Herman Cain is our era's Ronald Reagan

Charles Dunn is editor of "The Presidency in the 21st Century" (UPK, 2011) and serves as The Distinguished Professor of Government at Regent University and Chair Emeritus of the United States J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.


Is Herman Cain the Next Ronald Reagan?
By Charles W. Dunn
Published October 18, 2011

Herman Cain is rising in the polls because he is more like Ronald Reagan than any other candidate. Increasingly, Republicans seem to see in Cain the nearest reincarnation or resurrection of Reagan. The more he looks like Reagan, the more Republicans like him.

During recent GOP debates, Cain significantly exceeded expectations, even winning post-debate straw polls among Republican leaders in South Carolina and Florida. Reagan did much the same, jumping over a low bar of expectation during the 1980 Republican primaries.

Cain possesses the Reaganesque ability to “turn a phrase,” causing people to stop and think. Cain’s “9 - 9 - 9” economic plan, for example, has captured the attention of friend and foe alike. It is the economic piece de resistance plan on the campaign trail.

Mitt Romney’s proposal may be more intellectually crafted, but the street-smart Cain captures the public’s attention with “9- 9 - 9

Cain, like Reagan, offers such a story. He does not just talk the lingo of conservative economics, which Republicans dearly love, but he has lived it, working his way up by the proverbial boot-straps from an impoverished childhood to significant leadership positions in corporate America.

As an African-American, Herman Cain’s background differs dramatically with that of the Ivy-League-educated Barack Obama. He offers Republicans a remedy to Barack Obama’s appeal to African-Americans.

As the Republican nominee, Cain could lay to rest the charge of bigotry and racism so often levied against them. And, because Cain has personally faced hard times, rank-and-file African-Americans as well as others may easily identify with him, instead of his principal competitor, Mitt Romney, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Of special note, Barack Obama cannot win reelection in 2012 without an overwhelming turnout of African-Americans, who voted well above 90 percent for him. They are the bedrock of the Democratic coalition, to which Herman Cain could present a direct challenge.

Likewise, in 1980 Ronald Reagan captured a significant share of two other parts of the then bedrock of the Democratic Party, Southern White Protestants and Conservative Northern Catholics.

 

Did Reagan use campaign cash to buy his own book?
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Federal Election Commission records show that the former Godfather's Pizza executive paid more than $64,000 of his presidential campaign funds to his motivational speaking company, T.H.E. New Voice Inc., for copies of his own books, and for lodging, airfare, and resources, Bloomberg News reports.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20122027-503544.html

The only one in the GOP channeling Reagan (at least, the version who ran) is one of only 5 Republican Congressman who supported him during his candidacy, Dr Ron Ernest Paul. BTW, Dr Paul didn't use campaign cash to purchase his own book and just raised over 2.3 mil in one day (from real people). Cain's 999 plan raises taxes on the people who can least afford it. Paul's plan balances the budget in 3 yrs.

 

So, Let's say.... no Ron paul

Herman Cain vs Obama, who would you vote for?

 

I'd find another candidate as neither Obama nor Cain represent my values. I do not subscribe to the "lesser of two evils" philosophy, because all you get with that is "evil".

Further, I am not naive enough to think my one vote will actually decided anything, therefore, I am not afraid to vote my conscience. Let's face it, there's no prize if you vote for someone you don't really want and they happen to win...it isn't like it's a football pool now is it?

 

You can always tell a white guy who really doesn't know a thing about black people. He says stupid shit like "[Herman Cain] offers Republicans a remedy to Barack Obama’s appeal to African-Americans." The pizzaman smoked whatever appeal he had the second he referred to black voters as 'brainwashed'.

 

Let me guess, you're a progressive douche bag who thinks the most important thing in politics is how well Chazz Bono does on DWTS.

 

Cain gave away his book as part of campaigning? That's smart, some Ghettocrats can read, he might sway some votes that way...

 

Obama is a Kenyan -American NOT an African-American. These are two different things. He and his ancestors do not have a shared heritage and history with African Americans, they have no common root and did not undergo the trials and tribulations of the black community. He is simply a Kenyan whose father came to the United States and have no knowledge whatsoever of the unique African american experience for the last few hundred years.

Herman Cain on the other hand is positively identifiable with the community.

 

Cain was on a book tour when he was suddenly dubbed the front runner; he is now shifting gears but his flavor is already fading as 9-9-9 gets dissected, along with his statements.

 

What's to know about Black People? Fill us in, no really, we can't tell that much from the evening news...