Herman Cain: Not Supposed to Be Here
Posted: Monday, October 03, 2011
by Terry Mitchell
http://commenterry.blogs.com
“You ain’t supposed to be here” is a line from the 1971 hit song “Signs” by the Five Man Electrical Band. That line sums up how some in the mainstream media, and even within the Republican Party itself, feel about GOP presidential candidate and businessman Herman Cain right now. Why, he has never held political office. He is an African-American in a Caucasian-dominated political movement. He’s not a political insider and certainly not part of the good ‘ol boys network. He can’t possibly raise enough money to win the nomination, can he?
But despite all of this, Cain, whose campaign had struggled earlier this year, prompting him to briefly consider dropping out, is now moving up in the polls and is on the verge of overtaking frontrunners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. In fact, he’s already passed them in a recent Zogby poll. Yet he still doesn’t get any respect from most of the media. Even though he won big in the recent Florida Straw Poll, the media spun it more as a loss for Perry and Romney than a win for Cain. Some analysts even went as far as to say that nobody won that straw poll. Has Mr. Cain changed his name to “nobody”?
I don't think I have ever witnessed such a condescending attitude toward any political candidate before. Just because Cain doesn’t fit the mold of what the media elite (liberal, conservative, and in between) think a presidential candidate should be, they don’t want to acknowledge his success. But that’s okay with him. The voters will get the final decision, and Cain may get the last laugh. He is a guy that many people, including myself, can easily identify with.
I, too, am a cancer survivor, and so are a lot of other voters. I, too, have been told in no uncertain terms that “you ain’t supposed to be here” on many, many occasions, just because I didn’t fit the mold of what someone thought I should be. I didn’t come from the right place. I didn’t have the right pedigree. I didn’t look the part. I didn’t carry myself right. I didn’t have good posture. I couldn’t speak well enough. I didn’t smell good enough. I wasn’t well-read enough. I didn’t follow proper protocol. I wasn’t proficient in the social graces. I didn’t play politics. I didn’t kiss any backsides. I didn’t accept the conventional wisdom.
However, like Herman Cain, I’ve found success despite all of that. Like Mr. Cain, I didn’t pay any attention to my detractors. While it’s still early in the process and no honest person would claim to know how the 2012 electoral process will turn out, Mr. Cain might well crash the GOP party and become their nominee, and eventually be elected the next President of the United States. What will the media say then? I, for one, will be cheering him on.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Great job. Glad you shared your personal story while you talked about Cain. I would like to hear more about you, and I am sure you will share in the future. Cain is remarkable. Now that I know about his cancer, I would say that he must feel he has a destiny. The way the media, looks down on him is actually amazing to me, but now that I see how effective he is without their help, I sense that they sense that any help that they provide might push him over into a winner. We shall see, but it makes a good story. I am rooting for him.Christofer, I agree completely. Even this morning, NBC's politcal analyst (which shall remain nameless on this forum) was completely ignoring Mr. Cain in his discussion of the GOP field. He didn't even mention Cain's name! And this is in spite of polls that have come out over the last two days, showing Cain among the top two nationally (tied for first, second, and tied for second in the last three national polls respectively), and way ahead in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Nebraska.
Hi Terry, a great read on Herman. I just hope the guy can put the others to rest. I think he would make an outstanding president and as long as it appears that he has a chance, I'm with him.Joel, thanks for reading and commenting. I don't think I've ever seen a candidate doing so well in the polls and yet so ignored by the media at the same time. And I've been following politics closely for nearly 25 years. It would be poetic justice if he won.
Twould indeed, but since the media has gone completely over and don't even pretend anymore its bound to happen eventually.
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