For Halloween, Ghosts of Sexual Harassment Haunt Herman Cain

Herman Cain spent all of Halloween Monday rearranging the deck chairs on his unsinkable disaster presidential campaign after Politico ran a story on Cain being accused of sexual harassment during his tenure with the National Restaurant Association.

It started with him first responding to the allegations with a "Have you ever been accused of sexual harassment?" As you may recall, this was his plan of action for the "ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan" gotcha question the press was going to hit him with when, you know, they actually asked him something about foreign policy, an important part of the "Leader of the Free World's" job.

While in the case of all those "bekistans" that answer had a bit of "turnabout is fair play/dumb like a fox" feeling going for it, it just looked pathetic here.

What was supposed to sound all unconventionally snarky bad ass in his head, came out as old fashion obfuscation and dunderheadedness. Then the allegations went from "What?" to "Oh yeah, that old thing. I didn't do it. But I don't know about us paying any money to the accusers," to "I hope we didn't pay any money, but if we did, I hope it wasn't much," to "What does settlement mean?" to "Well, yeah. I guess we did pay some money and I knew about it," to "Yeah, I probably did something but it wasn't sexual harassment. Here's what I 'think' I did."

Cain told FOX News' Greta Van Susteren:

"She was in my office one day, and I made a gesture saying -- and I was standing close to her -- and I made a gesture saying you are the same height as my wife.  And I brought my hand up to my chin saying, 'My wife comes up to my chin.'"  At that point, Cain gestured with his flattened palm near his chin.  "And that was put in there [the complaint] as something that made her uncomfortable," Cain said, "something that was in the sexual harassment charge."

At this rate, by Friday we'll learn that Herman Cain isn't really Herman Cain, but a figment of our fevered imaginations from living too long in the Matrix, as he was created by the subconscious of frustrated white conservatives who wanted to accuse the "liberal" media of racism when it's far more likely that this story was fed by either a disgruntled former associate or another conservative trying to bounce him out of the race. I'm guessing Drunk Rick Perry. Perry probably hates that Cain is mucking things up, taking up space with his fake campaign, when Perry is the only one who can raise money to match Mitt "The 1%" Romney's couch cushion change.

Is Cain a sexual harasser? Who knows! He wouldn't be the first if he is. Politics is full of handsy gropers, getting possibly coerced blow jobs from interns. But this is turning into one of those cases where his handling of this old news resurfacing looks much, much worse than simply being accused of making former employees feel uncomfortable enough to accuse you of sexual harassment.

Throughout the day it was repeated that the Cain team knew this story was coming for days, 10 days, according to Politico, who said:

In a series of comments over the past 10 days, Cain and his campaign repeatedly declined to respond directly about whether he ever faced allegations of sexual harassment at the restaurant association. They have also declined to address questions about specific reporting confirming that there were financial settlements in two cases in which women leveled complaints.

And the fact that they had no strategy for dealing with it, even with lead time, is absurd. Did they think that by ignoring Politico they weren't going to print anything? Didn't Cain's team do opposition research on their own candidate so they wouldn't be caught off guard by media accusations?

What am I saying? Of course they didn't. 

Before the Politico story hit, The New York Times rounded up some former staffers who said Cain was chaotic and grossly unprepared. The "Unconventional" Cain acts like questions about foreign policy are "gotcha" questions and that going to sell books in Mississippi makes more sense than shoring up your base in the early primary states when history has demonstrated, repeatedly, that if you blow it on Super Tuesday, you may never make it back up. Ask Rudy Guiliani.

But this dovetails quite nicely into what I wrote about Cain's imaginary candidacy last week -- Priorities. He doesn't have them.

There's "unconventional" and not serious. Cain is not serious.

On that note: Ann Coulter would really like someone to pay attention to her. She totally said something off the wall and offensive about this Cain thing and would like her allotted media attention time for it. Reporters, please file your stories accordingly. Thank you.

Comments

[Guest]

He could have just said from the start...yes, I was accused but acquitted of any wrong doing....then he could have gone into singing that Amazing Grace tune and all would have been quashed...but you've accurately portrayed his responses as dunderheaded. I think the more he talks, the more he digs himself into a deep ditch. In fact, his poor handling of this makes him appear amaturish and puts negative attention on him. That he raised more money--he said--yesterday than any other day means nothing. I bet its a republican indeed who dug up the dirt KNOWING that the win Cain needs to be able to pull in black voters and he will not up against Obama.

[Justice]

In this week’s episode of the Ubeki-beki-beki Twilight Zone, we see our main character Herman Cain making friends with strange bedfellows……..

I thought the Herman Cain elevator was going down slowly until he pushed the elevator express button to the basement. I paused for a moment to wonder what it must be like for ol’ Herman Cain to become instant friends with Ann "JJ's girlfriend" Coulter and Rush Limp-balls. The fact that they are both using the Race Card in Herman Cain’s defense is hilarious at best! When Ann Coulter says “Our Blacks are better than your Blacks” I can barely hold my laughter. That statement reminds me of Miss Lily talking to another slave owner about the caliber of her big black buxom males.

At this point Mr. Cain, I am only concerned with seeing the women who are the accusers……then I can tell you who is truly brainwashed, oh Clarence Thomas follower – you… (Wink and pinch).

BTW Mr. Cain, the song selection for the press conference didn’t quite fit the theme of the event. I think you could have filled the room by singing “Clean Up” (The Canton Spirituals):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWIr63xORpE

Once the accusers are revealed, I may even break into a little spiritual singing myself……..Hallelujah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9R1UhCSyN8&feature=related

Justice

[Sandy]

I just want him to go away. The clumsy way he pronounces words that contain three or more syllables is cause for concern. LOL

And if he feels that it's racism regarding the sexual harrassment charges, he has no one to blame but himself.