Herman Cain Ends 2012 Bid

Reuters ^ | December 3, 2011 | DAvid Beasley

[lbryce]

Former pizza magnate Herman Cain dropped out of the presidential race on Saturday after accusations of sexual misconduct overwhelmed his bid to win the Republican nomination as an anti-Washington tax reformer.

Cain's departure set off a competition among other candidates to win over his conservative supporters with voting to start next month in the race to determine the Republicans' presidential pick for 2012 to oppose President Barack Obama.

Cain, a former Godfather's Pizza chief executive, told followers in his hometown of Atlanta that "false and unproved" sexual accusations had forced him to suspend his White House bid.

He said he would endorse another candidate, effectively ending a roller-coaster campaign that saw the African-American businessman go from complete outsider to the rising star of Republican conservatives within a few weeks over the autumn.

Cain held a Friday night meeting with his wife, Gloria, who has stayed mostly silent as several women accused her husband of sexual harassment and an Atlanta businesswoman this week said she had carried out a 13-year affair with him.

Gloria Cain appeared at his side on Saturday and smiled throughout.

Cain's departure shapes the wide-open Republican race more clearly into a matchup between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and surging rival Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives.

Reuters/Ipsos poll data released this week showed Gingrich and Romney would benefit most if Cain quit.

Support for Romney and Gingrich would rise by 3 percentage points each, against the 1- or 2-point bumps Cain's departure would give some of their rivals for the nomination.

Gingrich, a fellow Georgian, said he would meet with Cain next week.

"I don't anticipate anything," CNN reported Gingrich as saying. Cain has to "make up his own mind," Gingrich said.

[lbryce]

Cain, 65, said a "cloud of doubt" had settled over his campaign. He insisted that accusations he sexually harassed several women and had an affair with Atlanta businesswoman Ginger White were simply not true. These so-called "accusers" will slink back into the swamp from whence they came and that will be the end of it. Was Cain even remotely guilty of any of the assertions made against him? It remains to be seen.

[svcw]

Sad.

[VanDeKoik]

When did this happen?!?

[nickcarraway]

Maybe Obama can shift a little to the right an outflank the GOP on the right.

[goseminoles]

When did this happen?? Pffftt..

[FReepaholic]

Looks like I'll be sitting this election out then. The PTB and the Machine has shown they're still in contol.

FUBO. FUNG. FUMR.

[tflabo]

I despise these nasty politics in running for office. If had my wish the Dem, Repub and all parties would be eliminated.
Let every candidate and politician run as an independant. Towing the party line has been disastrous for the nation. George Washington had the correct instincts on this and history has proven him correct.

[dools0007world]

Actually Cain did not say he quit. He said the campaign is suspended. Not sure what that means, but it is a meanigful difference to what is being reported.

Sounds like he’s trying to keep his options open.

[KoRn]

Dammed shame.....

[goldstategop]

The liberal media succeeded in forcing him out. Dirty political tricks do work to derail conservative candidates. The country is the poorer for what happened.

[fatnotlazy]

Maybe we should just write him in next November.

[freedumb2003]

>>Actually Cain did not say he quit. He said the campaign is suspended. Not sure what that means, but it is a meanigful difference to what is being reported.<<

He can continue to fund raise (such as it is), get SS protection and essentially do a controlled shutdown over the length of time he needs.

[fatnotlazy]

I doubt we will ever know. Mission accomplished. A candidate has been destroyed. So who cares now if the allegations were true or not.

SOBs.

[TChad]

I presume this will rule out any chance of Cain as VP. Bah.

I had hoped that his candidacy would continue, but the bimbos just kept erupting. The last one was a doozy. And so the conventional wisdom that a political novice cannot survive the scrutiny of a presidential campaign is vindicated.

Can't wait for the MSM to assert that Republicans abandoned Cain because they finally noticed that he was black.

[skr]

He suspended his campaign...not quite an end.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

This has Axelrod’s and Plouffe’s fingerprints ALL over it. Wiki “Jack Ryan” and you’ll see why...

[lbryce]

. And so the conventional wisdom that a political novice cannot survive the scrutiny of a presidential campaign?!?

[oldbrowser]

The MSM is trying to bury him as soon as possible. They know that he would split the black vote against Obama.

[Longbow1969]

He suspended his campaign...not quite an end.

No, it's the end. The word "suspending" is for legal reasons - it allows him to raise money, pay off his debts, etc.

Cain made clear he will be endorsing another candidate very soon.

[Sun]

Anybody see a pattern?

If you are a CONSERVATIVE minority, or woman, the dirty political leftist machine will keep throwing mud at you until you must quit. Take a look at Cain, Palin, Estrada, Bachmann and Justice Thomas.