Posted by
Steve on Monday, September 26, 2011 12:04:42 PM
Late last week, Herman Cain won the Florida straw poll known as “P-5”. What is the significance of the P-5 poll? Every person who has won that poll has gone on to be the Republican nominee for President. That Herman Cain won was a major upset. Rick Perry had been the front runner. There is something very wrong with the Rick Perry campaign. He does not seem to be able to handle the flak from the other candidates. If he cannot handle the flak from fellow Republicans, he would never withstand the major flak from Obama.
Maybe we need to look a little closer at Herman Cain. I have always liked his positions, but he is weak on experience in government. He has never held an elective office. That is never a disqualification, but Obama’s first problem was that he had no experience. Putting a candidate up with no experience would not help that criticism.
Herman Cain does have extensive experience in business. His major claim to fame was that he ran Godfather’s Pizza chain and made it profitable. In the highly competitive world of pizza, that is a major accomplishment. That does give him credibility when he says he can cut the government and still deliver the services that are needed.
His latest occupation is as a talk show host. Talk show hosts have to be well prepared and knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics. It also has made him quick on his feet in the “debates”. In the debates his biggest problem is foreign affairs where he shows some lack of knowledge and understanding of the situation.
None of Herman Cain’s weaknesses are fatal. They are all correctable by study and the right staff to work with him. Right now, he has had to operate on a shoe string due to a lack of funding. This victory in the P-5 poll may give him more financial backing which would enable him to get better staff work. Better staff work leads to fewer gaffs in public. Or, at least it does unless the candidate is gaff prone like Joe Biden on the Democrat side or Michele Bachmann on our side. A gaff is an unforced error. It can cost you an election if the gaff is made at the wrong time and is easily recognized. Gerald Ford made one in a debate with Jimmy Carter and it probably cost him enough votes to win the election. So, preventing gaffs should be a priority in any campaign. Gaffs happen to any campaign and to any candidate. Candidates get tired and make mistakes. A great staff can smooth out a gaff before it takes root and grows.
Mitt Romney won a poll in Michigan. That is to be expected. He and his father are still well respected in Michigan for what they did for Michigan and the auto industry.
There seems to be some changing of the guard right now in the Republican ranks. Rick Perry is losing some luster. Chris Christy is talking about getting in the race. He is great in person and in fiscal matters. I love his singular destruction of the education unions in New Jersey. I am not sure about Gov. Christy when it comes to social matters. There is still a long time before I have to make a vote. I am still unsure who is best. The race is a marathon, not a sprint. Who is ahead now does not mean that person will win in the end.