Explaining last gaffe, Cain stumbles again

The Hill ^ | 11/18/11 | Jonathan Easley

[mdittmar]

GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain committed another potentially damaging foreign policy gaffe on Friday, when he inferred that the Taliban posed a threat to the Libyan government.

Speaking at a press conference in Orlando, Cain was defending his performance in front of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s editorial board earlier this week, in which he searched for words and sat in awkward silence after being asked if he agreed with the Obama administration’s policy towards Libya.

“Do I agree with siding with the opposition? Do I agree with saying that Qadhafi should go? Do I agree that they now have a country where you've got Taliban and Al Qaeda that's going to be part of the government?” Cain asked reporters. “Do I agree with not knowing the government was going to — which part was he asking me about? I was trying to get him to be specific and he wouldn't be specific.”

The Taliban is an Islamist militant group based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Libya is in northern Africa.

It’s the latest in a series of foreign policy stumbles for the candidate.

In October, Cain said it wasn’t important to know who was “the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-stan.” And in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel interview, Cain said he couldn’t recall Obama’s position on Libya because he had “all of this stuff twirling around in my head.”

Cain has responded to the criticism by saying he would surround himself with worthwhile advisers to help him out with foreign policy, and that voters didn’t expect him to know everything because “we need a leader, not a reader.”

[TBBT]

Smarter? That’s relative. We all have our specialties.

Based on Cain’s demonstrated grasp of foreign policy - when it comes to specialties - it’s clear that this is not one of Cain’s. Even the most casual FR visitor appears to outperform Cain in this area. Cain’s depth in other areas - relevant to the office he seeks - is also suspect.

[RedMDer]

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[bigdaddy45]

Sorry, i like Herman as much as the next guy, but “We need a leader, not a reader” is not a winning campaign slogan. I mean... he’s ripping off lines from the Simpsons movie!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afMsXWRWbOk

And offering a 90 year old man the position of Secretary of State (and then saying you were kidding lately (when you clearly weren’t) when called on it) isn’t the best staffing plan. He’s making some mistakes that are really making me question his overall judgement.

Cain’s handlers are clearly letting him down.

[PieterCasparzen]

I love a candidate who, like me, is unable to discern a taliban from a libyan jihadist. I just see a gleeful idiot with a sword who wants to cut off the head of anyone he comes across that he doesn’t like.

When I see a candidate have no interest in islam but a healthy skepticism of it, that’s how I know the candidate is not secretly making back room deals and trying to be friendly with it.

Hopefully Cain will be elected and we can start packing up islam and sending it back from whence it came.

Better this is done right now rather than later, or will will see the bloodiest civil war in history right here in America between islam and everyone else once islam gains enough power here and starts to persecute non-muslims as it has in every other nation where it was present in numbers sufficient to do so.

I’d say Cain was the best candidate regarding being vigilantly protective of Jews and Christians.

IMHO.

[dfwgator]

I love a candidate who, like me, is unable to discern a taliban from a libyan jihadist. I just see a gleeful idiot with a sword who wants to cut off the head of anyone he comes across that he doesn’t like.

Exactly, it's like saying "The Peoples' Front of Judea" instead of the "Judean Peoples' Front."

[Munz]

I think that Cain understands better than most what has happened with Libya because technically the Taliban and Al-Qaedia are linked at the hip since 10/2001. They did appear on the battle field and that is when Obama started supporting Libya with air support.

His failing is not in his knowledge but in his answering of the questions in a cognitive strong authoritative manner.
I am beginning to suspect that the grind of a campaign trail is wearing on him. Some life long politicians are up to the task and even thrive on that type of environment. - But being a new comer, I think sadly he is just exhausted and his head is spinning to be honest.

[faucetman]

“Where are Cain’s handlers? Where are Cain’s tutors?”

Just what we need, another president who needs handlers and tutors.

[Mr Rogers]

The folks coming to power in Libya share the goals and beliefs of the Taliban. I agree with Cain...and I’ve done a tour in Afghanistan, so it isn’t like I have no familiarity with foreign affairs.

[faucetman]

“But being a new comer, I think sadly he is just exhausted and his head is spinning to be honest.”

Can’t handle the campaign, yet we should trust him to handle “leader of the free world” job?

Cain supporters are grasping at straws, trying to continue to support their candidate, even when they can see that he just isn’t up to the task.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS!

[Twinkie]

The media is frantic to, by hook or crook, to destroy Cain, just as they were Clarence Thomas, just as they are ANY Conservative black candidate. Only, this time, they HAVE to, no matter what. They cannot allow “their” black man, Obama, to fail (never mind he already has and that he has made THEM look irretrievably ignorant in their incessant struggle to cover for his ignorance.)

[Eagle of Liberty]

He got Taliban confused with Muslim brotherhood. Yes, the DIMocrats have many gaffes, but I want us to be better. I am strongly supporting Cain, but he HAS to get a better preparer.

[Eagle of Liberty]

He got Taliban confused with Muslim brotherhood. Yes, the DIMocrats have many gaffes, but I want us to be better. I am strongly supporting Cain, but he HAS to get a better preparer.

[Eagle of Liberty]

He got Taliban confused with Muslim brotherhood. Yes, the DIMocrats have many gaffes, but I want us to be better. I am strongly supporting Cain, but he HAS to get a better preparer.

[07Jack]

LOL. You know earlier in the campaign it was reported he borrowed a line from a Pokeman movie. So this Simpsons incident shouldn't be surprising. Seriously though, I thought he was joking on the Kissinger thing, who knows?? maybe he wasn't. I've watched many of his stump speeches and he does have a dry sense of humor and enjoys using it. Anyhow, I certainly respect your earnest opinion and agree that Cain's handlers could be doing a better job. In the general election, I'll support whoever gets the GOP nomination. However, I'm sticking with Cain in the Primaries. My biggest issue is solving the nation's fiscal mess so that my children's generation will not be burdened with the consequences of my generation's indulgences. I think Cain offers the strongest dose of medicine in that regard.

[SuziQ]

The Taliban is an Islamist militant group based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while Libya is in northern Africa.

Thanks for the geography lesson, Mr. Easley, but what makes you think they couldn't travel, if they felt like it?

[Graybeard58]

when he inferred that the Taliban posed a threat to the Libyan government.

He didn't "infer", if anything, he "implied". Dumb ass writer and his "gaffes".

[AmericanInTokyo]

How RUDE! Your comment was totally called for.

[BagCamAddict]

And in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel interview, Cain said he couldn’t recall Obama’s position on Libya...

I watched the entire 35 min video. He did NOT say he couldn't recall Obama's position.

He was clarifying WHAT question the guy was asking him. The guy had asked if Cain agreed/disagreed with what Obama had done in Libya - but they guy hadn't said what exactly he meant. Did he mean Obama sent a basket of cookies to support the opposition? Or did he mean that Obama has supported the assassination of a foreign head of state? The question was not clear. Cain was clarifying by asking the guy questions.

[teeman8r]

they both hate and kill americans...

nuff said.

YES WE CAIN

teeman

[Munz]

>“But being a new comer, I think sadly he is just exhausted and his head is spinning to be honest.”

Can’t handle the campaign, yet we should trust him to handle “leader of the free world” job?

Cain supporters are grasping at straws, trying to continue to support their candidate, even when they can see that he just isn’t up to the task.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS!<

Firstly, I think that experience does matter as you pointed out. But experience on a campaign trail and experience in the role of being the president are two different things as we learned with Obama. They are not tied at the hip.

Obama a great campaigner, is so far over his head as a leader he can’t make any decisions at all. He needs a toilet and a Totus czar.

If it is just the pace, he will pick it up. I am sure that if that is all it is he can recover quite easily.

Something has happened to Cain in the past week or two, it *may* be exhaustion or it may be more than that. I suspect that it is a lot more. I believe that something has happened that rattled his cage in a mighty way that requires secret service protection now. It was reported that he received threats. Depending on what happened and to who it happened (ie. his family) he may be really rattled. Face it, Cain is probably really that last person Obama wants to go up against.
And it is not beyond Obama to have people do unconscionable things to try and frighten off his competition.

So you can turn off the caps and stop trying to belittle other people’s points of view.