Ginger White's Lawyer Demands Apology
An attorney for Ginger White, the woman who claimed to have a 13-year extramarital affair with Cain, demanded Cain apologize for calling White a "troubled Atlanta businesswoman" and other disparaging remarks.
Exclusive Cain Interview: 'I'm Not Going to Be Silenced'By Patricia Murphy
ADVERTISEMENT
He's out! Herman Cain made it official Saturday after a date night with his wife, Gloria, and a morning meeting with top supporters in Atlanta. Cain announced that he is dropping out of the presidential race amid the drip-drip-drip of scandals that were dogging his candidacy.
Gingrich Praises Cain After Exit
Following Cain's concession speech, former rival Newt Gingrich praised his 9-9-9 plan on Twitter for getting "our country talking about the critical issue of tax reform," adding that he was "proud to know Herman Cain and consider him a friend and I know he will continue to be a powerful voice for years to come.” Jon Huntsman, who had called Cain's allegations "a distraction" last week, also commended him in a statement. During his speech, Cain ominously declared that he will soon make a presidential endorsement. Rick Perry's campaign was the first to pitch itself to Cain's supporters in Georgia and elsewhere, who are lost and disheartened by his decision. “I feel like I’ve thrown my money away,” said a man who had pledged $1,000 to Cain's campaign. State Rep. Scott Plakon, who had backed Tim Pawlenty until getting on the Cain train for the Florida straw poll, said, "I may just focus on my legislative duties now." Former Michigan state representative Jack Hoogendyk, who had helped Cain attract Tea Party supporters, seemed equally lost and not "ready to work for anyone else."
Why Cain FailedBy Howard Kurtz
Back in February, as I watched Herman Cain work a convention pressroom of conservative bloggers, half of whom didn’t bother to look up from their laptops, I could see that the man had an innate charisma—and needed the media as a megaphone. On Saturday, Cain had cable anchors filling time for hours until he finally walked out at his new headquarters in Atlanta and announced he was suspending his presidential campaign—with several hard shots at the media establishment.
Presidential candidates usually like to go out with a bang rather than a wimper. It can be, after all, be the way their entire campaign is remembered.
A politician can impart one final inspirational message to disappointed supporters—like Hillary Clinton’s parting words during the 2008 campaign, when she said, “Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it.” More resentful words can be equally memorable. Although he rebounded to win the presidency six years later, Richard Nixon’s valediction after losing the 1962 California gubernatorial race forever cemented his image as bitter and angry: “You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentleman, this is my last press conference."
Then there’s Herman Cain: He quoted Pokémon: The Movie 2000.
The Mark of CainBy Andrew Sullivan
What legacy does this motivational speaker and former restaurant lobbyist leave in the GOP? At one level, it is great that a conservative black man made it so far in the Republican race—and did so on the basis of one compelling idea: tax simplification. Those two things—along with his surreally great ads—make his candidacy worthwhile, even as performance art.
Was Cain’s Presidential Bid Worth It?By Michelle Goldberg
Yes, sex scandals suspended his presidential ambitions. But did the Herminator manage to get his message across anyway?
That campaign was “designed to give him a platform so he could sell more books,” says Rich Galen, a Republican consultant who in the past has served as press secretary to Dan Quayle and Newt Gingrich. Galen is one of many people to compare Cain’s campaign to The Producers, the Mel Brooks movie turned Broadway smash about a play that was created to flop but became an accidental hit. “It’s the same thing the Herman Cain campaign was counting on,” Galen says. “The campaign was never going anywhere, and he could sell another 50, 60, 70 thousand books, gracefully exit, have a higher name ID, and charge more for speeches.”
Herman Cain's Departure Helps Other CandidatesBy Patricia Murphy
He's out! Herman Cain made it official Saturday after a date night with his wife, Gloria, and a morning meeting with top supporters in Atlanta. Cain announced that he is dropping out of the presidential race amid the drip-drip-drip of scandals that were dogging his candidacy.
In a defiant press conference on Saturday afternoon, Cain announced that he would drop out of the presidential race. With his wife by his side, Cain blamed the "false and untrue allegations" that he claimed are being spun by the media, Cain said he would be "suspending his presidential campaign." Cain called running for president "Plan A," and said he would now explore "Plan B," where he would be speaking to the people directly. Cain said he would soon endorse a candidate for president and it "will not be the current occupant of the White House."
Sex Scandal SaturationBy Howard Kurtz
They flare across the stratosphere like fiery meteors, so many of them now that they collide in our consciousness, their reflected light blinding us all. What was once rare, naughty, and delicious—a sex scandal!—has now become a cultural commonplace, sometimes entertaining, often sickening.
Herman Cain’s Marriage Shaken by Infidelity ChargesBy Allison Samuels
In October, Herman Cain was having the time of his life, according to those who know him well. At the front of the pack running for the 2012 Republican nomination for president, Cain had progressed much further and faster than he’d ever thought he could, given his weak political résumé.
