1st 2012 Presidential Debate Proves What People Are Saying: If You Hear Herman Cain Once, You Will Never Forget Him

Well, the dark horse (as he calls himself) did it.  Highly successful conservative businessman Herman Cain, who until last Thursday night wasn’t even seriously considered as a candidate by the media, blew away the other candidates at the first Republican debate of the 2012 season seen on Fox News Thursday evening May 4, 2011 in South Carolina. 

Pollster Frank Luntz interviewed a focus group of about 30 people afterward and well over half said they had changed their minds as a result of the debate and plan to vote for Herman Cain.  An overwhelming majority of the group consisting of both conservative and moderate Republicans said they were impressed with his straightforward, common-sense responses untainted by political rhetoric.

Media coverage was equally as encouraging for Mr. Cain:

 Human Events first wrote "Cain's outsider status, his clarity in his responses, and his successful past as a businessman who turned around companies that were failing, resonated with an audience that previously did not know much about him," then later wrote “A STAR IS BORN!”

CBS News noted  "Based on the Fox News focus group conducted immediately following the event, Herman Cain is about to run away with the GOP nomination."  But CBS also stated there were two winners of the debate: Herman Cain and Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota.  This, in spite of the fact that the focus group questioned after the debate name Rick Santorum in second place after Cain.

The National Journal Hotline On Call in an article entitled “Yes He Cain” said "An African-American newcomer who brags about his lack of Washington experience bests a field of more seasoned pols. Nope, we're not talking about Barack Obama. We're talking about former pizza king Herman Cain, who dominated the first presidential debate of the 2012 campaign last night in South Carolina..."

Even The Huffington Post agreed that Herman "sent shockwaves" at the debate and suggested “it seems his star may be on the rise on the right side of the aisle.”

Additionally, the term "Herman Cain" trended worldwide on Twitter and became the #2 most searched term on Google in the 24 hours after the debate . Clearly, what people are saying is  true: "If you hear Herman Cain once, you'll never forget him!"

Immediately after the debate, Frank Luntz asked the group (intending to ask the same question about every contender) “How many of you thought Herman Cain won the debate?” Nearly all the hands went up. “Well, we can stop right there,” Luntz said.

To give an example of Mr. Cain’s responses, Juan Williams, one of the questioners, asked Cain about the battle in South Carolina between the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Boeing's plans to locate a new plant there because it is right-to-work state, “Mr. Cain, does the GOP risk the perception it's becoming the union-busting party?”

“We have a free market system,” he said. “And for the government to start picking winners and losers and then trying to decide where those winners should put their business, it's outrageous. And it would upset the balance of how our free market system is supposed to work.

“One of the biggest problems we have with this country right now today is too much government intervention and trying to tell businesses how to do what they do best, which is create jobs.

“Government doesn't create jobs; businesses create jobs. We need to get government out of the way, including trying to tell a company where they should build a new plant.”

The debate hall erupted into cheers and applause in response to this.  Later, the focus group reacted the same way—each holding a dial to register approval or disapproval of statements, spun the dial to its highest approval level.

Another of Cain’s remarks that seemed to go over very well was “I ask people, 'Most of the people that are in elected office in Washington, D.C., they have held public office before. How's that working for you?' ” In response to the laughter that evoked Cain quipped “We have a mess. How about sending a problem-solver to the White House?

It actually appeared to this viewer that the questioners were giving the more well-known politicians more opportunity to speak.   They seemed to direct the questions about the more timely issues to Congressman Ron Paul, Gov.Tim Pawlenty and former Senator Rick Santorum.  Amazingly, in spite of that, Herman Cain still managed to shine.

The debate was apparently viewed as being insignificant by those who are considered the major contenders: Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, and Sarah Palin.  At least, that seems to be the way the public has perceived it.  Mainstream media even reported that House Speaker John Boehner was seen at a D.C. steakhouse during the debate (who knows, maybe he recorded it or watched the late viewing of it on Fox News).

All of the debaters were queried about their opinion about the absence of the supposed first tier of Republican contenders.  They all hinted at some form of disapproval about it but I suspect they secretly felt it actually gave them more opportunity to shine.

Speaking in Iowa a little over a month ago, Herman Cain said he gets criticized being conservative and “for not staying on the Democratic plantation” because of the color of his skin.  He shouted, “It’s not about color, it’s about content of character!”  He also insisted that disagreeing with the President does not make one a racist as the mantra of the mainstream media promulgates. 

Cain stirred some controversy recently when he told reporters that he would not appoint a Muslim to his Cabinet or to the position of a federal judge.  He later backed down from the strength of his comments a bit.

Cain spokeswoman Ellen Carmichael told an interviewer, "Mr. Cain would hire any individual based on his or her qualifications or merit. His sole requirement would be that he or she governs or interprets the law solely within the parameters of the U.S. Constitution."

"Mr. Cain has worked for more than 40 years in the corporate world and he has never had a single issue with workplace discrimination. He has worked side by side with individuals of various faiths, races and backgrounds. If Mr. Cain were president he would adhere to the same philosophy," Carmichael added.

Cain shared in an interview that he thinks his biggest obstacle will be raising sufficient funds.

"A lot of people want to contribute to someone that they think is going to win, rather than to somebody that they want to win. A lot of people want me to win but still don't believe that I can win," he said. "But I got news for them: I have been a long shot all my life, and so being a long shot is nothing new to me."

From extremely modest roots and upbringing, Cain rose to become tremendous leader in the business world by rescuing several high profile businesses from financial straits including Burger King and Godfather’s Pizza.

You can donate to Herman Cain’s campaign on his website:  www.hermancain.com

Please read my other hub articles about Herman Cain.