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No cameras will be present when Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain sits down with the New Hampshire Union Leader's editorial board tomorrow, NBC News has confirmed. He will become the first major candidate this election cycle to decline that an interview be filmed in a state where cameras at such gatherings have become commonplace.
The decision to ban cameras from tomorrow's meeting was made by the campaign just two days after Cain drew heat for a shaky answer he gave editors of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after being asked if he agreed with how President Obama handled Libya.
After the question was asked, Cain took a long pause before answering. When he did begin to speak, Cain asked for clarification and at one point said, "I do not agree with the way he handled it for the following reason -- nope, that's a different one." He added, "I got all this stuff twirling around in my head."
As for tomorrow's meeting, campaign spokesman JD Gordon told NBC News, "When [Cain's] pauses make national news, you have to look at why you do the things you do."
Gordon told reporters that Cain's answer on Libya had been taken out of context during the more than 30 minute interview. Cain, the campaign said, had gotten only four hours of sleep and ultimately answered the question correctly.
However, when speaking to reporters yesterday in Iowa, the former businessman remained defiant that there was nothing wrong with his response.
"I don't understand why that pause created so much quote unquote controversy," Cain said.
Banning cameras from the meeting will likely do little to quiet Cain critics who say his answers were much more than a small pause and further proof he does not have a thorough grasp of foreign policy.
"No one said you need to have cameras at an editorial board meeting," Cain's spokesman Gordon said.
However, cameras at editorial meetings have become standard practice in New Hampshire. When Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum met with the Union Leader's editorial board earlier this fall, C-SPAN broadcast the interviews. Today, Jon Huntsman participated in a Nashua Telegraph editorial board meeting, which was streamed live on the web.
"I cannot think of a single candidate who has refused an editorial board meeting," said James Pindell, political director at WMUR, a local station in New Hampshire. Pindell has covered three primary cycles in the Granite State.
The Union Leader publisher, Joe McQuaid, who organizes the editorial board meetings was not immediately available for comment.
Yesterday, McQuaid did express surprise at the Cain campaign's decision via Twitter. "Herman Cain doesn't want C-SPAN taping his interview here on Thursday. What's up with that?" he asked.
The Union Leader is the only state wide daily newspaper in New Hampshire. Its editorial board endorsement is the most sought after support by a local news organization ahead of the New Hampshire Republican primary.
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"Cain, the campaign said, had gotten only four hours of sleep and ultimately answered the question correctly."
Is this the new excuse? Didn't Rep. Walsh claim that he lost his temper during a town hall due to lack of sleep? Wait. He blamed his temper on lack of food.
Amazing the AP will not cover this story, but will pounce all over skanks that falsly accused Cain. Hmmmmm.
The “DLC” at Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ was a place where closeted gay men of public prominence can meet guys for sex and fun without blowing their covers. These are NOT male prostitutes…but rather young men who want to get ahead in politics
Gay doctors, lawyers, football players, and politicians were all introduced to other closeted gay men…all of whom were usually married John Travolta/Tom Cruise/Rock Hudson style. The “DLC” set these guys up as “buddies”, so they could have their wives and public images while getting up to all their mano-y-mano shenanigans, too. The black community is extremely bigoted and homophobic in general — much more so than the rest of American society. Gays are actively hated in churches like Trinity United, but efforts like the DLC are seen as endeavors to “cure” these men…or at the very least keep their activities within the club so that they are not putting themselves or their wives at risk by doing things in bathhouses, back alleys, or in sex clubs like “The Hole”.
Globe magazine and other publications have put together concrete evidence of Obama’s membership in the “DLC” at Trinity United. Maybe they were able to infiltrate the church and get people to talk on record. That would be impressive, because church members are terrified about talking on the record on this subject.
Even his wife is not convinced he would make a good president. (see Fox interview) But he was really in this to sell books and because his buddy Block said "Hey, I know what would be fun, let's run for President".
Cain has plans, he saw how Sister Sarah only served half a governorship and quit to make a lot of money selling books and he wants a piece of her pie, errr,,,, the pie. So his plans are, 1 serve half the presidency, 2, quit and sell books, it pays better than the presidents job and 3, get more pie.
taking a page out of Obama transparency...
Obama just gave a speech before the Australian Parliament, with a camera! Changing the subject isn't going to cover up Cain's incompetence! Turning off the camera at an interview only exposes him more!
They may ask a hard question.
"Do you want breadsticks and a 2 litre soda with your order???"
In addition to being a bully, we now know he's a coward as well.
Driving nails into his own coffin. Did his 'handlers' not learn anything from Palin's campaigning last go round?
Crawling under the carpet when the spotlight is on you is not going to create much confidence in his 'leadership' ability.
just shows you how desperate they are. Do the interview, we'll just have to "imagine" what he looked like when he's himmmming and hawwwwing...shifting in his chair and all... pizza man has overloaded his toppings!!!!!!
What a stupid comment.
No wonder Kodak will be out of business.
MSN. Stop complaining. Respect the requests of the candidates, all of them. I have seem some of the stupidest photos of the candidates. It is obvious that you all are doing this on purpose. Stop trying to BE the story.
MSNBC you must review these posts there are terrible racist comments made. It is wrong to allow them to stay.
While I'm not a Cain supporter, I find it interesting that this makes the news yet, after Obama promised a full and public debate of the Obamacare bill was closed to the public, press and CSpan, nothing was mentioned here.
Exactly, there is even a story about Polar Bears and climate change in the news with no mention of Obama, when will this liberal conspiracy end??
Really?? No public debate on "Obamacare"? So where did "killing Grandma" come from? Or "socialized medicine? All the townhall meeting that were televised must have been faked. How about sticking with facts.
If a candidate can't face the cameras now, what is he/she running for the highest office for? The most basic of things we expect from our elected officials is transparency. If one starts this early to abdicate that very notion, then they are not fit for the office.
When any candidate declines to be in front of a camera you know it's bad.
Cain ,don't worry,next time the journalists will ask you questions about spaghetti, pizza and French fries.I'm sure that you're going to give interesting answers.
Can anyone blame him? Apparently, cameras are a liberal media plot to make him look bad.
OK herm just get out of the race if you can't go on camera . duh
It's like a wrapped present. You don't know what it is until you open it.
Surprise! I'm your presidential nominee!
Except this one doesn't come with a gift receipt, so you can't return it.
So basically you are calling it a blind date?
You Dems are spoiling the fun by ridiculing the GOP candidates this early. If this keeps on, there will be no punching bag on game day in 2012. Please save your excitement (grin).
As a citizen, I am embarrased for the GOP. I now they have better people than this crop that can do real damage on this POTUS but their electorate is too foolish to realize it and it's bad for the country. We need people who can give us real alternate choices on solving the country's problems not soundbites.
Herman Cain...The Republican party Fred Sanford..."Lamont!"..only Fred was a bit brighter.
Cain os toast! The only ones who don't seem to be aware of that fact are Cain and his staff.
All of David Koch's money couldn't make Cain electable. If Koch had really wanted a viable candidate, he should have looked for someone with an IQ bigger than their shoe size.
Of course, that would eliminate nearly all of the current crop of republicans, wouldn't it?
Herman Herman, you can't hide forever! You want to be the president! This is like admitting that your not smart enough to handle an interview! Your campaign people must be in a "pause mode" that's longer than the one you had!
You can't hide from your ignorance Herman.
Herman, David Kock called he wants his money back.
"Crazy Cain" does not like to read!!! This individual is not Presidential at all! "Crazy Cain" is a mentally ill individual that supports ignorance, and he is Cognitively Disabled. Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! The Party Of NO has got to GO!!!