The Knives Come Out for Cain
Politico has a big headline this morning: "GOP urges Herman Cain to address allegations." But when you ask "who precisely in the GOP is doing this urging?" you get a more modest list: Oran Smith, who heads the Christian conservative Palmetto Family Council in South Carolina, Chuck Hurley, …
What if the Cain Story Came from...Gingrich!
After watching the Herman Cain-Newt Gingrich debate last night, I got to thinking (as I'm sure you did as well): What would Agatha Christie's great detective, Hercule Poirot, think of the last week in news, and the Mystery of Who Tipped Off the Cain Story? What follows is what I think he would …
Cain is Unqualified Even Without a Sex Scandal
Well, I still don’t have a candidate. Herman Cain’s not the guy. His weaknesses now outweigh his advantages. Just as I never disliked Sarah Palin and actually loved it when she was announced as the Vice Presidential pick by John McCain, I have never disliked Herman Cain. But for similar reasons …
Herman Cain is No Clarence Thomas
Liberal pundits attributing Herman Cain’s unlikely rise to his role as racial scapegoat may now rest their voices: Conservatives themselves will prove their case from here. After the sexual harassment story broke, Cain saw the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter rush to his defense. Coulter …
Cain's $35k? Sounds Like a Nuisance Suit
About those Herman Cain settlements : I defended these kinds of suits in the 1990s. Keep in mind that discrimination lawsuits are an exception to the usual American rule that each side pays its own legal fees. If an employer loses a discrimination suit, the employer routinely pays the attorney …
The Coming Herman Cain Culture War
It's only a matter of time before the Herman Cain sexual harassment settlement is unsealed. The exact nature of the charges against Cain will be revealed. They will most likely turn out to be very ambiguous: banter, innuendo, etc. At that point, here's what will happen: People on the …
Overlooked Clue in Cain's Sex Harassment Story
Here's the most neglected detail in the Politico story on Herman Cain and the sex harassment charges: Both women received separation packages that were in the five-figure range. In the context of late 1990s sex harassment litigation, that is a small settlement. (Here's a sampling …The GOP's Best Case/Worst Case
In my column for CNN, I discuss how the Tea Party will react to the different possible outcomes of the 2012 election: A new CNN poll finds that about half of Republicans sympathize with the tea party movement. The other half either remain aloof or (5%) even express hostility. That second …
Perry's New Gambit
Perry’s chances of winning the Republican nomination depend entirely on his ability to sell himself as a Teastablishment candidate. Perry has a ten-year record in Texas that shows an interest in governance, and he has way with sharp rhetoric (“treason”) that sends thrills up the leg of your …
Cain's Immigration Plan is Not Enough
Last night’s free-wheeling, barely moderated debate was a joy to watch. We learned that Michele Bachmann thinks Libya is not in Africa. We learned that Herman Cain might have another set of numbers besides 9-9-9: 171 -for-1...the number of Gitmo detainees that he might be willing to swap for a …
Read FrumForum's Nevada GOP Debate Livechat
On October 19th, Frum Forum's bloggers and contributors liveblogged the Nevada's GOP presidential debate. The debate was a lively affair, featuring strong attacks on Herman Cain's 999 plan, energetic rhetoric from Rick Perry, and even a physical confrontation between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. …
GOP: Pick Romney!
If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now: Mitt Romney is the only sensible choice Republicans have for their presidential candidate in 2012. The exciting choice would have been New Jersey Governor Chris Christie who, in any debate or personal appearance, would have demolished rivals – Republican …
Herman Cain: High-Carb Candidate
My editor showed me this video from the 1991 Omaha Press Club. It features Herman Cain singing his own pizza-themed lyrics to John Lennon’s “Imagine.” I don’t know where to start. For those of you who don’t know me, I write about obesity trends in American culture for the Frum Forum weekend …Neo-Cain?
Herman Cain's gaffe claiming he's not familiar with the "neoconservative movement" has already sowed widespread doubts about his fitness for the office of President. This is ironic, because Cain's self-professed ignorance shed accidental light on at least one truth: There's no such thing as …
Watch: Frum on Herman Cain
On CNN's American Morning , David Frum discussed his latest column arguing that Herman Cain lacks the necessary experience to be president:More Problems with Cain's 999 Plan
There is so much to like about Herman Cain. And there is also his 999 plan. Mr. Cain's website states that "Amidst a backdrop of the economic renewal created by the 999 Plan, I will begin the process of educating the American people on the benefits of continuing the next step to the Fair Tax." …
Herman Cain Can't Be President
In my column for CNN, I explain why Heman Cain can't be President: If Herman Cain had served as governor of Georgia, or even mayor of Atlanta, he'd be a valid and credible candidate for president of the United States. But here's the trouble: he has not held those offices or any other …
The Rookie as the Nominee
Consider this scenario: During midterm elections, voters deliver a stinging rebuke to a Democratic President whose plans to rescue a country from a serious downturn appear to have failed. This leads to record Republican pickups in the House of Representatives. As an economy that once appeared …
Cain's 999 'Plan' is Just a Slogan
At last night's Republican debate, Michele Bachmann said "If you turn 999 upside down, the devil is in the details." It was a clever line. Problem is that when it comes to Herman Cain's 999 plan, there are no details, because there is no plan. What there is is a slightly longer list of talking …