Networks Pounce on 'Awkward' Herman Cain Moment, Question His 'Grasp' and 'Readiness'
All three morning shows on Tuesday and the evening newscasts on Monday pounced on an "awkward" Herman Cain interview that questioned the Republican's "readiness to be commander in chief." Combined, the programs offered 11 segments on the subject. The same networks have yet to investigate Barack Obama's arrogant assertion that America has gotten "lazy" in regard to foreign investments.
Good Morning America's John Berman on Tuesday played a clip of Cain struggling to answer a question about Libya and how he would have handled the uprising there. Berman gloated, "You know, just when you thought you've seen the last epic video moment of this campaign. Herman Cain is taking his turn on the highlight or lowlight reels."
Today's Ann Curry fretted,"The awkward moment that has some people wondering if the stress of the campaign has gotten to [Cain]."
NBC's Kelly O'Donnell deemed it a "lapse that raises questions about his readiness to be commander in chief." She also made sure to explain that Cain looked "unsure and uncomfortable."
On CBS's Early Show, Dean Reynolds piled on: "With his polling numbers sinking, the last thing Herman Cain needs is to open a new avenue of questions about him and his grasp of big issues."
In a follow-up segment, Erica Hill expressed concern: "What's really going on here with Herman Cain? Can he recover from this?"
All three evening newscasts offered full reports on the video, which included Cain struggling to explain his position on Libya and exclaiming, "Got all this stuff twirling around in my head."
On Monday's World News, Berman played off a clip of Cain's daughter describing the whole campaign process as "shocking." Berman intoned, "Shocking, like the political odyssey of Herman Cain."
The morning shows on Tuesday did manage to weave in comments from Victor Zuckerman, the former boyfriend of sexual harassment accuser Sharon Bialek. GMA's Berman taunted, "One thing that might be keeping [Cain] awake, a man has now come forward corroborating the claims of one of the women who says she was sexually harassed by Cain."
A transcript of the November 15 GMA segment can be found below:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓ROBIN ROBERTS: Now, to politics. Your voice, your vote. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, his boost right now in the polls coming at the expense of Herman Cain who is plunging in the polls. ABC's John Berman has more on another unpredictable turn in the GOP race. John?
JOHN BERMAN: Good morning, Robin. You know, just when you thought you've seen the last epic video moment of this campaign. Herman Cain is taking his turn on the highlight or lowlight reels. And it could not come at a worse time for him, right at what someday be called the dawn of the age of Newt. Herman Cain is known for his way with words.
HERMAN CAIN: Hello. Hello.
BERMAN: But when faced with questions about Libya from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel-
CAIN: Okay, Libya.
BERMAN: He seems to have lost his way. Was he tired?
CAIN: Um, no. That's a different one.
BERMAN: Overloaded?
CAIN: Got all this stuff twirling around in my head.
BERMAN: Cain later tried to downplay the Libya word lag.
CAIN: You know, it's really complimentary when people start documenting my pauses.
BERMAN: His campaign says he was going on just four hours' sleep. One thing that might be keeping him awake, a man has now come forward corroborating the claims of one of the women who says she was sexually harassed by Cain.
VICTOR ZUCKERMAN (Fmr. Boyfriend of Cain accuser Sharon Bialek): She said that something had happened and that Mr. Cain had touched her in an inappropriate manner.
BERMAN: In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, more voters say they believe his accusers than believe Cain, by an 11-point margin. And in a different, new poll, Cain has slipped to third place, behind a surging Newt Gingrich.
NEWT GINGRICH: This is a wild race.
BERMAN: A block Republican voters seem indeed in a something like anyone but Mitt Romney game of speed dating. Bachelor number one, Rick Perry, who topped Romney in the polls in September. Next up, Herman Cain, Mr. October. But now, November could be for Newt.
MATT DOWD: Newt Gingrich, I think, has the capacity to have a staying power unlike the others in this race because of his experience at the national level.
BERMAN: And now, the latest poll out of Iowa basically shows a four-way tie there with Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. So, Robin, maybe this game of speed dating will go on for some time.
ROBERTS: Stay tuned, right, John?
BERMAN: Absolutely.
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Comments
Nothing is more threatening
Submitted by liberalsarefunny on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 1:13pm.
Nothing is more threatening to guilty white liberals than a black person who wanders off the liberal plantation and finally figures out that he can do just fine on his own, without his condescending white liberal overseers and their family destroying policies.
Therefore.......Herman Cain must be destroyed, at all costs!!
The Race Industry must be preserved, at all costs!!
I guess he needs to lie
Submitted by dmacleo on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 1:16pm.
because taking the time to formulate an answer, instead of spitting out talking points, is now considered bad...
Herman Cain is far more qualified
Submitted by Willis_Leon_Johnson on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 1:19pm.
To be President than any of the so-called journalists are to qualified to be ... journalists... Those people do not even rise to the level of ignorant, and quite often show tha same brain wave patterns of a person that has been comatose for 20 years.
Cancer will never be 'cured' because too many high paying jobs will disappear.
RACISM IN AMERICA will never be cured for exactly the same reason. Too many politicians and 'journalists' make too much money from it.
End 'gun violence in America' - Require training and MANDATORY "Shall Carry" by every Citizen.
If harry reid is the best person to lead the senate, what does that say about the other 99 senators?
It's true....
Submitted by liberalsarefunny on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 1:47pm.
It's true that Cain is not a skilled liar.
This puts him at a disadvantage.
According
Submitted by grammajane on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 1:49pm.
to the elite, smart and educated commander-in-chief, Hawaii is now part of Asia.Seems I missed that in my 6th grade civics class.
well..
Submitted by kata on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 1:52pm.
He seemed tired. It was hard to watch. I wish Mr. Cain had spent less time worrying about technical/legal aspects and went with principles regarding the Libyan objectives and then steered immediately into the current aftermath. He seems more and more worried about being led into gotcha questions and ends up having to re-state things. Eventually a candidate has to shed that and turn it back around on the reporter. If they can't do that, they're going to lose the message they want to send and the liberal media will control it from then on.
That aside, the gloating is obvious, unprofessional and disgusting. Having successfully steered the GOP to McCain, the MSM has gotten so big for its britches that they are dragging them around in the open.
Given that our current President has a ridiculous number of gaffes, which they have either declined to report on on - or presented the excuse "Obama was tired" (such as for the "57 states" gaffe) I'd ask for the same slack to be cut - but it's quite obvious that Republicans will always be held to a higher standard.
Cain's Palin moment -
Submitted by Agnostic on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 2:56pm.
IMHO, Cain is becoming increasingly aware of the possibility that every question is an attempt to discredit him and since he is a straight talker he is over thinking his responses wondering, "What is the angle?". It takes him away from being himself and makes him look confused.
Once again I don't think Cain is getting good advice. He needs to continue to be himself and let the chips fall.
Whatever the reason, he's going to have to get better . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 5:24pm.
. . . at responding to questions regarding foreign affairs.
quite true.
Submitted by kata on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 6:10pm.
.
foreign affairs
Submitted by Agnostic on Wed, 11/16/2011 - 8:37am.
Absolutely, but more to the point for me is who is going to be there for him when he needs advisors. Right now he needs a Bolton or Newt in his ear for the foreign affair question and while I don't think Newt would help him out more than he already has there are options. Rice may be a good option but I'm not sure she would be a supporter of Cain in these primaries.
As compared to who? The Dear Ruler?
Submitted by Dave. on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 9:26pm.
Herman Cain on his worst day would be a better POTUS than Barry Soetoro Hussein Obama is on his best day.
The Hermanator loves America while the current POTUS loathes everything about it that is good.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Just can't blame him
Submitted by pockets64 on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 2:37pm.
It seems like just last week when they were complaining about Cain having too firm a "grasp of the big issue."
Hawaii is now part of Asia according to Obama
Submitted by OxyCon on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 4:13pm.
...and he grew up there!
Of course, the media will not mock him for this gaffe, but instead, if they mention it at all will say that Obama is right somehow...Hawaii really is part of Asia!
Cain reminds me of Chancey Gardner
Submitted by lrgon on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 4:38pm.
whose imbecilic utterings were treated by some self-deluded folks as profound. His 999 plan is typical Chauncey Gardner's garden metaphors: "all is well in the garden." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgGvd1UPZ88&feature=fvwp&NR=1
"All will be well in the garden"--Chauncey Gardner
Submitted by lrgon on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 5:00pm.
One week before the market went belly up Herman "the gardner" Cain said the economy was doing quite well; TARP was necessary and said of his critics that they were just "free market purists." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgGvd1UPZ88&feature=fvwp&NR=1
This is a guy running for president that said during an historic world-wide economic tsunami that "all will be well in the garden" just like Chauncey Gardner. Mind you that this was one week before it occurred!
I may end up persona non
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 11/15/2011 - 5:17pm.
I may end up persona non grata, but I disagree with just about everyone here.
Yes, he was tired, but to claim that he was simply not spitting out talking points, or was worried about it being a "gotcha" question doesn't cut it.
When you couple this with Cain's repeated answers that involve turning to his advisors, who will be the best available, one can't be blamed for comint to the conclusion that at least at present, he is unprepared. His campaign's turning to the old "out of context" tactic was blatantly spin. He was asked a question, he (sort of) answered it. That's the context; you can't spin it.
Now it may be true that, as in Clinton's time, "It's the economy, stupid," and maybe that argument can and should be made. And one can certainly argue that the media have seized upon this with glee.
But let's not kid ourselves that this was anything but a disaster for Cain.