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Subscribe to RSSHerman Cain announced Saturday he is suspending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. This suspension comes after weeks of scrutiny over alleged sexual misconduct and accusations of an extramarital affair.
Herman Cain said Saturday that he is suspending his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, choosing to end his campaign after weathering weeks of scrutiny over alleged sexual misconduct and accusations of an extramarital affair.
"As of today, with a lot of prayer and soul searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign," Cain said at an appearance outside his campaign headquarters in Atlanta. "I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distraction, the continued hurt caused on me and my family. Not because we are not fighters."
Cain said he's launching a "plan B" of his public career, a new policy-oriented website called TheCainSolutions.com. He said he will endorse a Republican candidate for president "in the near future." His announcement could lead to the effective end to his campaign, but technically leaves open the option of reviving his bid for the presidency.
"I am not going to be silenced, and I am not going away," he defiantly told disappointed supporters.
Cain's announcement nodded to the continued scrutiny that's surrounded his campaign since a media storm that began on Oct. 31, when POLITICO reported that the National Restaurant Association had settled sexual harassment claims brought by two women against Cain. The former Godfather’s Pizza CEO steadfastly denied the allegations, even as other women – some anonymously – emerged to make similar allegations against Cain. “The charges and the accusations I absolutely reject. They simply didn't happen. They simply did not happen,” the candidate said at a Nov. 8 press conference after Sharon Bialek, a former restaurant association official, publicly detailed harassment claims against Cain.
“As far as these accusations causing me to back off and maybe withdraw from this presidential primary race … ain’t gonna happen,” declared Cain during that address.
VIDEO: Cain denies allegations of sexual harassment
On Nov. 28, an Atlanta woman told a FOX affiliate that she had engaged in a 13-year-long affair with Cain. Ginger White said their relationship had ended only recently, when Cain started to pursue the GOP nomination. Her claims took on an added degree of gravity after Cain acknowledged sending money, without his wife’s knowledge, to White. He maintained the two were merely friends, and had never engaged in a romantic relationship.
Those allegations prompted Cain, who had defiantly pledged to stay in the race and had continually denied any wrongdoing, to take a breath and reflect on the direction of his campaign. He told senior staff on Tuesday that he was taking time to “reassess.” During that “reassessment” period, Cain and his top staffers sent mixed messages about whether that meant the candidate would drop out. The Cain camp then revealed a Friday meeting between the candidate and his wife, Gloria, the first since White made her allegations.
Ahead of that meeting, Cain made this statement during a campaign stop: “Tomorrow in Atlanta I will be making an announcement. But nobody’s gonna get me to make that prematurely … Tomorrow we will be opening our headquarters in northwest Georgia where we will also clarify – there’s that word again, clarify – exactly what the next steps are.”
Cain's wife appeared with him at the announcement, receiving chants of "Glo-ri-a!" from the crowd. Herman Cain said he was "at peace" with his wife, his family, and himself.
"I have made many mistakes in life -- everybody has. I made mistakes professionally, personally, as a candidate, in terms of how I run my campaign. And I take responsibility or the mistakes that I have made," he said. "But because of these false and unproved accusations, it has … had a tremendous painful price on my family."
Cain spoke of his campaign mostly in the past tense throughout his speech, lashing out at the media for fueling the frenzy that became associated with his campaign.
Cain’s decision to abandon his campaign marks a somewhat remarkable reversal of fortunes for what was, by all accounts, an unconventional campaign. Having never been previously elected to office, Cain surged to prominence in a fluid GOP primary season in part due to the strength of his “9-9-9” economic plan. The plan, which calls for a nine percent national sales tax along with nine percent flat taxes on personal and corporate income, became the cornerstone of his campaign.
CARTOON SLIDESHOW: Herman Cain
Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s stumbles in Republican debates this fall helped create an opening for Cain, who ascended to nominal frontrunner status by mid-October, when an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found him leading the Republican field nationally, as the choice of 27 percent of Republicans. Cain’s national success appeared to translate to key primary states, too; a late October Iowa Poll conducted by the Des Moines Register found Cain vying for the lead in the state’s caucuses. (By comparison, a late November poll conducted for the Register found Cain’s support had plummeted to eight percent.)
Cain’s rise had seemingly defied conventional political wisdom, considering the unusual way in which he managed his campaign. The candidate spent little time in traditional primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. Instead, Cain traveled across the U.S., making stops in states like Wisconsin or Ohio, which don’t host meaningful primary contests. And Cain’s decision to effectively put his campaign on hold this fall to pursue a book tour in the thick of the campaign raised eyebrows among political observers.
VIDEO: Cain on "Meet the Press"
During those trips, Cain committed other errors that contributed to rising doubts about the viability of his campaign. Iowa Rep. Steve King, an influential conservative in his state's Jan. 3 caucus, expressed that sentiment on Twitter: "Virtuous or not, declaring in or out, however we feel for him, Herman Cain's campaign is over."
Cain had rather cavalierly said that he didn’t feel the need to understand the intricacies of foreign policy. (“We need a leader, not a reader,” he declared at a mid-November campaign stop.) One particular meeting, with the editors of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, helped cement growing concerns about Cain when he awkwardly stumbled for an answer to a question about how he would assess President Barack Obama’s policy toward Libya.
"President Obama supported the uprising, correct? President Obama called for the removal of (Moammar) Gadhafi. I just wanted to make sure we're talking about the same thing before I say, 'Yes, I agreed' or 'No I didn't agree,'" he said, before stopping himself and reconsidering his answer.
"I got all this stuff twirling around in my head," he explained.
This post was last updated at 2:14 p.m.
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You had to wonder about that big crowd that showed up to give Hermie his big goodbye.As the camera showed all their sad faces I had to wonder how many of them could find thier own ass with both hands and a map
Another turd floats to disgrace, this guy was unqualified. Herman has a split personality and that's a big problem, Cain might be a smart man but hes not a intelligent man. Herman was a distraction to the other candidates, how he got as far as he did is beyond me. PS His 999 plan would have destroyed Americas Economy and possibility our Country. Cain would have cause serious harm to this Nation.
This media attack which remains to be skewed intentionally for the demorat bottomfeeders is pathetic. The media owns the the tabloidism dreggs of society to insure the existance of the media. 90% of the media are liars who exploit the truth to satisfy the mass of gullible demoRATS, union thugs, socialists, atheists and occupiers. I crave for the day when the media is brought to their knees as they hide behind the 1st Amendment to "SELL" garbage. The public buys the media garbage as truth. As for Cain and MANY others who are attacked it is time that the public take a look at those in the media who are not "perfect". Most of them are scum. Including MSNBC.
Put the tin foil hat back on we're coming for you
NoBS is trash over from Fox Trash news, another brainwashed "Enquirer fool"
only a backwards, ignorant, retard would say "hide behind first amendment"....true sign that he has NO IDEA what America is about....
Hey Mrs.Cain- the Tammy Wynette song was 'Stand By Your Man" not "Stand By Your Hoe-ish Man.
Is it true that over 50% of the Black men in Atlanta are gay or bi-sexual ?
WTH??? I'm not surprised about this news? All pols are dirty. He should not suspend his campaign for cheating on his wife. Adultry only initiated him into the Political club. At least he did not go off to another country, is reported missing for days, only to be found shacked up with some 16 year old boy in Thailand and is using his campaing funds to pay for the boys sex change surgery. Only to divorce his wife and run off into the sunset with a mutilated child.
Mr. Shane Cain get your ass in gear because America will fail without you!!
Dr. M.J. Walker, Afro-American Physian . . . .
Now, if Mr. Cain would have "hung out" with communists, and been mentored by the likes of the Rev. Jeremiah "G D America" Wright, and done some 'community organizing, etc.... INSTEAD OF being the successful Chief Executive Officer of major business entities, and seeing a few women on the side, who knows, perhaps he could have been elected to the office of President of the United States.
Stop with the jokes. Even if the allege sexual harassment and the extramarital affair stories didn't surface, Cain wouldn't have made it past the primary election.
cain cant play any more he cheats their all liars cheaters get them all out of there any way possible
That was hilarious, cain is out now obama, pelosi, and reid can all sit around in a circle jerk all the way to re-election, ROFLMFAO!!!!!
Anybody but these anti-American progressive's in 2012!!!!!!
Got any "new" talkin' points, Gary?
"ROFLMFAO!" "ROFLMFAO!" "ROFLMFAO!"??...great, yeah, sure.
Next!
BTW: Obama/Biden in 2012! No doubt!!
From a black perspective, I am so glad that the GOP's black Bozo is gone! Whites loved Herm because he is so stupid. White voters can live with and accept a stupid ni**er, but cannot support an intelligent black. They prefer their blacks to be idiots which is why Obama is unacceptable in their eyes. "Go fetch me a glass of buttermilk boy and be sure to shuffle while you're getting it; now hurry your black ass up!" Barack Obama simply doesn't fit that role since he is a Harvard scholar. Obama's politics have not hurt America so whites harp on the fact that he "apologized" for America's arrogance around the world as he travels. He should apologize because the U.S. has taken innocent lives everywhere its been. Iraq did NOT cause 911 so why were they invaded by Bush? There were no WMD; add the fact that Osama bin-Laden openly claimed responsibility for the attack on the twin towers and yes; someone needed to apologize for killing the innocent!
A fool like Cain't is so loved because he most certainly would have gotten us into even more wars. One has to be a war monger in order to join the GOP!!! But you know what? America wanted no parts of Korea when they offered to take us to war. Bush simply ignored them! Bush wanted oil so he killed Saddam Hussein for nothing. What an @!$%#? Many American troops died as a result of his lies and Bush is the one who should have been hanged in a public square for his crimes against humanity. America ain't that tough, just dirty that's all! Mike Tyson thought he was the baddest dude in the world until James, Buster, Douglas kicked his silly ass; where is Mike now?
Herman Cain is just like many other people in this country. They enjoy attention from someone other than their significant other. Using common sense why would a man or woman have a thirteen year friendship with a person of the opposite sex, give them money and their spouse not know of it? He was having an affair. This is the only thing that makes sense to me. When it comes to affairs Republicans and Democrats are the same! They let their crouch make decisions for them!
Agreed! Too many MEN period, are led by their other head!
I wish Clinton dropped out in 1992. No subprime possibly no 9/11. And just think of the lost time and energy listening to that egocentric mental case. The damage was unreal.....trillions and trillions.
usa1998.com
Any time I see a member of the right wing lunatic fringe use an ultra-conservative zombie site to prop up specious complaints about the Clinton administration, I start to think the GOP has just about given up on this election. If all they have are 12 year old whinings that ignore the massive corruption of the next administration, the game's over. Obama has already won.
They nearly had a GD conniption fit when Clinton launched on OBL and Khadaffy.
uc zombie site. ha.
When was the last time a defendant had four one eye witnesses. he he he he
et al:
It should be considered that one party in particular has not yet been heard from on the issues; the black-American voters have been very silent up til now and I doubt that they, once again, will make any noise until the time is right. At that time, they will turn out in record numbers to support Barack Obama. Here's the thing that many white-American voters simply cannot calculate, and its scary; in today's United States, millions of blacks are married to whites and they tend to vote together, even as a family. In my family; my wife is half white just like Obama, and all nine of our children are registered Democrats. It is true of my entire neighborhood save one or two Republican households. It seems as though my neighbors are part of a commune rather than a community; as though they all came here as a safe haven.
I know of many other communities just like ours. The color line has not only been smeared; it has been eradicated! So, here's the math and it is pretty simple: Let's say that there are 3 million blacks that are married to whites; x 2 could represent 6 million votes and even though the Latin community may not seem to favor Obama, many of them are likewise married to blacks! I call these voters, The Silent Masses; they helped last time Obama ran and I am convinced that they will be heard from again. The GOP has pissed them off by saying stupid sh!t like; they will fry anybody attempting to cross our southern border, or that they will deport them in mass numbers, or that they will not be allowed citizenship; and less we forget, in Arizona, Latinos now face the "papers please law" which adds even more anks to an already volatile situation. The GOP can kiss Latin support goodbye which only further enhances Pres. Obama's chance at re-election because many Latinos are now registered voters. Not a smart move by the re-PUBS!
Oh well, I guess he Cain't.
If a country's future leaders don't have any moral values, what would one expect from the rest of the Society? Unfortunatelly, America is loosing its ethical values at a very fast rate.