Herman Cain Tackles Oil Prices, Makes Splash At South Carolina Debate (VIDEO)

Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain sent shockwaves across the conservative end of the political spectrum with his performance in the first GOP presidential primary debate of the election season on Thursday night.

HuffPost's Sam Stein reports:

Conservative messaging guru Frank Luntz polls crowds after big events for their instantaneous reaction. And in the case of the GOP presidential debate, the results were pretty remarkable (even though the whole thing is entirely unscientific).

The crowd of roughly 30 unanimously said that pizza magnate Herman Cain won the debate. Only one of them went into the evening supporting Cain. A clear majority -- citing his “straight talk” on the economy and his capacity to criticize the president -- said they would now support his presidential campaign.

“I have never had this kind of reaction until tonight,” said Luntz. “Something very special happened this evening.”

Here's a clip of the focus group conducted after the debate:

Cain launched a presidential exploratory committee earlier this year and appears to be making headway in his endeavor to connect with conservative voters. While perhaps not as well known as some other possible GOP contenders, it seems his star may be on the rise on the right side of the aisle.

The presidential aspirant emerged victorious in a straw poll conducted at a national Tea Party summit held in Arizona back in February. Just weeks earlier, he delivered a fiery speech at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference.

The AP relays additional background on Cain:

Apart from a failed 2004 run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, Cain hasn't sought election to public office. Instead, he held a series of high-profile business positions that culminated with part ownership of the Godfather's Pizza restaurants. He left the company in 1996 and among other positions has worked as host of a radio program in Atlanta, where he espoused his views against abortion and in support of a strong national defense, a smaller government and a return to the gold standard.

To be sure, Cain is still considered by many to be a longshot contender for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012. With what currently appears to be a weak Republican field, however, it seems that the race may be anyone's game. Cain will headline a Tea Party rally in Las Vegas on Friday.

Below, a clip of remarks from Cain at the Fox News-sponsored debate on Thursday night.

WATCH:

 

 

Comments

[Arthur Rider]

05:49 PM on 05/21/2011

Hello Keli Goff: No kidding? Are you sure? Herman Cain is African American? You are so smart. I would have never known.

[Lauren SoFlo]

12:30 AM on 05/10/2011

I'm curious about the lines that seems to score points for them: "government doesn't create jobs, business creates jobs" and this frustrating adherence to tax breaks for the wealthy to create jobs they call supply side economics. Businesses don't expand and hire just because they have some extra cash to burn. CUSTOMERS create jobs for business. They expand when they think more money is to be made by expanding... and then hire to support demand. GW Bush and 2nd term Reagan-turned-George HW Bush years all PROVED that model doesn't expand the economy. Giving more to the rich, who aren't going to spend it.... doesn't do squat for demand. Supply side DOESN'T WORK. Even the guy in the Reagan administration who came up with the economic theory couldn't come up with an economic model that proved in any way it worked. So sick of those dumb talking points that the D's don't try hard enough to educate people about and big money interests have managed to reeducate so very many that injecting logic into the debate is near impossible.

[Jive Dadson]

10:57 PM on 05/09/2011

Cain only made a "splash" on Fox News and Frank Lunz's fixed "focus group." Pro-Cain vloggers reported a big uptick in google trends for Cain also. But guess what? Virtually ALL of the hits were from only four states, and South Carolina where the debate was held was not among them. That is a statistical impossibility. Something does not compute.

People who were at the "debate" reported that Ron Paul was dominant. Ron Paul people outnumbered all other supporters combined by a very large margin. He got huge ovations from the South Carolina crowd when he said the wars must end and the troops come home, and that marijuana, and even cocaine and heroin should be legal. Watch the video clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMIgT_NGgek It is hilarious. The moderator says, "I never thought heroin would get applause here in North Carolina," which of course is exactly why Fox asked about it.

Read what Juan Williams had to say about the Paul phenomenon. He was one of the moderators. Apparently he did not get the "raise Cain" memo. http://thehill.com/opinion/columnists/juan-williams/159863-ron-paul-driving-the-republican-campaign

[LooseCaboose]

08:35 PM on 05/08/2011

Well Herman understands one principle of the Reporklican Mad Hatters: blow smoke and promise the moon to the "upid" conservative crowd - they'll believe anything as we saw in the mid-terms.
as to Gas Prices and the presence of an effective energy policy - he's right that we need a new one to replace the TS Cheney/Oillee Exec Bush Policy, cause that's what we have.
Speculation can only be controlled by the President's Emergency Powers Act, because the CFTC is claw-less and down to their gums.
But even though Herman is little more than another softer radio announcer with a failed attempt at the Georgia Senate and an interest in Godfather's (do they still make pizza - the pre-digested type?) his appeal is found in the applause light and the canned, scripted FOX NEWS PLAYERS audience reaction. What a crock of Pepperoni.

[CritcalThought]

03:25 AM on 05/09/2011

What is the "TS Cheney/Oillee Exec Bush Policy" you mentioned?

[LooseCaboose]

03:02 AM on 05/10/2011

i believe that the US Energy Policy remains unchanged since the one Dick Cheney struck ion 2005 (?) with a Top Secret (TS) Meeting with the CEO's of the Five Sisters - Exxon/Mobile, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron/Standard, Bp and Connoco-Phillips.

[ztck5356]

08:28 AM on 05/08/2011

The GOP will NEVER, NEVER allow a black man OR a woman to get the nomination. So, let's just move on here.

[scottie1321]

01:22 PM on 05/12/2011

The two Tea Party Favorites are Bachman and Cain...so just where do you get that info.

[ztck5356]

04:35 PM on 05/12/2011

They don't have the nomination. Are do you know something we don't know?

They won't get it, period.

[Madeline3173]

01:31 PM on 05/22/2011

Oh please, watch us. Here's a tip: We didn't vote for Obama because he's ridiculously liberal, not because he's black, or half-black, or whatever. Who gives a crap what color he is? I know I don't, and I have yet to meet a conservative who cares. We don't care about a person's skin color or gender; we care about their policies. Maybe, I don't know, 5% of the extreme right-wingers still have that idiotic mentality, but by far most do not; I have yet to meet one. It's a red herring. So stop saying that, please.

[mpilkanis]

07:03 AM on 05/08/2011

"Apart from a failed 2004 run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, Cain hasn't sought election to public office. Instead, he held a series of high-profile business positions that culminated with part ownership of the Godfather's Pizza restaurants. He left the company in 1996 and among other positions has worked as host of a radio program in Atlanta, where he espoused his views against abortion and in support of a strong national defense, a smaller government and a return to the gold standard"

This absence of accomplishment and doctrinaire hokum is the stuff of a modern President? I don't think so. Mr. Cain is also noted for his racist comments concerning something he calls the "Democratic plantation". Inasmuch as he's a run-of-the-mill Republcan, his dogwhistle comment is nothing but propaganda. Ho-hum, GOP.

[Jive Dadson]

11:02 PM on 05/09/2011

They never never ever mention that Cain was the chairman of a Federal Reserve bank. He is just another cog in the Republicrat machine. The bankers own the government, and they ain't selling for any price. The Fed can print up all the money they want.

[Patrick Hatcher]

03:33 AM on 05/08/2011

Why did the Massachuse­tts House of Reps. also vote to limit collective bargaining for government employees? http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2011/apr/27/dem-mass-legislature-passes-bill-weakening-union-c/?fb_ref=at_xt%3D4dbd09724b182b96_0&fb_source=profile_oneline

[happysquared]

03:19 AM on 05/08/2011

See? We are not racist--we got one too!

[jammers046]

11:30 AM on 05/08/2011

Remember JC Watts? Know Allen West? Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Clarence Thomas?

[happysquared]

02:28 AM on 05/09/2011

Your response is telling. That is not to say that there are a handful of Republican minorities but which of them felt confident enough in the Republican party to stage a run for POTUS? More pointedly why not the most electable among them, Gen. Powell and Sec. Rice? Because they know more than half of the base would stay home. And let's not kid ourselves that Sarah would have had a shot if Hillary wasn't in strong contention for the VP nod.

But it's expected because idealogues don't do different or change--until different is not so different. And hey, I will concede that Herman is a step up from Alan Keyes!

[Pastori Balele]

02:29 AM on 05/08/2011

GOP can't do that to Cain. Herman outscored all GOP candidates at the interview. But now GOP says they don't want him. GOP members have voted Rick Santorum to run against Obama-not Cain! That's racial discrimination against Cain. I am urging Herman to sue GOP members for their blatant racial discrimination. On the other hand I am asking Cain to dump GOP. Enough is enough. We now know GOP is for white males only. White women, Blacks and other racial minorities should stay away from GOP. Cain should now campaign for President Obama. We welcome Cain in TEAMOBAMA.

[RMorr2002]

11:36 AM on 05/08/2011

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[kibibi]

12:26 AM on 05/08/2011

but as soon as President Obama goes after the speculators the right would accuse him of being a socialist, against capitalism and unamerican, these guys are so full of $#!T,,

[Phil de Prato]

01:42 PM on 05/21/2011

That is if he ever does and times is running out fast.

[izbeyond]

12:25 AM on 05/08/2011

Madbunny and others that think simply open up the US oil reserves would bring prices down, YOU ARE FREAKING CRAZY! There is NOT enough gasoline in the reserve to do SQUAT. What we NEED to do is TREAT Environmentilist like the TERRORIST THEY ARE. EPA needs to reapeal and roll back ALL LAWS since 1969! We need to rebuild ALL refineris that the EPA shut done. We Need to DRILL In the Norht Central US and We need to TELL the ARAB nations to KISS OUR Brownies! Madbunny, you can keep FUNDING people that want US all dead, but I am going to vote for the man that says "Screw You World, I am going to take care of MY PEOPLE first"!!!

[JudgeCCrater]

07:54 AM on 05/08/2011

You did see the study that showed that domestic drilling wouldn't change the price at the pump one bit, didn't you?

[Pizza Guy]

12:16 AM on 05/08/2011

Cain has absolutely no new ideas, just re-cycled Republican platitudes without any specifics.

[JudgeCCrater]

07:55 AM on 05/08/2011

Ah, but they are the warmed-over libertarian platitudes the tp'ers want to hear.

[coliwabl]

09:49 PM on 05/07/2011

What a waste of time.

[Nota Dualcov]

09:46 PM on 05/07/2011

I think Cain is my choice and I am neither Dem nor Rep.

[donbrown]

05:32 AM on 05/08/2011

You have the absolute right to waste your vote.

[jammers046]

11:31 AM on 05/08/2011

And you the absolute right to sound condescending.

[Nota Dualcov]

09:44 PM on 05/07/2011

That much I agree with. Mr. Cain, you are right. Why are we not using our own reserves. That's the $64,000,000 question.

[freddiekrueger]

10:26 AM on 05/08/2011

we aren't using them because we want them in case of emergency

[Phil de Prato]

01:45 PM on 05/21/2011

What constitutes an emergency? I have nevy seen our country in worse shape. It's just that reality has not set in yet.