[mnehring]

Some people were citing a false charge by a political opponent earlier this evening that Cain had supported Affirmative Action. Time to read Cain in his own words.

[Jane Long]

Herman Cain’s past is a gift that he keeps giving back to himself. The fact that he has been a CEO of a major company, he’s made wonderful gospel CD’s and doesn’t have a career politician past - is endearing.

[South40]

Thank you for posting this mnehring. There was a troll who posted a vanity about Cain and AA just after the announcement was made that Cain had won the Florida straw poll. You can see it here.

Then there was this.

[awaken2spirit]

I have to say I like this man who speaks without a forked tongue. Clear as a freaking liberty bell. His clarity is amazing and Americans need to hear this message. Thanks for posting this.

[hosepipe]

Government removing barriers is affirmative action..
Making some a little more equal than others..

Government forcing equality on individuals forces set asides.. i.e. quotas..
Hermie has been brain washed.. he wants some black votes..
Most all blacks have been brain washed.. pretty smart actually.. but tricky..

Affirmative action “IS” racism.. or even “genderism”..
Maybe I’ll re-think my vote for Michele Bachmann..

[WilliamHouston]

It sounds reasonable.

Black people will still vote 9 to 1 for Obama though.

[9YearLurker]

It’s actually not a false charge that Cain supported affirmative-action programs. Back when he was running for office in the 90s he said he supported affirmative action as long as it wasn’t based on quotas.

That was a fairly mainstream GOP platitude and it is the strategy by which AA has been permitted to continue in college admissions, for example. In my mind it is something like GOPers now saying they oppose amnesty, though they favor a “path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants. I don’t agree with either of the deceptively squishy middle positions.

But the article people quote now that he wrote in 2004 was intended to strengthen his conservative credentials on the issue and in it he speaks more strongly about equality of opportunity.

IMO he has been pressed on and spoken in the last decade more clearly against affirmative action than have the other candidates. I think he should be given credit for speaking out in the way he does on it, and his squishiness from 20 years ago should no longer be an issue.

To press him further or to hold him to a higher standard than the other candidates is IMO an ugly double standard. As a candidate for president, he should be pressed for specifics on his foreign and economic policy positions and considered for the experience and record that he does and does not have that is relevant to the presidency.

I don’t expect he will be a competitive candidate, based on those more legitimate judgments, as we get closer to the primaries. But he’s done a great thing by being the most decent option among these early candidates and thus a good indicator of the inadequacy of Romney and Perry. He’s acquitted himself well in these early debates and he has been a very good ambassador for the GOP and the conservative message.

I’m glad he’s got his moment in the sun here and I’m appreciative of his contribution to the early race.

[ScottinVA]

Good post! Now that he has notched a rather convincing (even if inconsequential) victory, watch for the long knives of 0bama`s cabal, other libs, RINOs, the “media” and, yes, a few FReepers turn toward him.

[ronnie raygun]

Here we have a true black American who knows what it is to be American, not the false profit black Americans are following today. WHAT SAY YOU American blacks? Next? Herman Cain is an uncle tom.

[bgill]

When my father left a dirt farm at age 18 to pursue his American dream, he knew it would not be easy. He worked three jobs as a barber, chauffeur and janitor. My father struggled but never wavered in his three basic beliefs: his belief in God, his belief in himself and his belief that if he wanted to achieve something in this country, he could. He taught me that you get what you earn.

And there's the difference between Cain and the failure squatting in the white hut.

[icwhatudo]

Thanks for the info and clearing things up.

[shield]

Affirmative Action sucks...we've got 2 in our WH...that can't even spell, write a decent paper etc...they were moved forward probably by not even passes most of their courses. That's why the Ivy League schools now mostly suck...look at their affirmative action students...if you were to track them...hired by companies because of the Ivy league schooling but fired cause of their inability to perform even on a college level.