Is Herman Cain ready for the presidency of the United States of America? Allegations about past incidents could haunt his Republican candidacy, even though his business experience and personality have drawn support. The road could be rocky for him for two reasons: Lack of trust and of appropriate experience.
The Republican campaign for the nomination has been tough, with candidates taking hard swipes at each other. Part of the reason is that the media plays up the harshest remarks, but the main reason is that the candidates sense that President Barack Obama can be beaten, so the nomination offers a real path to the top.
Cain vaulted from near the bottom of the pack, to become the front-runner in some states, and just behind Romney, in others. His support seemed to come from previous Perry supporters, so it is no surprise that Cain has accused the Perry campaign of orchestrating leaks about sexual harassment incidents in which he was allegedly involved.
There are several things that will impact Cain’s candidacy. The sexual harassment charges are the most potent, in terms of grabbing headlines. It is possible that Cain has been targeted unfairly, either by political opponents or the media.
Some potential supporters will turn away from him because of the charges, but others say that they are convinced that the allegations are only politically motivated. In fact, the allegations have not yet hurt his campaign, since his fundraising increased to more than $2 million last month. Just the same, these charges highlight a problem for Cain. He regularly changes his stories, or says that his comments were meant as a joke.
Other issues about Cain, which have received less attention, may be more important, though. Being president involves many duties. The commander-in-chief must know how the nation and the world will be affected by his decisions. Cain lacks experience in government affairs, so there are questions about whether his experience in policy making is strong enough for him to head our country. Of course, policy consultants are available to help advise our president, but he will still need good judgment, best learned through experience.
Cain has made mistakes on foreign policies. One example is his irresponsible statement about putting up an electrified fence on the Mexican border to kill illegal immigrants. That was not a good remark for a presidential candidate to make, joking or not, if we want to maintain a good relationship with Mexico.
Cain, like President Obama, is a good speaker. Many people like what he says. But a level of trust, in all things, is needed by American voters. And people must believe Cain will be able to compromise with the Democrat’s party leaders and legislators, in order to solve congressional gridlocks in the future.
The economy is still the number one issue in this forthcoming Republican primary election. It is generally harder to get into the political arena for a candidate with only a business background, yet Cain’s experience in business could possibly help him. Cain should know what businesses need in tax and regulatory reforms, bank loans and incentives to increase jobs. Cain has proposed and argued for his 9-9-9 tax plan, but most economists say it would increase taxes for most Americans.
Balancing the budget and increasing jobs will be the number one task for the next presidential term. Cain, like all other candidates, should be specific about what he would cut on entitlement and defense programs, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, to help reduce the huge deficit.
Added tax revenues are needed to balance the budget, along with general tax cuts. Cain must tell voters from where that income will come. Balancing the budget, with an amendment to do so, seems out of reach right now. Any search for economic solutions has to include working with the private sector to find ways to replace our oversized government bureaucracy.
Cain has experience in business, but does not seem to understand global affairs. Dealing with the problems involving Iran, North Korea, Russia, China, Pakistan and African countries will require diplomatic skills to maintain the security and protection of our country’s citizens.
Americans do vote on substance. Right now, we need to get serious about who we select, and who we vote for, to get the economy to grow again. The primaries coming in early spring will indicate how people feel about Herman Cain, the uncertain business climate, and the other candidates seeking the presidency.
— Bernard Featherman is a business columnist for the Journal Tribune and former president of the Biddeford-Saco Chamber of Commerce.
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