever mentioned. This reinforces the feeling that they are out of touch with the economic realities of today or worse yet, that they are simply in politics for their own benefit.
Spending cuts will have to be adopted to put the United States on a path of fiscal sobriety and economic sustainability. But this will not happen, in any substantial way, if our leaders abdicate their responsibility to lead by example. They must adopt cuts and apply them to themselves first. Now is a time for leading by action, not stale words and empty rhetoric.
Jay Bildstein has been on an ongoing search to find a political figure who will endorse this 50%-pay-cut-lead-by-example solution. We at CYInterview have spoken, on the record, to members of Congress and other people in the political realm about the concept. Up until now, no elected official has been as enthusiastic about the idea as we are. Perhaps, that is changing.
As you will hear in this CYInterview with Herman Cain, Jay Bildstein has found an individual of experience, stature and media prominence who agrees with his plan in principle. Listen or read, for yourself, to find out exactly what Mr. Cain has to say about the solution. To give you some idea, he believes in leading by example:
I’m concerned about how Herman Cain wins on foreign aid/foreign affair issues and on the issue of affirmative action. There’s a debate coming soon that’s, just, focusing on foreign aid/foreign affair issues, and Herman needs to do very well in response to foreign aid/foreign affair issues. The MSM could, also, continue to attempt to make Herman look very bad on the issue of affirmative action, and the MSM has, already, tried to make Herman look bad in his responses to the possible hiring of Moslems/those of the Islamic faith in a Cain administration. The MSM wants to “trip up” Herman Cain very badly!
How about a full effort in finding each and every penny of waste, fraud, and abuse, from each and every department of government and at each and every level of government? Then, how about showing the complete results to the general public?-No excuses, and no exceptions! I would be very surprised if, even, as one example, the Department of Defense doesn’t have a single penny of waste, fraud, and/or abuses in it somewhere, and dittos to the rest of the U.S. government all the way down to its most local level.
He plans to do that - did you actually listen to/read the interview?? 10% cuts across the board, deep dives, etc?
In another interview he even went as far as to say that if a cabinet member couldn’t find a cut in their dept, they would be sent packing (not in so many words)
Your missing my point. A 10% cut across the board is, just, a symbolic move that’s limited to 10%, while doing nothing to get rid of ALL of the ongoing waste, fraud, and abuses that are happening at each and every government entity. Accurately, find all waste, fraud, and abuses that are happening-each and every penny and everywhere in government. Then, show the complete results to the general public. Finally, take the proper actions to, fully, resolving these results.
The more that I think about Cain, he seems like he could be the next Reagan - a major difference is he’d be a black Reagan. To those of us who are truly colorblind his skin color is of no consequence.
And the next Reagan CAN ONLY COME FROM THE BLACK SIDE OF THE FENCE – given our society’s bigoted prejudice against “white males”
Even stupid people will at least listen to Cain about capitalism because he’s black, but if Cain were white, their minds would be slammed shut, for they are true racists. They must hate themselves.
So Cain is the conservative Trojan Horse who just might have a chance to unseat this crazy socialist cancer ravaging its host organism (the USA).
There are so many ways to, successfully, criticize Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, at the same time, on many issues, but, so far, the other ‘12 GOP Presidential candidates haven’t touched these criticisms: Mitt’s ongoing support of man-made global warming; how Mitt implemented RomneyCare just before leaving the Massachusetts Governor’s office; full details on Mitt’s flip-flops on many social issues; Mitt’s failure to prevent gay marriage from happening in Massachusetts and throughout the U.S.; Mitt’s ongoing campaigning for POTUS since 2005; a Governor Mitt’s lack of power over a Democratic dominated Massachusetts state legislature on a majority of state issues; Mitt’s ongoing refusal to believe that RomneyCare is a mistake; Mitt’s probability that he couldn’t carry Massachusetts, during the ‘12 November election with Mitt as the final ‘12 GOP Presidential candidate; Mitt’s probability that he couldn’t win another term as Massachusetts Governor; Mitt’s refusal to encourage “fixes” to all of the problems with RomneyCare; Mitt’s refusal to believing that the mandate in RomneyCare is unconstitutional;...
He also needs to make the govt. subject to the same laws that the rest of the country must honor. For example, when Obamacare passed, Congress would be under Obamacare. No more cadillac plan for them. Federal workers, except for the military, should not have better health insurance and pensions than the average citizen.
Purely symbolic. A Congressman or a Senator with a family -- this salary isn't excessive in Washington. If they'd cut the rest of the government down it would be more meaningful to the taxpayers.
OUTRAGEOUS! I have suggested in the past that term limits be imposed on Congress: three terms for the House and two terms for the Senate. With NO pensions. Career politicians have been our nemesis! Begin by voting out of office anyone with more time than that! Cut their pensions to $25,000 a year for five years. That’s for the really old timers. They can earn their living by making their little speeches or writing their little books., or serving at the local level, should the people so decide.
This is fair. This is reasonable. Herman Cain would, indeed, set a fine example for the new or recent inductees.
Symbolic my tax paying arse!!!!! they get the best medical care in the world and many do not live in DC but rent a place in Northern VA or Maryland...they can live in a dump for all I care..they retire on a fat cats wages. Mishandle our money and whine that they need more...bs
Not really - as I watch the actions of the one who wants to lead. We the People doesn’t mean the same to everyone. History repeating itself but too subtle for some to grasp and for some too wrapped up in rhetoric they could give a flip.
Supporting the same guy we want to get rid of and celebrating his victory is seen as a no biggie - all can be said is his supporters were, also, obama supporters. That makes me ready for a 3rd party or it will be ‘write in’ time - and I’m not alone in that thought. The devil in the details exactly in ways more than one.
Cain really is making an impression on folks, and they must be worried. Saw the first link put up by a leftie friend over on FB today - criticizing the 9-9-9 plan (an MSNBC article, IIRC). Anyway, if my friend cares enough to spend time putting up the negative article then I KNOW word is getting out that they ‘have to stop him now’ - which means he’s doing AWESOME! :) Just thought I’d share.
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