Romney's Worst Nightmare [the Hermanator]

Daily Beast ^ | 10/14/11 | Michael Tomasky

[freespirited]

Everyone is calling Herman Cain the new “flavor of the month” without always properly emphasizing why we’ve seen such a succession of flavors—to wit, that conservatives are desperate not to have to vote for Mitt Romney. This is the central fact so far of the GOP-nomination race, and Romney’s central problem. He has two possible ways to fix it. One is to destroy Cain’s conservative bona fides. The other is to shore up his own. Both are going to be really, really hard for him to do.

With regard to Rick Perry, Romney and his people found the Christmas gift of the absolute perfect issue. If a genie had appeared to Mitt Romney’s wife and given her the option of naming an issue that would bring down Perry on the right, she couldn’t have fabricated something more perfect than in-state tuition for children of undocumented immigrants. Tea Party hatred of illegal immigrants is pristine. And Romney’s line—a “$100,000 college discount”—was brilliant. It crushed Perry. Did you see the latest Florida GOP poll? He’s at 5 percent. And behind Gingrich. “Behind Gingrich” is a rather grave marker, the political equivalent of “less articulate than Miss Teen South Carolina 2007.”

I still don’t count Perry out. It’s a long campaign. You may have noticed that he outraised Romney in the third quarter, $17 million to $14 million. But even if Perry does claw his way back, there’s a dark spot on his soul now as far as right-wingers are concerned. I kind of admired the way Perry defended that law, but I’m hardly the target audience.

Cain, however, is an altogether trickier matter for Romney. Cain appeals to right-wingers in deep emotional ways, ways that have only a little to do with his extreme political views. Conservatives just reflexively adore businessmen. This is one of the major differences between conservatives and liberals. Liberals aren’t impressed by most business people. Big deal, liberals think; I could have gotten rich, if my goal in life was peddling more Whoppers to a populace that doesn’t need them. (Cain made his mark at Burger King before Godfather’s Pizza). Instead, I wanted to educate children or defend the downtrodden and the tortiously wronged. Liberals see a rich man and think of Balzac. But conservatives think liberals and Balzac are seditious and crazy. Yes, Romney is a rich man, too. But the problem is no one knows what he does, or did, at Bain Management. He didn’t make stuff. Cain made hamburgers and pizzas. They’re rather popular. Point Cain.

Kim Kim Foster-Tobin

Cain’s race helps him too. There can be little doubt that being black has been a huge plus for him so far. First of all, even conservatives understand he grew up facing obstacles Romney, with a rich dad, most certainly did not. (Cain’s father was a janitor.) But more than that, it’s that Cain isn’t one of “those” blacks. A right-wing black man who speaks of having “left the Democratic plantation a long time ago” supplies a jolt of emotional electricity that Romney just can’t get anywhere near.

These two factors make Cain a much tougher target for Romney than Perry was. Perry is just another pol. But Cain represents and speaks for right-wing anti-establishmentarianism, and he does it with a vengeance. Even the fact that his 9-9-9 tax plan adviser isn’t a real economist is a plus. Real economists hang out in places like Cambridge and Berkeley. Who needs ’em?

Maybe Romney will find an issue. Maybe Cain employed illegals or something. But since he’s never held office and has no public record, such attacks risk seeming personal. Unless they’re obviously serious enough to stick, Cain can wail about being persecuted because he’s an outsider and so on and emerge stronger than before.

To liberals, Obama validated their idea of America’s noblest self. To conservatives, Cain may be the best to repudiate everything that Obama America stands for.

If Romney can’t effectively make Cain less attractive to conservatives, his only other alternative is to try to make himself more appealing to conservatives. The only way to do that is with policy proposals that will placate a right-wing electorate. Those very proposals are, of course, the kind that will hurt him in a general election when he’s trying to move back to the center. And it will just expose him to more charges of inauthenticity, which will be correct and will ring true.

I’m not saying Cain is going to win. But I’m not sure he fades away so easily. Romney is probably going to have to contend with him for a while. Cain might just be for conservatives what Barack Obama was for liberals in 2008—a kind of wish-fulfillment candidate. To liberals, Obama validated their idea of America’s noblest self. To conservatives, Cain may be the best available validator of their urge to repudiate everything that Obama America stands for. He’ll more likely rise or fall on whether he has it in him to be that person, that cynosure of others’ yearnings, than anything Romney does or doesn’t say about him.

 

[freespirited]

Conservatives just reflexively adore businessmen. This is one of the major differences between conservatives and liberals. Liberals aren’t impressed by most business people. Big deal, liberals think; I could have gotten rich, if my goal in life was peddling more Whoppers to a populace that doesn’t need them.

Dude, the populace doesn't need your words of wisdom either. BTW, sounds like Cain scares the daylights out of you.

[goat granny]

The author knows nothing about conservatives and it shows. He/she probably know republicans, the two are not the same...

[Uri’el-2012]

Romney's Worst Nightmare

[Seaplaner]

Ann Coulter said that she's liking a Romney/Cain ticket.

Now, just like many here, Romney is not my first choice in the primary; however, I'll vote for and support whomever wins the GOP nomination.

Could such a Romney/Cain ticket have a broadly-based appeal?

.

[lahargis]

Herman’s worst nightmare is to talk about the new entitlements in his 999 plan called empowerment zones.

[lahargis]

I am thinking that is what is in the works either a Cain/Romney ticket or vice versa

[PAConservative1]

Cain is not only Myth’s worst nightmare, he’s also Obama’s. I wouldn’t be surprised if Barry is dumping some of his campaign coffers into the Mitt/Perry camp to stop the rise of Cain. He knows that if Cain even gets 10% of the black vote it’s over.

[ClearCase_guy]

Cain has a lot of appeal to me.

And all of that appeal will completely vanish if he is on a ticket with Romney. No sale.

[CanaGuy]

Romney's worst nightmare:

He wakes up pregnant, strapped to a gurney, in a Massachusetts abortion clinic. He's tenth in line for delivery, and because of a decision by the local Death Panel, they inform him that, as a politician, he doesn't qualify for anesthetics.

[achilles2000]

No candidate is perfect. Cain is recycling a variation on some bad old ideas of Jack Kemp and Gingrich. One of his weaknesses is that he relies too uncritically on the policy ideas of others. Still, Cain would be a good president, and all of the other candidates have their own shortcomings.

[ken21]

ditto.

[Lazlo in PA]

[CanaGuy]

Romney's worst nightmare (Part II)

........sniveling and crying, Romney begs for at least a leather strap to bite down on for the pain. An orderly informs him that leather straps have long disappeared in the U.S., ever since that particular industry moved to India along with Martin, Fender and Gibson.

[freekitty]

Just curious. Does his 999 plan favor one group over the other?

[3Fingas]

O.K. Cain/Perry 2012. There. I said it. Incoming....(braces for impact) :-D

[bigbob]

[Cookies4ever]

Hi “frespirited”
I heard Ann Coulter on TV last night, and I have lost all respect for her! SWhe’s way to in love with Crhistie (RINO). I’m done with her!
But Mr.Cain just keeps landing on the top of all this GOP establishment in-fighting. I truly believe the reason for this is because his message rings so true with conservatives (and those idiot liberals, too).
Krautheimer, Coulter and Kristol can pound sand....I’m with team Cain all the way!

[3Fingas]

“Cainsian Economics” — very clever. It’s great to mock liberals and throw their cherished words right back in their faces.

[CSI007]

Romney could have Jesus as his running mate and I would not vote for him.

[Polybius]

Romney's Worst Nightmare [the Hermanator]

Not even close.

Herman Cain has all but handed the GOP nomination to Mitt Romney while Herman Cain seeks to become the next Huckabee on FOX News and the next Sarah Palin at Barnes & Noble.

1.) All Cain attacks are directed at Perry.
2.) No Cain attacks are directed at Romney.
3.) Cain has stated that he will not support Perry even against Marxist Obama
4.) Cain has said that he is willing to support Romney.
5.) During October, Cain is focusing on selling books on a national book tour instead of focusing on the logistical "Beans & Bullets" needed to win the Primary Wars that will start in the near future.
6.) In my opinion, for the above reasons, Cain's ultimate goal is to become the next conservative premier speaking tour draw and the next Huckabee on FOX News while leaving the GOP nomination to Romney.

Besides, Perry, guess which candidate has been taking fundraising seriously to have the amunition required for the "Ad Wars" that will rip a catchy debate sound bite to shreds.

Romney Rounds Up Backing Among Key G.O.P. Donors

Guess which candidate is not building up a campaign war chest because he is spending October hawking his book on a national book tour at Barnes & Noble stores throughout the country instead of paying attention to the logistics of a serious campaign.

Herman Cain Only Has 'Several Hundred Thousand Dollars' In The Bank .... Compare that to Romney's $14 million or Perry's $18 million

Michael Steele to Herman Cain: Get Off the Book Tour

Guess which candidate has been focusing all of his attacks on Perry while treating Romney with kid gloves.

Herman Cain said Wednesday that he would be unable to support Rick Perry for president if the Texas governor were to eventually win the party's nomination. .... The former businessman said, for instance, that he could support former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney....

Guess which candidate endorsed Mitt Romney in 2008.

HERMAN CAIN'S ENDORSEMENT OF MITT ROMNEY PUBLISHED IN THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION PRIOR TO SUPER TUESDAY, 2008

Guess which candidate is only doing what it takes be the next Sarah Palin with lucrative speaking fees, book sales and FOX News contracts while leaving the GOP nomination to his old pal, Mitt Romney.

Washington Speakers Bureau: Herman Cain, passionate and exceptional leader whose experience has brought him to the pinnacle of both the corporate and political worlds, Herman Cain brings solutions to both businesses—and America’s—most pressing problems.

Once again, some conservatives are totally infatuated by a "Sound Bite Machine" without ever noticing that they are being played by somebody that is focusing their energies on selling books rather than focusing on what it takes to fight and win a prolonged electoral war.

A campaign war chest is the "beans and bullets" of a serious electoral war. If you want to know if a candidate is truly serious about fighting to win, pay attention to how much attention they are paying to the logistics required to win. Without logistics, all the talk of "strategy" worthy of Sun Tzu is just ridiculous self delusion.

"Amateurs talk about strategy and professionals talk about logistics." .... Omar Bradley

Herman Cain has behaved like an individual that is loyal to his business interests in seeking to become the next highly paid "Celebrity Politician" while enabling his past and present favorite, Mitt Romney, to secure the GOP nomination.