Damn It Herman!

I have been watching the rise of Herman Cain as a potential Republican candidate as president of the United States and his campaign finds a new way to piss me off everyday. It upsets me because I am assuming that Mr. Cain is actually running in this election to try to be president and not just increase his own profile.

That latest thing that has me up in arms with good old Herman is his statement that President Obama "was raised in Kenya" and that's why "he's out of the mainstream,". Are we really trying to play that game sir? First of all the President was not raised in Kenya and did not live there at any point in his life. After being confronted with this fact, Cain just moved on to saying that Obama's Kenyan father influenced his outlook, as had his education.
"Barack Obama is more of an international. I think he's out of the mainstream and always has been. Look, he was raised in Kenya, his mother was white from Kansas and her family had an influence on him, it's true, but his dad was Kenyan, and when he was going to school he got a lot of fellowships, scholarships, he stayed in the academic environment for a long time. He spent most of his career as an intellectual."
Which whether its true or false because it is meaningless of who his influences are it only matters what he does and the results. Also Herman is Ivy League education shouldn't matter since most national politicians share a similar educational background. Not to mention don't we want the brightest and the best running the country. Who gives a damn that his father was Kenyan? Unless you are racist or believe that foreigners are crazy anarchist who want to destroy America. But hey good old boy Herman is playing to that Tea Party base that may frown upon the president's Kenyan father.

What Mr Cain is doing is playing game of black man saying something crazy about Obama to get more press. The media lately has been obsessed with black people who want to say anything about President Obama that stirs up controversy. Maybe even Tavis Smiley and Cornel West will get on the Herman Cain train.

Herman then goes on to play the "I'm a real black man card" when he says that "Most of the ancestors that I can trace were born here in the United States of America,". He then even goes into "And then it goes back to slavery. And I'm sure my ancestors go all the way back to Africa, but I feel more of an affinity for America than I do for Africa. I'm a black man in America." Being that the president actually grew with the white side of his family, I am pretty sure he got a real dose of what it is to be a black man in America. I am sure that the president feels the same way about himself. He is not playing race but nationality politics and that is stupid. Just campaign on the issues. Then he goes on to say,
"This isn’t why I’m running, but my candidacy would take race off the table. Right now, every time someone criticizes Barack Obama, they try to play the race card, the White House, all his supporters, they try to play the race card."

Well nationality politics and race politics are similar enough, Herman. Also I am pretty sure that race was not a big deal in the 2008 campaign. I am pretty sure that 61% of the white population who happen to make up the majority of the electorate, voted for the black candidate. How you play the issues card Mr. Cain? Can you do that for us? Talk about your Fair Tax idea or something. Trying this angle will not get you many voters.