I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
I understand just what Sarah Palin means when she says, “I like Herman Cain, even hearing his name." I'm one of the many people who had never given a moment's thought to Herman Cain before the first GOP debate, but who came away thinking, "Goodness, he's likable."
But alas, I don't think he's ready to be president. Since we're talking clueless comments about Israel, here's one that should really make people think:
“The right of return?” he said. After Wallace explained the Palestinian demand to return to the homes they were “thrown out of” [sic!] in 1948, Cain said that would be negotiated between the Israelis and Palestinians. “I don’t think Israel has any problem with Palestinians’ returning,” he said.
I feel a bit crushed, actually. I like him and want so much to like someone. But that's too clueless.
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Comments:
Mar '11
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
I agree - that is very disappointing. I was looking forward to the interview, too (has not aired here in AZ, yet).
Foreign policy is not his strong point, for sure - he has said as much. Hum, is John Bolton available?
On the other hand, our current President is not ready to be President, either...
Edited on May 22, 2011 at 3:55pmMay '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Oh dear. As Jonah Goldberg just said "answer on right of return less than stellar". Combined with his non-answer on Afghanistan (my answer: Get Out, the call is coming from inside the house!), we have to conclude that foreign policy is not his metier.
Cain-Bolton 2012! And Palin for State, natch.
Apr '11
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
"Cain is Able in 2012!" sorry.........
May '11
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
How hard is it to get a briefing on the general foreign policy issues and form a basic position? That's what all these candidates do, even Obama, read some cliff notes version so they can sound reasonably informed on TV.
Come on Herman, I want to support you but that's not good enough.
Aug '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Yep, he should have stopped at saying it will be negotiated between the parties. He would do better by outlining principles. I wonder who his prep team is?
Don't be so hard on him yet, Claire - yes, that is your top issue and it is extremely important. President Obama doesn't want to get it right, we can only go up from here.
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
My top issue? Actually, no, it's not--it's an important issue, but only one of many I'd use to assess a candidate. However, it's such a strikingly unprepared thing to say that it makes me deeply uneasy.
Dec '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
This kind of "step in it" is what I was referencing last week when I posted that I did not think Herman Cain, as impressive as he is generally, is electable. I just do not think someone can run for President of the United States without holding elected office prior. Going through an election, polishing your responses, framing your ideas, etc, is best done first at the state legislative level, or as a governor, before taking on the biggest job of all.
Jun '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
I actually think Cain's heart is in the right place, and he's never pretended to be a foreign policy expert. Let him get some good advice and I think he'll--shall we say--clarify and get himself back into alignment.
Jun '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Almost like Gerald Ford saying: "There is no Soviet domination of eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration" ...and he was President at the time. Hmmm....
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Well, we'll see. About all we can say right now.
Oct '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Isn't everyone clueless about something (or in Chairman Maobama's case, everything)?
So Cain butchered the Israel question. A President Cain would be surrounded by advisers who would prevent that from happening again, a Candidate Cain will be schooled - very quickly, one hopes! - on the things about which he's clueless.
I'm ok with someone who has some cluelessness but who has good overall instincts, a firm backbone, and unimpeachable principles. Cluelessness can be fixed. Deficiencies in the other areas cannot.
Edited on May 22, 2011 at 5:00pmRe: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
I am with Claire. Cain is a very successful businessman with good political instincts. He appears to be and probably is a very fine man, but he knows very little about the larger world. He should not be in the race. And let's face it: he really is not in the race.
Oct '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Yuck - very successful...good instincts...very fine man. Can't have any of that, I guess, so let's disqualify him because he may know "very little about the larger world," although so far all we know is that he probably knows very little about the Palestinian/Israeli problem (jeez, is he alone in that??).
Has anyone else on the GOP side demonstrated an iron-clad understanding of that problem? Is it really that important to the 2012 election and America's future that a GOP contender in May 2011 betrays an ignorance of this issue? Let's see him badly boot a few more significant foreign policy questions before we write him off...IMHO, of course.
May '11
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
I'm sure the same types of things were said about Obama at the beginning of his campaign.
Not an attack on Paul because I see this everywhere and from people I like, but it always annoys me when a statement is prefaced with the phrase "let's face it". As if whatever follows is beyond question and anyone who doesn't agree isn't facing reality.
It's as bad as when interviewers use the "as you well know" line to box someone into a corner (usually an MSM type questioning a conservative).
Jun '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
So, Newt's starting to look better and better, isn't he?
May '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Put me down with Claire too. That's too serious an item. Makes you wonder what else he doesn't know.
One of the lessons we're learning from the Obama disaster is that experience matters.
Nov '10
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Nobody has a clear grasp of the Arab/Israeli problem. That tar baby has be mishandled by highest intellects for generations.
The right answer is that the problem is unsolvable by natural intellect. It is going to take an out-of-this-world leader with no political agenda and He will solve it justly and all the parties will accept His resolution.
Since I capitalize the pronouns, you should know Who I mean.
Jan '11
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Here's video of the particular question and its answer by Cain. It's obvious that Herman was caught off-guard. I would have been caught off-guard too as this is an issue best handled by the interested parties. Outsiders tend to screw things up. Pardon my ignorance here but hasn't this issue about the Palestinians and Israel been taken up by outsiders within the U.N. Security Counsel? And isn't Israel in violation of current resolutions from that body? If my relatively uninformed self is right about this topic, then HC is probably very wise to suggest that these issues be taken up by the interested parties. I'd like to see the focus be on more domestic matters at the moment. I'm with Cain on this but I could be persuaded if I have it wrong and someone wishes to correct me. By the way, is there anyone from 1948 who can prove that they were displaced?
Jan '11
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
Possibly. Maybe he can get his people to film him pulling a sword from a stone -- a sword no one else can pull out. Maybe running through a banner complete with 'smoke' from dry ice. Maybe the last man standing in a vicious fire-fight where he only was equipped with a K-bar. Maybe all three images strung together with some good rock & roll victory music in the background. He's already got some sympathies from the Green voters and those in the voting population that believe heath care should be provided as an entitlement.
Jan '11
Re: I Wish Herman Cain Hadn't Said That
I'm going to withhold firm judgement until I listen to him argue positions in the debates. One strike ought not to be a terminal out. As Thomas Sowell might say, to look for perfection in anything, much less a political candidate, is a characteristically unconstrained (i.e.liberal) vision. It's hopeless, for sure, but such a comforting perspective.