Topic: Cain: Oh, BTW, the woman who's about to accuse me of a 13 year affair is lying

[AlanS]

You mean to tell me you guys are actually buy the crap this "woman" is putting out?

[BMG]

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/284321/breaking-cain-reassessing-candidacy-robert-costa

In a conference call this morning, Herman Cain told his senior staff that he is “reassessing” whether to remain in the race. He will make his final decision “over the next several days.”

At this point it doesn't matter whether I think he would be good in the office or not. At this point, it appears as though a simple smear campaign with no basis in reality (at least none that is verifiable with any shred of proof as yet) has succeeded in running a candidate from his campaign. Not that something like that hasn't been done before...but what gets me is that the VAST majority of the media has been complicit in the whole thing. Sure, the media has done such things before by I don't think to this scale and with so very little actual proof. Basically the media has gotten away with ejecting a person from the campaign for the president of the US simply by claiming he did something that isn't (at this point anyway) even a serious deal...and that's all they had...an unsupportable claim.

[AmericanPatriot]

Assessing whether to leave the race makes me wonder if there isn't something to this one

[IronDioPriest]

You mean to tell me you guys are actually buy the crap this "woman" is putting out?

I do, yes... Text messaging every couple days; calling himself "Hermie"; his wife is unaware of the "friendship"; Saying he was trying to "help her financially" for 13 years; Cain's lawyer issuing a non-denial/denial prior to the woman coming forward...

All signs point to yes. I'm not passing judgment or saying definitively. But it is beginning to appear that Mr. Cain has a problem with fidelity to his beautiful wife and family.

[BMG]

It doesn't much matter if this latest charge against Cain is true or not. If it is, it was a consensual affair. There was nothing illegal about it from what I've read so far. So it comes back to what I said in my last post on the subject...

...the media has the power to pick and choose our candidates there is no question about that after having seen the way Cain has been handled. In the past there was always a sense of such a thing and certainly there was the notion that the media could at least influence elections. But in this case (and as far as I know this is the first time to this degree), the media is actually choosing a candidate for us by omitting other candidates.

[Libertas]

he should go nuclear, whip out names and photos of every hot babe on the planet and brag about nailing them, leave it up to them to deny it, throw a lot of well known proglodytes into the mix too, could be a hell of a good show!

 

 

[trapeze]

You mean to tell me you guys are actually buy the crap this "woman" is putting out?

As I stated earlier, Alan, the Cain train left the station quite a while back for me. He didn't take running for office seriously and therefore was not worthy of my serious consideration.

As regards "this woman," again, as I stated earlier, this one is different. I will be pleasantly surprised if it all blows up and turns out to be totally fabricated but I wouldn't wager money in that direction. If I were going to put money down on the situation at this particular point I would bet against Cain being innocent.

And it just doesn't matter after that. We aren't libs. Morality and integrity matter to conservatives. We know that if a man is dishonest in his personal relationships then he is not trustworthy with the responsibilities that come with high elected office.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the latest bimbo's tale is true. That means that Cain has been living a lie for the last decade plus. That means that he has very likely lied to the faces of his campaign staff within the last three weeks. Certainly after the initial (probably fake) revelations Cain would have been asked by his senior staff if there was anything else out there that might come out. If he told them that there was nothing then he lied to them.

Telling the truth is a big thing to me. I have literally walked away from established business relationships when I discovered that I was being lied to. The money to be made wasn't worth it because I could no longer believe that I was being dealt with honestly. I will not invest my time, money and vote in someone who demonstrates that they are dishonest in their interpersonal relationships.

Extramarital affairs are a serious deal breaker for me. The character flaw involved is a big one. It involves years of careful deception and deceit. There is absolutely no way that I would support someone who acted in such a way. And yeah, there is a big difference between someone who has a momentary lapse of reason and someone who WORKS at it for over a decade. There is a difference between someone who, their marriage being essentially dead, plays the field while a separation and divorce is pending (mutual spousal knowledge) and someone who makes regular hookups out of town for a decade or more.

Seriously, if your spousal relationship is so miserable that you have to seek satisfaction elsewhere (for years) then man up and get a divorce.

The problem for Cain is that he wanted the best of both worlds. He wanted to be the upstanding pillar of the community, the business leader with integrity, the church pastor, the best-selling author, etc. but he also wanted to get his end wet with whomever he could cajole into a hotel room. The notion that you can live such a double life forever with no consequences is narcissistic...yet another unacceptable character flaw.

IF he is guilty.

And he probably is. It certainly doesn't look good.

But no, this isn't the thing that put me off of Cain. It will be something that I can point to in the future, though, and breath a sigh of relief that I made the right decision earlier. There will be no remorse for me that I dropped Cain from consideration. Not ever.

[BigAlSouth]

Look, assuming that Cain's assessment of the relationship was that of a "friendship" and not physical, I find his meeting this woman at hotels alone very troubling. Unless his wife knew about this "friendship", then Mr. Cain stepped over the line of marital fidelity. Even a platonic, intimate, non-physical relationship is very dangerous in a committed marriage. You know, they always say "they are just friends" but the truthfully they are probably "friends with benefits".

[trapeze]

Look, assuming that Cain's assessment of the relationship was that of a "friendship" and not physical, I find his meeting this woman at hotels alone very troubling. Unless his wife knew about this "friendship", then Mr. Cain stepped over the line of marital fidelity. Even a platonic, intimate, non-physical relationship is very dangerous in a committed marriage. You know, they always say "they are just friends" but the truthfully they are probably "friends with benefits".

Your scenario suggests a very serious lapse in judgement. Not exactly presidential.

[Damn_Lucky]

Can I get butter and jam with my toast?     

[Glock32]

He's done. And I agree with Trap, my enthusiasm for him was starting to falter before all this. I don't want to fall into the tempting pattern of thinking that because the current occupant of the White House is so awful, I can excuse potential challengers for seemingly lacking the solemn, serious demeanor required for the office of POTUS.

Any chance of Bachmann moving back up to the front if Cain drops out? One would think she is the one likely to benefit most from Cain's supporters.

[IronDioPriest]

...There will be no remorse for me that I dropped Cain from consideration. Not ever.

My regret re; Cain is that he didn't pan out to be who it appeared he might be at the outset. My bigger regret is that he has quite possibly mortally wounded the notion of a private citizen being elected to high office without the benefit of working up through the party ranks.

[charlesoakwood]

It's rough.  If he had been a serious candidate once or twice or once elected
he would have received a thorough ectomy, had most of it under the bridge
and been prepared for what was coming.

I think he's a good man and he was a big threat to Obama, the Establishment
Republicans, and each individual candidate; it was a truly Herculean venture.

[Alphabet Soup]

OK, so a while ago I postulated that Cain might (how can I put this delicately?) fancy himself to be a ladies' man. I was operating on the premise that "with smoke there's fire" in the wake of more and more (and more) allegations of inappropriate behavior towards females.

I was still discounting the bulk of the rhetoric because most of what they were claiming appeared coached and incendiary - staged, but with the increasing weight of evidence surely some off it had to have some element off truth?

And it was his responses to the inquiries that spiked my doubts. It seemed to me that, despite his denials, his answers increasingly convey the pretense that he didn't believe that he had done anything wrong, but that he had to try to disguise his true behavior for appearances sake.

In spite of all that I too still think he's a good man and I'd trust him with our country before I'd trust Øbozo with my dirty cat box.

But I'm drifting afield. My question:

If Cain had been up-front about his dalliances with the women would it have made a difference?

[Pandora]

If Cain had been up-front about his dalliances with the women would it have made a difference?

Depends.  How long ago was this alleged 13-year 'dalliance'?  Long enough ego that he'd have had time to confess his sins, done penance, and amended his life (Amen!)?

So, there's that, and I have a question based on something I've read elsewhere, that this while this 'dalliance' supposedly was conducted, he was undergoing chemo for his cancer.  Anybody have a correct read on the chronology?

[Glock32]

If Cain had been up-front about his dalliances with the women would it have made a difference?

IMO, no. Marital infidelity speaks to a character trait that is undesirable in the office of President. I also think it wouldn't have made a difference in the media coverage either, because Republicans are not allowed to have the same moral failings as Democrats. From the media's perspective, Republicans who falter are the truly despicable ones since much of their ideology is grounded on personal morality and responsibility; Democrats who are habitual philanderers on the other hand, are feted simply because they never make any pretenses to that sort of morality.

[Sectionhand]

Your scenario suggests a very serious lapse in judgement. Not exactly presidential.

Historically most men have waited until they've spent a few years in the White House before tarnishing their image . Cain obviously believes in dispensing with the preliminaries .

[John Florida]

Your scenario suggests a very serious lapse in judgement. Not exactly presidential.

Historically most men have waited until they've spent a few years in the White House before tarnishing their image . Cain obviously believes in dispensing with the preliminaries .

 He sure wasn't thinking about running for POTUS when this all happened if it did at all.

[Libertas]

Your scenario suggests a very serious lapse in judgement. Not exactly presidential.

Historically most men have waited until they've spent a few years in the White House before tarnishing their image . Cain obviously believes in dispensing with the preliminaries .

 

[Predator Don]

I'll admit I get frustrated over the fact morality and integrity seem to be a one way street as far as media coverage, or for that matter liberals in general.
I'm also frustrated, because in vetting Cain, it is not innocent until proven guilty. A media induced public perception has labeled him guilty. He may be guilty but it isn't the point. It is about a few % points, which renders him with an impotent candidacy.

So it really doesn't matter when each of us decide if Cain is a qualified candidate, worthy of our support. His fate was pre determined.