Herman Cain on Libya

[BubberMiley]

Everybody has portrayed it as a total meltdown, but it just seems to me he was tired. It's kind of funny how he had all that stuff "twirling around" in his head, and had to go back in there and see what he thinks. It was odd how he criticized Obama's approach at first and by the end was saying he didn't know whether Obama was correct or not. All in all, I guess he appeared less than prepared to be president, but he certainly doesn't seem as stupid as Rick Perry.

[olp1fan]

It's not that he's tired its that he is old. he is 65 so his memory is a bit loose

remember this is a guy that didn't know (or forgot) China has nukes and has had them since the 60s

[Smallc]

I'm sorry, but this guy seems far more stupid than Rick Perry....Rick Perry is strange, and forgetful. This guy is just plain dumb.

[DogOnPorch]

Every Republican candidate is a space-case one way or another. I guess a smart Republican is too smart to want the thankless job.

[Bonam]

They're both pretty unintelligent. But this example of cain is not nearly as bad as perry's gaffe.

[cybercoma]

Again, I don't think these people are dumb. There are so many issues that they have to be able to speak about at length. Most people probably couldn't even give an opinion on the range of issues they need to be able to debate. Add to that the fact they're constantly being heavily scrutinzed (as they should be) and you're bound to make these kinds of errors. Remembering all of these things off the cuff and speaking at length about them comes down to experience campaigning for the Presidency. I don't think he's stupid. He's just inexperienced. It's not easy running for President (in this case the nomination for President).

[cybercoma]

Don't get me wrong. When he does state his positions, those are pretty stupid. He's not inherently stupid himself though.

[olp1fan]

I don't believe that he sexually harassed any of those women

[Bonam]

Again, I don't think these people are dumb. There are so many issues that they have to be able to speak about at length. Most people probably couldn't even give an opinion on the range of issues they need to be able to debate.

Most of us on this forum don't seem to have any trouble having opinions on these issues. And we're just interested in this stuff as a hobby or diversion. The contenders are freaking politicians. Damn right they better have thoughts on all the issues of the day.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Bonam

[Smallc]

Mitt Romney FTW....

[Moonlight Graham]

That's not a meltdown, give the guy a break. He looked/seemed tired. He took some time t think of his answer and what the question was saying. Then he concluded he needed the question rephrased. What's the problem? That he didn't spit out an answer right away and wasn't amazingly eloquent like he was making a speech or something? He's human, so was Perry. IMO, not not really big deals.

I think a candidate's views, judgement, intelligence, and knowledge on issues is far more important than if they hesitate on an answer or forget a talking point.

[cybercoma]

Most of us on this forum don't seem to have any trouble having opinions on these issues. And we're just interested in this stuff as a hobby or diversion. The contenders are freaking politicians. Damn right they better have thoughts on all the issues of the day.

Yeah, I should have said informed decisions because there's very few people on this forum that are informed about anything, let alone everything.

[Bonam]

Yeah, I should have said informed decisions because there's very few people on this forum that are informed about anything, let alone everything.

Having an opinion that cybercoma considers informed is very different from having an opinion at all. Spouting ideological bs on an issue is one thing, and what party hacks of both sides are expected to do. Drawing a blank on an issue, however, is something else.

[cybercoma]

I would like to think that the candidates for the presidency of the United States are actually informed, rather than just rambling off uninformed ideological BS. Call me optimistic.

[dre]

Having an opinion that cybercoma considers informed is very different from having an opinion at all. Spouting ideological bs on an issue is one thing, and what party hacks of both sides are expected to do. Drawing a blank on an issue, however, is something else.

Perry forgot which branches of government he wanted to cut because those arent his ideas. Thats a piece of Ron Pauls platform.

[kimmy]

Unlike most MLW members, guys like Herman Cain have advisors who help keep them informed about what's going on in the world and help them come up with plausible-sounding positions on questions like this. Unlike most MLW members, learning this stuff is a full-time job for these candidates.

This was not some obscure policy-wonk type question. This is asking a guy who wants to be commander in chief what the troops he wants to command were doing while he was campaigning.

-k

[GostHacked]

It's not that he's tired its that he is old. he is 65 so his memory is a bit loose

remember this is a guy that didn't know (or forgot) China has nukes and has had them since the 60s

Ron Paul has about 15 to 20 years on him and is as sharp as ever. At least he would know how to answer that question.

[cybercoma]

Unlike most MLW members, guys like Herman Cain have advisors who help keep them informed about what's going on in the world and help them come up with plausible-sounding positions on questions like this. Unlike most MLW members, learning this stuff is a full-time job for these candidates.

This was not some obscure policy-wonk type question. This is asking a guy who wants to be commander in chief what the troops he wants to command were doing while he was campaigning.

-k

I'm not suggesting that he's a good candidate. For the reasons you mention, he's not. Since he has trouble answering these questions, he shows that he clearly lacks the experience discussing these issues. That's the last thing you want for Commander in Chief. All I'm saying is that he's not a moron because he had trouble articulating his ideas. He's just lacking the requisite experience travelling all over the country, giving presentations on these ideas regularly. This very much means that he's not an adequate candidate.

[WWWTT]

It seems pretty clear at this point Obama is going to be in till 2016.

When you have bad candidate after bad candidate getting splattered all over the news time and time again it stains the party hard!

Even if the republican party put forward someone half decent I think there is too much damage done to this point to easily wipe clean.

And keep in mind Obama is now a political heavy weight.

I sincerely doubt the republicans can put someone forward that can go head on with him!So why try?

Not in 2012 anyways.

WWWTT

[GostHacked]

It seems pretty clear at this point Obama is going to be in till 2016.

That might be possible considering the current GOP line up (with Ron Paul as being the exception) And I don't recall any Democratic debates yet.

And keep in mind Obama is now a political heavy weight.

More like a political paper weight.

I sincerely doubt the republicans can put someone forward that can go head on with him!So why try?

Not in 2012 anyways.

WWWTT

They have, but he is the one being ignored for the most part.

[WWWTT]

And I don't recall any Democratic debates yet.

More like a political paper weight.

I thought the party that has a sitting president automaticlly sends him as their candidate,No?

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Obama.

After all there has bein many republicans elected to the senate and congress in 2010 and they haven't bein able to turn the US economy round.There will be much blame to go around and I believe many American voters may still side with Obama after the TV debates.

WWWTT

[Guest American Woman]

I thought the party that has a sitting president automaticlly sends him as their candidate,No?

Eight presidents since 1960 have run for re-election. Four of them have had to fight off a significant primary opponent whose key message was that the president had betrayed his party’s core principles.

link

Edited to add another link, which I found interesting: Should The Democrats Challenge Obama In The Primaries?

Primary Obama, and he’ll still get the nomination; but he won’t be stronger, nor will the Democratic party.

Primary Obama, and he will lose the general election. It doesn’t matter if his Republican opponent be Tim Pawlenty, Sarah Palin or Donald Trump, he’ll lose.

Edited November 17, 2011 by American Woman

[Michael Hardner]

Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush... who are the other 2 ?

Carter had a significant challenge from Kennedy in 1980, I remember.

[Guest American Woman]

Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush... who are the other 2 ?

Carter had a significant challenge from Kennedy in 1980, I remember.

I believe Ford - and of course, Obama.

[Smallc]

Obama hasn't really run for selection to completion yet. The name you're looking for is probably LBJ.