Daddy, Do They Still Lynch Uppity Black Men?

Daddy, do they still lynch uppity black men?

Well son... sadly, they do - or at least they try to.  Some folk who are in power don't much like it when a black man comes along and challenges the status quo.  It's particularly so when that black man has a lengthy history of successfully fixing things.  If that black man also actually has a solid plan to help people - ALL people - free themselves from the shackles of an oppressive government... well, he must be stopped at all costs.

Oh, they don't do it the old-fashioned way with ropes anymore. Now they do it with press conferences.

Here's how they try to do it.  Find a slightly chunky white woman and fix her up with lots of make-up.  Be sure to give her a nice new hair style - lots of soft waves (try to make folks think of a young Farrah Fawcett in that famous poster from the 1970's).  It's also important to scrub her Facebook page and any other social media info that might actually reveal anything factual about her.  Just before the press conference, don't forget to go over to GoDaddy.com and reserve a domain name to prime the cash register that's sure to be busy soon.

It's also important to use the right spokesperson to trot out the poor blond victim before the reporters (who eagerly await their role in the lynching of the innocent black man who has the audacity to think he can become the President that THEY DIDN'T CHOOSE).  Find an attorney who is skilled at character assassination and who thinks nothing of destroying those who don't fit his or her political leaning.

Once all the pieces are in place, all the portly blond with the new makeover has to do is concoct a salacious tale involving the innocent black man from 14 years ago and go public with it - and... CHA-CHING!!  The black man is destroyed, the people who would have voted for him won't be able to and, equally important, the blond woman and her attorney can rake in boot loads of cash.

It doesn't matter a bit that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE can either refute or corroborate what she says.  The stereotype of a blond white woman victimized by a black man recalls the very ugliest images of days gone by.

That's terrible Daddy!  What can we do?

Well, it'll be very hard for the innocent black man to overcome this injustice.  Unfortunately, for a lot of folks, just an unsubstantiated allegation will be enough to decide he must be guilty.  I suspect he'll continue to fight wretched claims like these and try to re-direct attention back to his plans to put Americans back to work so they can save their homes and feed their families.  But it takes a lot of money to get that message out.

The folks in power aim to stay in power and they have way, way more money than the innocent black man with his remarkable plan to save America.  Although the folks in power have untold billions to spend to keep us on our downward spiral, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

We can make our own donations so that the innocent black man can continue to get the truth out.  Many, many small donations from tens of thousands of ordinary Americans are far more powerful than the filthy lucre of a handful of fat-cat cronies and puppet-masters who don't want this particular black man to lead America. It's really easy and it just takes a minute. Here's how:

https://supporthermancain.com/iowafund/src/22757

If we want the American people to have the opportunity to decide whether Herman Cain ought to be our next President, we must let those in power (and especially in the media) know how we feel.

Herman Cain Shines on Stossel

On July 15th, John Stossel devoted his entire one-hour program on the Fox Business Network to the fundamental question of whether a man with no experience in elected office ought to be seriously considered as a presidential candidate.  The man in question of course is Herman Cain who enjoyed an extremely successful career as a leader and problem-solver.

This is the third episode for Libertarian-leaning John Stossel to devote an entire program to a given presidential hopeful.  Previously he has interviewed Ron Paul and Gary Johnson.

Report to your TV or DVR - Do it now!

Depending upon your time zone, you might be able to catch this being re-aired tonight.  It is scheduled to run again Sunday night as well.  Report now to your television (and DVR if you have one - you'll want to see it again and invite others over to see it with you).  We've been trying to answer the question of exactly "Who is Herman Cain?"  Here in Stossel's program we get an opportunity for him to introduce himself to us directly.

Rather than tease you unnecessarily, let me simply state that Mr. Cain is candid, forthright and altogether comfortable not only with who he is but also with his vision to restore America's hopes.  Additionally, he comes across as someone who genuinely likes people; as someone who is friendly, trustworthy and perhaps most of all, competent. 

Herman Cain Must Be Doing Something Right

While we're still getting to know answers to our question, "Who is Herman Cain?", the glitterati über-haters came out in force this week to disparage anything and everything about the long-shot presidential candidate.  They've had their work cut out for them however as Herman Cain continues to lead all others by a substantial margin in "Positive Intensity Score" for Gallup's latest weekly poll of GOP Top Contenders http://www.gallup.com/poll/election.aspx.  As previously noted (and with sincere apologies to the jingle-writers who still make their memorable advertisements run in our heads), the primary reason for this is that virtually "nobody doesn't like" Herman Cain.

Leader, Problem-Solver and... Gospel Singer!

Earlier this week, Maurice Atkinson, head of the grassroots organization Draft Cain, released on-line a gospel album recorded some years ago by Herman Cain.  It turns out that in addition to his proven abilities as a leader and problem-solver, Mr. Cain also has a rather mellifluous voice.  The album, entitled Sunday Morning features a pleasant mix of classic hymns and toe-tapping upbeat affirmations sung by one who clearly knows the song of a soul set free.  For those who appreciate such music, check it out at http://www.reverbnation.com/hermancainpolls#!/artist/artist_songs/1686160.
   
Well, to any number of detractors, the very fact that Cain unabashedly sings of his faith is cause for unbridled derision.  Various pundits and others of the HuffPo crowd responded in force on Twitter.  They undoubtedly would also be displeased that Mr. Cain serves as an associate minister at Atlanta's Antioch Baptist Church view which he joined at the age of 10.

Iowa HQ opens up in a "Cheap Strip Mall"

Amid appropriate local fanfare, the Cain Campaign opened its Iowa headquarters in Urbandale on Tuesday.  While the media talking heads spoke mostly of recent staffing departures in Cain's Iowa team, one dear person from Des Moines tweeted to the world that Cain had opened up in a "cheap strip mall".  I don't recall for certain but she may have called it "run down" as well.  With its wide green-belts and neat landscaping, the location looked anything but cheap or run down.  This tolerant and otherwise open-minded individual probably doesn't care much for the offices of fellow candidate Michele Bachmann either.  According to an article in the Iowa Republican, her offices are located "about 100 paces from Cain's door".  If you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello to those Cainiacs at 8550 New York Avenue in beautiful Urbandale.

Chalk it all up to the gibbous moon?

As the current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue continues his efforts to "fundamentally transform" America from what it was just two short years ago, what shall we make of this week's attacks on the candidate they would all prefer to just ignore?  Herman Cain and his growing army of supporters must be doing something right to set off his detractors over such trivial issues.  On the other hand, perhaps it can be explained by the waxing gibbous moon.  If that's the case however, there's sure to be more nonsense coming as I look out at the now full moon.  Stay tuned; it's a long way to the primaries...

Day-by-Day, America is Meeting Herman Cain

Despite long odds and the media doing its level best to ignore him, slowly but surely America is beginning to be able to answer the question: Who is Herman Cain? 

On the weekly Gallup poll of GOP Top Contenders, Herman Cain continues to lead all others in what they call their "Positive Intensity Score" which is defined as the percentage of respondents with a strongly positive opinion minus the percentage of respondents with a strongly negative opinion, based only on those respondents who recognize the candidate.  It's an interesting interactive website that is worth looking at from time-to-time at http://www.gallup.com/poll/election.aspx .

It is significant to note that while all the other candidates (plus one might-be candidate, Sarah Palin) have some who hold strongly positive opinions of them and others who hold varying levels of strongly negative opinions, one lone candidate has something the others can only wish for - an entire base of folks who, if they've learned enough about him to recognize his name, hold a strongly positive opinion of him!

That man is none other than Herman Cain.  Said another way, everyone who knows something about him, likes him and they like him a lot!  By contrast, newly-announced candidate Michele Bachmann saw her Positive Intensity Score fall 4 points (from 24% down to 20%) in the week she placed herself in the running for the GOP nomination.

Gaining Ground In Recognition As Well

Perhaps even more encouraging for Herman Cain followers however is the fact that he is also gaining ground in terms of recognition by the general public.  Since his name first appeared in the poll back in March (when only 21% of the respondents knew anything about him), he is now known by 48% of those polled by the Gallup organization.  This must be good news for everyone who hopes this accomplished gentleman from Georgia can bring his proven leadership skills to a nation that continues to pay for the price daily for the policies and decisions its leaders have inflicted on America's once vibrant economy.

There must none-the-less be hope however.  Why even today, the Los Angeles Times itself referred to Herman Cain in its headline as "the 'Common Sense' Republican Candidate."  Clearly, that sounds like an endorsement to me.  Comment and tell me what you think it means...  

Man with a Plan-A Real Leader

Surely the silly season is off to an early start this year.  While the media pundits fret and fawn over what Fox News talking head Chris Wallace meant when he questioned whether GOP presidential candidate du jour Michele Bachmann thought she was a flake (revealing as he did that clearly, this is his assessment of her), regular folks across the country continue to languish under the economic malaise that has been foisted upon them by ever more oppressive government policies and ineptness.  When Fed Reserve chief Ben Bernanke admits he’s clueless as to why the economy isn’t getting any better, we regular people know we’re in need of real leadership.

Because the media is reticent at best to even speak his name, you probably won’t hear much about Herman Cain’s plan to lead us back to prosperity.  Since he has never held public office, few in the media will give any credence to the fact that he has amply demonstrated over a lengthy and diverse business career that he is more than capable to lead the free world.  A true multi-generational American success story, Herman Cain is ready to tell us what the United States of America will look like when he becomes our forty fifth president.

In straight forward terms then, what follows is not my paraphrase of his ideas; this is the economic vision of Herman Cain – in his own words:    

Cain's Economic Vision: A Job for Every Home

By: Herman Cain
June 26, 2011

I have developed many strategic plans for success throughout my 40 years of business experience, but the one I am about to present for the nation is the most humbling. Business strategic plans had to capture the keys to profitability and growth. This national economic vision must capture the keys to prosperity for everyone who has a desire to achieve their American dreams.

It starts with education, then a job, and then a career.

People who achieve "success" are able to get beyond day-to-day survival. They find a way to thrive, constantly looking for that next exciting opportunity. This thrive attitude can be rekindled here in this great country, because we have the resources, the ingenuity and that spirit of America that has allowed us to survive during hard times, and thrive when times were better.

Although our public education system has its challenges, we have seen time and time again pockets of excellence where students have defied the odds, when given a chance, to go on and find that elusive success. These exceptions along with the many private and homeschooling success stories are the nucleus for rekindling a results-driven economy.

As my dad and others showed during their generation, a good dose of common sense can go a long way to supplement any deficiencies in formal education if the opportunities are there for someone to better themselves.

For nearly 15 million people, that ladder of opportunity is not there right now. They can't find a job. By unleashing the full economic potential of our economy, we would ensure there would be a job for every home, and a career opportunity from every job.

This economic vision must start with some economic guiding principles (EGP). As the saying goes, if you do not know where you are going, you will get there. We know where we are going. We're headed to a thriving land of opportunity.

EGP #1: Production must precede consumption

You can't spend your way to prosperity. The Obama Administration has shown that this does not work. Most families knew that it would not work because it does not work for a household. My dad had to produce enough cash for a down payment to buy his first home before he could get the keys to the new house. He had to work three jobs at times to produce enough cash, but he did it!

Production is the engine of any economic train, and consumption is the caboose. Before someone consumes, they must produce. The nearly $1 trillion in stimulus spending went into the caboose. They did not help fuel the real engine of the economy.

The engine of our economy is the business sector. It has received only disdain and lectures from the Obama Administration, instead of fuel in the form of lower taxes, less reduced barriers and more certainty about less government. (Specifics will follow in next week's commentary.)

EGP #2: Economic growth is the result of risk-taking

Entrepreneurial spirit drives economic growth. Risk-taking is the expenditure of time, effort, resources, capital, creativity, energy and passion, all with the expectation that it will pay off, but with no guarantee it will do so. At the risk of his health, my dad worked three jobs with not enough sleep and rest, and little recreational time. It was his choice with the only kind of equity he had, sweat equity. It paid off for him. He achieved his American dreams. One of them is running for president of the United States of America.

Risk-taking is also the willingness to invest your capital in the ideas of others. It is the lifeblood of our economy. A capital gains tax is a wall between people with money and people with ideas. Remove the wall and more ideas will get financed, and more jobs will be created. It is the spirit of America.

When the economy is not growing, we must reduce the impediments to growth and increase the incentives to risk-taking. It feeds the engine. Regulatory burdens, trade restrictions and policy uncertainty all make it more difficult for an idea to get off the ground and the result is less economic growth.

EGP #3: Measurements must be dependable

Imagine what life would be like if we had to wake up in the morning and check the newspaper to find out whether the hour closed at 60 minutes, whether a foot closed at 12 inches, or whether a pound was still 16 ounces.

The economy would be filled with too much uncertainty and eventually become dysfunctional. But that's exactly what is happening with the most important financial unit of measure in the world, the dollar.

It took my dad 12 years to save enough cash to buy that first house. He did it with the expectation that the value of the dollar would be pretty close to what it was when he started saving. It was, because this nation did not have the deficits we have today, which is forcing inflation and a weaker dollar.

The most solemn pledge a government can make to its citizens is to maintain the value of the currency. The 3^rd EGP states that units of measure must be dependable. Dramatically reducing our national debt is the key to stabilizing the value of our dollar.

Concluding note

Prosperity is the natural state of our free-market economy if we get government out of the way, off our backs and out of our pockets. Prosperity begins with production. It requires risk-taking and a stable measure of exchange.

Good economic policy is guided by good principles, not politics.

It's common sense.

Herman Cain - Best Qualified?

As we continue to examine who Herman Cain is, we still find little interest on the part of either the so called mainstream media or the Inside-the-Beltway pundits to seriously ask the questions that we seek answers to. As I've said before, the Tea Party crowd rightly loves this man. He both modeled and espoused their values of American Exceptionalism long before there was a phenomenon called the Tea Party.

Without conjuring up any conspiracy theories, one must ask why it is then that there is an almost universal panning of Herman Cain's aspirations for the highest office in the land. The media line is that the nomination will eventually and inevitably go to Mitt Romney because he has the most money and, in typical Republican fashion, it's his turn (last time around of course, it was Senator McCain's turn...). Even Ann Coulter said the other day, "I love Herman Cain... but he's unelectable." Is she correct? Perhaps she is (though I prefer we actually go through the whole learn about the candidates then vote in primaries, etc. process just in case she and many others are mistaken).

Clearly we're all better served by a thorough examination and vetting of all the candidates. To that end, and partly because there is such a dearth of honest journalism from too many journalists, I continue to seek credible information from a variety of sources. Let me introduce you then a blog site I've found by a group that identifies itself as Nerds 4 Cain. Granted, these are, by definition, folks who have already determined their preferred choice for the next President.

In particular, let me kindly direct you to Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, and Presidential Qualifications. This recent post is a point-by-point comparison of candidate Romney and candidate Cain. Rather than spoil the surprise, I'll let you read their conclusion directly. When you're finished there, come on back and tell me what you think. As always, your comments are appreciated.

Herman Cain - Further evidence of the why we need him in the White House

For those of us who don’t regularly read Adweek, there was a great little piece last week by Staff Writer Robert Clara that details how Herman Cain has distinguished himself from the field of politician types that are seeking the GOP nomination to face off against incumbent Barack Obama in the 2012 Presidential contest.  What I particularly liked about Clara’s article is that he sought out and has quotes from several individuals who have first-hand experience of Mr. Cain’s expertise in rescuing a ship that was foundering badly when he took the helm. 

Would that we had collectively inquired whether the present occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue possessed any vestige whatsoever of those skills before we ushered him into the tasks he has so miserably failed at on so many levels.

At any rate, Mr. Clara’s piece can be found at www.adweek.com or reproduced here in its entirety.  If you chose to read it here, please then go to the Adweek site to comment directly for the benefit of the author of this enlightening piece.

Fast-Food Candidate - Herman Cain has had a stellar career as a restaurant marketer. Will it play in D.C.?By Robert Klara

Like other GOP candidates already on the stump for the 2012 elections, Herman Cain has the requisite equipment: a pro-business agenda, a catchy tagline (“Commonsense solutions for America”), and a closet full of expensive silk ties. Cain also happens to be polling well, just 2 percent behind Newt Gingrich at the close of May.

But unlike his baby-kissing cohorts, Cain has something rarely seen among Oval Office aspirants: genuine branding and marketing credentials. Not only did Cain spend nearly two decades building brands, but he also did it in the dog-eat-dog world of restaurants.

During his tenure with the Pillsbury Restaurant Group, Cain managed to return 400 underperforming Burger King restaurants to high-margin health.  He also rescued the Godfather’s Pizza chain from bankruptcy in just 14 months and then led a buyout of the brand. Eventually, Cain took the helm of the National Restaurant Association, turning it into one of the most powerful lobbying forces in Washington. What’s more, “The Hermanator” (as he was known in those days) did not rule from the corner office; he knew how to scrape the grill.

There’s little doubt that Cain is aware of this differentiating value because the 66-year-old Atlanta native (who did not respond to interview requests) is promising to mend the country in much the same way he fixed his fast-food brands.

“When I became president and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, it was supposed to go bankrupt,” Cain says on his YouTube campaign video. “But I didn’t get the memo. We turned it around with commonsense business principles. And we can turn this country around the same way.”

Which is to say, Cain would cut taxes and eliminate burdensome business regs—positions that make the African-American entrepreneur a darling of the right. “I view the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza as the godfather of the Tea Party movement,” says political activist Lloyd Marcus, author of Confessions of a Black Conservative. That may also be why Cain’s business record has been lowballed. A May 21 AP story about Cain’s candidacy devoted exactly one sentence to his branding career, stating only that he rescued the floundering Godfather’s Pizza “by shuttering hundreds of units.” (Read: He fired lots of minimum-wage workers.)

To those who remember Cain from those years, such characterizations are misleading and unfair. “Anyone who’s turned around a restaurant understands that there are always bad locations you inherit,” says Rick Van Warner, a communications consultant who was a senior executive at Red Lobster parent Darden Restaurants before founding his own company, Parquet Public Affairs.

“He took the company from where it was to something better, and if shutting down a portion of it was a good strategy, it was probably one that Pillsbury should have employed,” observes Rick Berman, a former Pillsbury vp who now operates the high-powered Washington lobbying firm of Berman and Company. “Perhaps Herman had more vision than some people above his pay grade,” Berman adds.

In any case, the former branding visionary now has his sights set on the Oval Office, a place where Van Warner says he could do a great deal of good. “Anyone who has Herman’s financial discipline would be great for the country,” he says. “In all forms of government today, they’ve never made a payroll and don’t understand what it’s like to eke out a profit from a low-margin business.”
And what do the folks at Godfather’s Pizza think of Mr. Cain’s prospects? Apparently only the mafia knows. “Godfather’s Pizza takes no position on political candidates,” read the response from headquarters. “But we do make great pizza.”

Herman Cain is poised to distinguish himelf from the others

According to Keith Koffler, who dutifully follows such things for us (www.whitehosedossier.com), President Obama apparently blew off the balance of a family weekend birthday celebration for one of his daughters in favor of playing yet another round of golf.  Although it’s his 11^th consecutive golf weekend, this may be a marginally more critical practice session in front of his upcoming Golf Summit next weekend pitting POTUS and Joe Biden against House Speaker John Boehner and his partner, Ohio Governor John Kasich.

As important as this surely is, there are more exciting things afoot up in New Hampshire.  The Granite State you see is hosting seven announced or likely-to-announce presidential candidates for the New Hampshire GOP Debate on the campus of Saint Anselm College tomorrow evening.  This is the first debate event that includes the so-called “front runners” in addition to those the media has seen fit to largely ignore up to this point.  Most discounted by most of the media pundits so far has been businessman Herman Cain who continues to impress virtually everyone whenever they have the opportunity to hear or see him. 

Earlier today, Mr. Cain greeted local followers and signed autographs at a thoroughly packed-out Sal’s Pizza in Manchester.  Then later he spoke at the Hillsborough County GOP picnic.  While some of the other participants are bringing their own baggage to the debate, Cain is well poised to present himself as a true outsider with both the leadership record and the skills to not only win the GOP nomination but also to present a clear alternative to the abject failures of the Obama administration. 

The debate will air live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET on CNN who (along with WMUR and the New Hampshire Union Leader) is sponsoring the event.  I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how each does in this early side-by-side live comparison.  Watch it with me and then come back and tell me how you think each of them did.  I welcome your comments!

Here's more insight into who Herman Cain really is...

Here's a very enlightening article by Angie Drobnic Holan that was published just this morning on http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2011/jun/10/did-herman-cain-turn-around-godfathers-pizza/ .  Although it's somewhat lengthy, I'm posting it in its entirety because is it demonstrates why President Herman Cain will be the most capable individual to lead us out of the incredible mess that has been created in the past two and one-half years. 

Did Herman Cain turn around Godfather's Pizza?

By Angie Drobnic Holan
Published on Friday, June 10th, 2011 at 10:59 a.m.

The Republican field for president includes the usual mix, professional politicians who have been governors, senator, or speaker of the House. Herman Cain stands out not only because he hasn’t held elective office, but because he used to sell pizza.
His experience in business has attracted early interest from Republican voters, especially the tea party movement. Last month, a Fox News focus group said overwhelmingly that Cain won the first GOP debate.
Pizza is Cain's biggest selling point. He says his track record running Godfather’s Pizza, a chain that once billed itself as "the cure for the pizza emergency," shows he has the ability to run the country. The 620-store chain was on the brink of bankruptcy when he arrived in 1986, he says, and he "turned it around with common-sense business principles."
A PolitiFact examination of Godfather’s, based on interviews with industry analysts and company officials, shows Cain is largely correct. The chain wasn’t literally preparing paperwork for bankruptcy, but it was widely considered troubled. Cain changed that by uniting the franchisees, overhauling the chain's advertising, and getting his team focused on its core mission: pizza.

Burgers before pizza
Cain grew up in Atlanta, the son of a chauffeur to a Coca-Cola executive. He majored in math at Morehouse College and got a master’s degree in computer science from Purdue University. He started his early career as a technology manager before eventually joining Pillsbury and entering a fast-track program for young executives.
His first big challenge in the restaurant business was turning around the Burger King stores in Philadelphia, which at the time were low performers. Cain went through "burger boot camp," putting burgers on the broiler himself and learning the restaurants' operations from the ground up. He went on the road, visiting other franchises in the region and getting other managers to improve operations. Colleagues remember him as a sharp manager and an inspirational leader with a knack for getting people to worth together.
Spencer Wiggins was a human resources officer working at Kraft Foods when an executive headhunter recruited him for Cain’s Burger King project. Wiggins said he wasn’t interested in working in restaurants, but the head hunter talked him into meeting Cain.
When Wiggins walked into the room, Cain pulled out a folder, looked him right in the eye, and said, "Spencer Wiggins! My man! I have been waiting for you!"
"It was like he had known me all my life," Wiggins recalled from his home in Nashville. "And the next thing I knew I was working for the Burger King corporation."
In 1986, Pillsbury tapped Cain to rescue Godfather’s, an Omaha-based subsidiary it had just acquired, and the story virtually repeated itself. Cain asked Wiggins to go with him.
"I said ‘Herman. C’mon, man. Omaha, Nebraska?’ I just don’t have it on my map to go to Omaha. Herman said, just come out and look around. And at the end of the day, I ended up moving to Omaha."

The Godfather’s story
Pillsbury bought Godfather’s largely by accident, according to press reports from the time. Godfather’s was part of Diversifoods Inc., a conglomerate that included more than 300 Burger King franchises. Pillsbury wanted the Burger Kings, and the chain of more than 800 Godfather’s pizza restaurants came with it.
"The value of Diversifoods was its ownership of the Burger Kings, and the deal made sense without Godfather's," John McMillin, an industry analyst, told the Chicago Tribune shortly after the deal. "Pillsbury got Godfather's for nothing, and some said they got what they paid for."
The chain’s problems included franchisee lawsuits, an overly long menu, and a dejected workforce. Even its TV ads seemed hapless, showing a car full of executives driving around, unable to find a Godfather's. ("Find one. It's worth it," the ad lamely concluded.) As Cain said later, the chain had "had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel."
Cain attacked problems on every front. He declared the company’s advertising account up for review, pitting ad agencies against each other in a bidding war. He trimmed the menu and enforced quality standards. He pushed more restaurants to offer delivery, and he closed low-performing franchises.
He emphasized communication, giving speeches at important moments to employees and franchisees. After his first 60 days at Godfather's, he gave a speech he called "get on the wagon," which he now uses in political speeches.
When he was a boy, Cain said, his grandfather, a potato farmer, would hitch up his mules for the weekly trip to town. Any grandchildren who wanted to go could ride along.  Cain would finish the story in his grandfather’s thundering voice: "Them that’s going, get on the wagon! Them that ain’t, get out of the way!"
Charles Henderson, who runs coffee kiosks in Pennsylvania, was Cain’s director of marketing back then. He says Cain is "probably the most inspirational person I’ve ever met in my life."
"He can be mesmerizing. He’s very dynamic. I’m not slamming our current president, but Herman Cain will give a 20- or 30-minute speech extemporaneously, and certainly without teleprompters. He is without a doubt the most dynamic speaker I’ve ever heard," Henderson said.
Henderson said Cain succeeded because he immersed himself in all aspects of the business and wasn’t afraid to get his hands into the dough. Cain baked pies on a weekly basis after he arrived in Omaha. "He loved to make pizzas. We had a test store over on Pacific Street, which wasn’t too far from Godfather’s, and once a week, he’d round us all up and we’d go make pizzas," Henderson said.
Cain directed an overhaul of the Godfather's television ads that focused on Godfather's "hot slice," a customized pizza slice aimed for the lunch crowd and intended to compete with Pizza Hut's Personal Pan Pizza. The new ads showed a secretary at a desk about to have a "pizza emergency." Godfather's, of course, was the cure.
Later commercials tended toward attention-getting and even bizarre humor. The "Studney twins" – an old white guy and a young black guy in garish blue and green tuxedos – promoted Godfather's two-for-one specials. Another ad featured attorney-turned-actor Ben Stein of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" as a burned out hipster needing pizza.
Cain himself even appeared in a series that Advertising Age named one of the best campaigns of 1989. In one ad, Cain told viewers Godfather's has conducted exhaustive research to find out why customers preferred Godfather's pizza. He introduced his director of research, who unveiled the results by unfolding a piece of paper and reading two words: "More topping."
"Enjoy your Godfather's pizza and take life one bite at a time," Cain concluded.
Jeff Campbell is the retired Pillsbury executive who selected Cain to run Godfather’s. Reached by PolitiFact at his home in San Diego, he said there was no doubt in his mind that Cain turned Godfather's around.
"He was the best thing that happened to Godfather’s in a long time," Campbell said.
Cain has said that the chain returned to profitability within 14 months of his arrival. That number wasn’t possible for PolitiFact to independently confirm because the chain did not report its profits as a stand-alone unit, but industry analysts do not dispute that Cain stabilized the company.
Technomic, a research and consulting firm focused on the restaurant industry, has research data on Godfather’s going back to the 1970s. At PolitiFact’s request, vice president Darren Tristano examined the revenues and franchise numbers for Godfather’s during the time Cain headed it from 1986 to 1995.
It's not possible to determine profitability from those numbers, but they do show Godfather's place in the market, particularly in comparison with its competitors.
"It’s really hard from that period to find a strong positive or a strong negative. It’s more like ‘steady the course,’" Tristano said.
Still, "steady the course" isn’t bad for a company that was troubled to start out with and in an industry that’s punishingly competitive, analysts said.
Godfather’s position was particularly perilous. It wasn’t as big as chains like Pizza Hut and Domino’s, and it also had to compete with locally owned mom-and-pops in just about every market.
"They had to be very innovative to compete with the big three and with the little guys. They couldn’t rest on their laurels," said John Correll, a Michigan-based pizza industry consultant. "For a number of years, Herman Cain and his management team were able to pull that off."
Pizza Hut, the industry leader at the time, was a particularly difficult foe. After Godfather's launched its "pizza emergency" campaign in 1986, Pizza Hut matched it with ads imitating the emergency broadcast system. In the event of a real pizza emergency, "you should go directly to Pizza Hut and order their famous pan pizza," the ad said. Pizza Hut executives said the similarity was coincidence.
Cain said the alleged thievery wouldn’t matter in the end, and he wouldn’t pursue legal action. "It's not a big deal to us," Cain told AdWeek, which documented the feud.
Godfather’s never grew fast enough to outpace giants like Pizza Hut and Domino’s, but today it still claims about 620 franchises across the country.
John Chisholm was a Godfather's franchisee who owned 90 restaurants in five states when Cain arrived to run the company.
"His leadership and his ability to deal with people were just outstanding. I have nothing but the highest praise for Herman Cain," Chisholm said.
Cain's primary accomplishment was motivating the people who worked for Godfather's, Chisolm said. The turn-around happened "mostly through motivation and talking to people and getting people to work as a team."
Chisholm recalled Cain's first speech to the entire company as one of the "most charismatic" he ever heard.
Cain included a copy of the speech in his 1999 book, Speak as a Leader.
"Sixty days ago I came to Godfather's with a curiosity about what I would find. I had already accepted my newly bestowed responsibilities even before I stepped foot on Nebraska soil and before I met or knew anyone or anything about Godfather's. … Sixty days ago, I came to Godfather's anxious to tackle a situation considered by some of our external constituencies to be irreversible.  I came without a golden parachute because I never entertained the idea that the situation was irreversible. I came committed to prove the skeptics wrong because I have a personal, fundamental belief in the power of human determination. I came to Godfather's believing in you even before I met you. I challenge you to commit and believe in yourself and Godfather's pizza as a system."

Life after pizza
Two years after Cain was named CEO, Pillsbury decided to get out of the pizza business and sell Godfather’s. Cain and his management team decided to buy the chain in a leveraged buyout for an undisclosed sum. He continued as CEO, but his transition away from day-to-day management started around 1994. That was the year Cain went toe-to-toe with Bill Clinton over health care reform.
Cain was part of an audience in Omaha watching a town hall with Clinton, who was promoting his health plan. Cain was selected to ask Clinton a question, and he began by commending Clinton for "making health care a national priority." But then he said he had run the numbers and found that costs for Godfather’s would be so high that he would have to eliminate jobs to pay for health care for the other employees.
"On behalf of all of those business owners that are in a situation similar to mine, my question is quite simply, if I’m forced to do this, what will I tell those people whose jobs I will have to eliminate?"
Cain and Clinton went back and forth on the numbers and details of the policy, before Clinton concluded by telling Cain to send his numbers to the White House.
The high-profile exchange came as Cain was getting more involved in government and politics. He was serving as a board member of the Federal Reserve of Kansas City and was about to begin a year as president of the National Restaurant Association, eventually going to work for the association full-time.
A year after the town hall, Cain appeared with Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to throw the association’s support behind welfare reform. In 1999, he left his post there to co-chair Republican Steve Forbes’ run for the presidency.
Cain formally ended his management of Godfather’s in 1996, turning over his CEO duties to Ron Gartlan, who remains CEO today. Godfather’s wouldn’t comment on Cain’s time there, but released a statement saying, "Godfather’s Pizza takes no position on political candidates, but we do make great pizza."
Cain moved to Atlanta in 2000 to concentrate on his public speaking career, his books and other business ventures. He eventually sold his stake in Godfather’s. In recent years, he’s worked as a conservative radio talk show host, and in 2004, he ran for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia. He came in second in the Republican primary, behind the eventual winner Johnny Isakson, but ahead of Mac Collins, a sitting member of Congress.
Cain is still considered, at best, a longshot for winning the presidency. He’s been asked several times why he’s running, since he doesn’t have any experience. Cain has a standard reply that he seems to enjoy delivering.
"Well, all the people in Washington, D.C., they’ve held office before. How’s that working for you?"

Check out the Official Herman Cain Train Music Video!

Are Time and Mark Halperin Racist? Herman Cain Omitted Twice in GOP Oddsmaking

Are Time and Mark Halperin Racist? Herman Cain Omitted Twice in GOP Oddsmaking
It continues to amaze me that while more and more people are beginning to seek out more knowledge about Herman Cain and his positions on the various issues, we're just not getting much of anything from mainstream media pundits about Mr. Cain.  Are there rascists in the media who won't recognize that a man of color can be a conservative thinker?  You tell me; I appreciate your comments!
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We're beginning to hear about Herman Cain... Who is he really?

In spite of the fact that the media seems to dismiss him routinely, we're slowly beginning to hear more about Herman Cain who announced a couple of weeks ago that he wants to be our next President.  Now I've been reading about him and learning more and, I've got to tell you, he sure seems like he'll be the kind of leader that can lead us out the multiple messes that we're currently mired in.

I've never personally attended to a Tea Party event, but those folks sure do seem to like pretty much everything about this remarkable American.  For me, if a candidate has a strong Tea Party following, that certainly ought NOT preclude him from consideration by the rest of America!

Come with me then over the coming days and weeks as we explore why Herman Cain, the man who turned around a then-failing pizza chain (he didn't get the memo that it was destined to fail), may indeed be just the man who can rescue the failing nation he so obviously loves.