Cain Game: Why Sexual Harrassment Allegations Won't Sink Herman's Campaign by Joe Klein

[Douglas Carpenter]

I don't usually agree with Joe Klein on many things - but I think he might be right on this one:

http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/vEuN6rP9_ZlzEA1TRKFJLw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9Zml0O2g9Mjc-/

Cain Game: Why Sexual Harrassment Allegations Won't Sink Herman's Campaign

By JOE KLEIN

It's been such a long time since we've had a good, full-blown, as it were, presidential campaign sex scandal that I feel the need to restate my position on such episodes: I never touch the stuff. Fleeting moments of human frailty, especially of the testosterone-addled kind, are inevitable and should remain private, absent extenuating circumstances (like physical assault). I'm generally opposed to the press setting moral standards that most of us can't meet, especially when there is far more important business — like Herman's Cain prohibitive lack of knowledge about almost every relevant issue — to be discussed. I also find the lascivious and self-righteous media extravaganza that inevitably attends such events to be disgraceful. The more privacy we grant politicians, the more world-class human beings will think about running for office.

snip:

2. All this may work to Herman Cain's advantage. I was listening to Rush Limbaugh for a few minutes in a cab this afternoon and the immediate assumption by Limbaugh and several callers was that Cain was being set up by the liberal media. The notion of black man as sexual predator is a particularly toxic stereotype — and it may intensify the self-righteous satisfaction some Republicans are getting from supporting a conservative black man for President. As in: those liberals pretend to be pro-black, but every time a Clarence Thomas or Herman Cain comes down the pike, they throw sex at him.

3. Bill Clinton's situation was different during the 1992 campaign: the relationship with Gennifer Flowers was consensual...and I think it worked to his advantage with working-class white males, who figured that dating lounge singers, dining at McDonald's and being smart enough to be President was the coolest thing ever. (I mean, why did Clinton once mention that he had a pickup with astroturf carpeting the truck bed?) Clinton's ratings began to dive a few weeks after the Flowers scandalette when his draft avoidance letter to the Arkansas National Guard surfaced — that really hurt him with voters, at least for a while.(Read about Cain's steady rise.)

4. If Cain begins to lose altitude, I don't think this story will be the cause. His equivocation on abortion is a far more serious problem for Republican primary voters...On the other hand, Republicans are sufficiently infuriated by the non-Fox press that they may be tempted to keep the pizza man afloat for a while, just to protest the media, ah, harassment.


http://news.yahoo.com/cain-game-why-sexual-harrassment-allegations-wont-sink-090500909.html

[liberal N proud]

1. There is only one reason this will not effect Cain - He is REPUBLICAN

There are two worlds out there and two sets of rules and they are applied differently depending on the party you are affiliated with.

[Uben]

2. Cain is another Clarence Thomas.....

....he will lie about anything to save his ....er.....good name. He's toast. Butter his ass up and spread some jelly on him!

[LynneSin]

4. I'm waiting for someone to try and call the victims 'sluts' or 'whores'

and that the women asked for it.

[Uben]

6. You can bet there are some already doing it

Of course, Cain is playing the "victim". Poor lying bastard. First he knows nothing about it, and now he's trying to explain it away. HE's cheesier than a Godfather's pizza!

[LynneSin]

3. The liberals didn't leak this - it was an inside job from one of the GOP candidates

Trust me, liberals want Herman Cain on the ticket since it'll be an easy win for Obama.

Doesn't matter what Cain's skin color is - anyone can look like a fool.

[seabeyond]

5. "especially of the testosterone-addled kind". yes, really, lets keep this forefront

so we all know, just being a guy. dont want to have any expectations of our males. they cannot help themselves, with all that testosterone. certainly no responsibility in sexual harassment and assault.

move on, nothing to see here

silly boys

[mstinamotorcity]

7. If Herman Cain makes it Pass this Scandal

They will try and keep him to have him in a running mate's position. One, he is controllable. He will do their bidding and say what they want him to say to the ridiculous ass Tea baggers. They will believe anything.They are Americans who have been sold a bill of goods with no inherit value. Most of what they know they have been media fed to them all their lives. Like their worship of Ronald Reagan, and know nothing about the Republican icon. Two, they will use him to say all the things about our President they really want to say themselves. The word Socialist will become Mild compared to what they will make their Valet say. And three, he has already sold his interest in society,therefore he will gain what it is he wants...Money. All conservative and republican spokesmen make a lot of money saying the same useless rhetoric. And you have those who don't know any better. And you have people like the Koch brothers and Herman Cain who want it to stay that way. If Politico got the story then it has repug stank all over it. The Romney people (considered Moderate Republicans) are not with the Koch brothers Politics. They are getting pummeled also in this bad economy. When they say go back to the good old days or how Washington D.C. used to work, They are talking about their idea when moderate republicans would throw the public a bone every now and then and they would go after work and sit their bi-partisan asses at the bar and have their drink and count the corporate donations.

[TwilightGardener]

8. Why is Klein pretending Cain is a serious candidate for President? The media

is pulling another Palin hoax.