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Clearing up the Cain Confusion

11/4/2011

3 Comments

 
Easy does it, everyone.  Americans are old hands at political scandal, so let's draw from our collective experience and handle this one in a fair and rational way.  There are three issues to consider about the sexual harassment charges made in the 1990's against Herman Cain.  Considering them separately is the tool we need to tone down the dialogue.
Picture
Presidential candidate Herman Cain

WHAT ARE THE THREE KEY QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING THE HERMAN CAIN HARASSMENT STORY?

  1. The original accusations of sexual harassment.
  2. The recent report by Politico that they occurred.
  3. The fallout.

1. Concerning the original charges.  For now we don't have enough facts to fairly evaluate the case.  We can’t judge the veracity of the accusations, or how they might reflect on Cain's suitability for office.  Significant settlements were made, but sometimes parties settle just to stay out of court. Any statements about the merits of the case itself – by Cain's detractors or supporters - currently have no value.

2. Concerning the 10/31 Politico story reporting the charges.  Stories like this are part of the territory of running for office. They aren’t “attacks” if they report an event that took place. It is fair for the public to be interested in the past legal entanglements of a presidential candidate, and the duty of the press to report on them. Politico is not a tabloid rag.  They delivered this piece in a style consistent with all of their reporting.  It included descriptions of the tone of the response they and others got from the Cain camp, but it was factual and sourced. 

3. Concerning the fallout.  Any one of us, let alone professional campaign staff, could have predicted how this would go.  For better or worse, this is how we do it in this country. If you run for office, no stone in your life is left unturned.  Cain and his crew should have been prepared with a defusing response before he even announced his run.  After now-legendary bumbling on Cain’s part, his conservative media supporters didn't do him any favors with their bizarre commentary.  They injected the question of racial victimization into a story about a candidate who has doggedly insisted that it “shouldn't always be about color.”  They made a convoluted connection between points one and two above, suggesting that the accusations themselves, which occurred in the 90's, were part of a liberal conspiracy to destroy a presidential candidate in 2011.

We all know where this goes from here.  It gets increasingly complicated, and sordid.  We should take responsibility as citizens to keep carefully separating points one and two above.  On the first point, we will inevitably hear more about the charges, and Republican voters can decide for themselves how they reflect on Herman Cain as a potential President.  On the second point, all of us should pay attention to who in the media handles the story with integrity.


3 Comments
Vincent
11/4/2011 06:02:24 am

I agree with the above very closely. And if we want an officeholder that has nothing, nothing whatsoever in his or her closet, we should nominate God for all open offices.

I wasn't clear whether Cain himself was muzzled by whatever the settlement was and if he is, we'll just have to decide if it was a big enough deal not to vote for him.
Well, for that reason anyway.
I'll not vote for him because I think his political ideas are eye-popping, jaw-dropping whackadoodle scary comedy.

But if he wasn't muzzled, it would be NICE of him to be forthright. As it is, people may imagine the best or worst of the situation and many who might otherwise be supporters will perhaps not be, "just to be safe".
As well, not coming forward, again, if he is able, would understandably make people guess at the worst.

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Greg Dant
11/4/2011 10:38:23 am

Congratulations. I think this piece represents some of your most balanced, thoughtful, and thought-provoking writing (at least that I have read). Only time will tell how this whole thing plays out for Cain.

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Carol
11/4/2011 10:45:53 pm

Nice post! If he has a pattern of sexual harassment, I'm glad its coming out as a way of clarifying for people who don't get it what is appropriate and inappropriate. If he is being unfairly accused, I feel quite sorry for him, but it does not seem to me to be related to race. But there is so much racism in our society, so much hidden, subtle, subconscious racism, I don't know how to say when something is or isn't. There is certainly clear racism in some of the fallout discussion, ie Ann Coulter's "our blacks are so much better than their blacks."

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