GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain came down hard on immigration Saturday on the campaign trail, telling crowds in Tennessee that part of his policy would be to build an electrified fence on the Mexican border that could potentially kill anyone trying to enter the country illegally.
He backed away from that proposal Sunday morning, however, saying he wasn't serious about the idea.
"That's a joke, David," he told NBC's David Gregory on "Meet The Press." "That's not a serious plan."
The New York Times relays Cain's description of the fence: "It's going to be 20 feet high. It’s going to have barbed wire on the top. It’s going to be electrified. And there’s going to be a sign on the other side saying, ‘It will kill you -- Warning.'"
Cain later added, "We want to make it easy for people to come through the front door. And we’re going to shut off the back door so you don't have to sneak into America." The presidential hopeful suggested also using armed military troops to help secure the border.
The idea of an electrified fence also surfaced at a campaign stop in Iowa this summer, when Cain suggested America build a border wall similar to the Great Wall of China, going so far as to advocate a moat full of alligators. Cain's remarks, via ThinkProgress:
I just got back from China. Ever heard of the Great Wall of China? It looks pretty sturdy. And that sucker is real high. I think we can build one if we want to! We have put a man on the moon, we can build a fence! Now, my fence might be part Great Wall and part electrical technology. ... It will be a twenty foot wall, barbed wire, electrified on the top, and on this side of the fence, I'll have that moat that President Obama talked about. And I would put those alligators in that moat!
The "alligators in the moat" idea referenced a tongue-in-cheek comment by President Barack Obama, while speaking on immigration reform in Texas back in May. "They’ll want a higher fence. Maybe they’ll need a moat. Maybe they'll want alligators in the moat, the president joked. "They’ll never be satisfied."
Cain's controversial remarks on border security caused a backlash from the national pro-immigration group Somos Republicans, which called on him to resign his candidacy. But Cain softened his remarks in an interview with the New York Times magazine in July, saying he meant if they could build that wall centuries ago, we can secure the border today, with a combination of walls and high-tech equipment.
Commenting on the remarks after the Fox News GOP debate in August, Cain dialed back further, insisting that "America's got to learn how to take a joke."
Check out this slideshow for more details on Herman Cain's campaign:
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Positive Intensity
A relative unknown upon his entry into the race, Herman Cain has experienced promising numbers in both name recognition, as well as the new metric of "positive intensity." These upward trends have since propelled him to the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elections/state/US/?chart=12USPresRepPR&chart_mode=new" target="_hplink">top of many GOP primary polls</a>.
In late June, a <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/148283/Bachmann-Strong-Position-She-Enters-2012-Race.aspx" target="_hplink">Gallup poll</a> showed Cain's name recognition up 25 percent from earlier in the year, to 46 percent. Meanwhile, his positive intensity score stood at 24, among the highest of any candidate in the field.
Enthusiastic supporters have also helped Cain take impressive wins at a variety of early straw poll events. He's taken the top spot at the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/01/herman-cain-straw-poll_n_914906.html" target="_hplink">Western Conservative Summit</a>, the <a href="http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/08/27/herman-cain-wins-georgia-gop-straw-poll/" target="_hplink">Georgia GOP Straw Poll</a> in August (Georgia is Cain's home state), and more recently <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/24/herman-cainflorida-straw-poll-results-2011_n_979096.html" target="_hplink">in Florida</a> and Chicago.
Cain also won a <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/27/news/la-pn-herman-cain-tea-party-poll-20110228" target="_hplink">February straw poll</a> at an Arizona Tea Party event, beating Ron Paul in a vote among attendees, though at the time he was the only officially declared 2012 candidate involved.
Pizza Mogul To Conservative Hero
Cain's first trip to the political spotlight was launched by what is now called a "YouTube moment," though it took place more than a decade before the website was launched. It has since been re-transformed into a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WP5dYfBBzU" target="_hplink">YouTube clip</a>.
The highlight came in 1994 when Cain, then CEO of Godfather's Pizza, duked it out with Clinton at a town hall forum the president was holding to push his health care reform proposal.
As Slate's Dave Weigel <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2281516/" target="_hplink">reports</a>:
<blockquote>Cain got a question in. He'd been a turnaround artist at Pillsbury, working with Burger King, and in 1986 he'd been put in command of the failing Godfather's Pizza franchise. He saved it with triage, closing 250 of around 800 restaurants, before leading an investor group that bought the franchise and put him in charge. By the time he met Clinton, he had been elected president of the National Restaurant Association. This explained some of his confidence as he lit into his president.
"On behalf of all of those business owners that are in a situation similar to mine," asked Cain, "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?"
"Well, wait a minute," said Clinton, attempting a charm offensive. "Let's ask--let's talk a minute about what you would have to do." The employer mandate would add only 2 percent to Cain's costs, Clinton argued, and Cain could just charge more for pizza.
"I'm a satisfied customer, I'd keep buying from you."
"Mr. President," said Cain, "with all due respect, your calculation on what the impact would do, quite honestly, is incorrect."</blockquote>
It didn't take long for this clip to make the rounds, which won Cain commendations from Republican icons such as Newt Gingrich, Jack Kemp and Rush Limbaugh.
For more on Cain's rapid political rise, read the rest of Weigel's piece at <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2281516/" target="_hplink">Slate</a>.
9-9-9 Plan
Cain has been making a big pitch for his "<a href="http://www.hermancain.com/images/economicgrowth.pdf" target="_hplink">9-9-9</a>" plan, which would eliminate some taxes such as the payroll tax and estate tax, and lower a variety of others, leaving business taxes and income taxes at a flat rate of 9 percent. It would also create a national sales tax of 9 percent.
The 999 plan has been <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/herman-cains-misleading-pitch-for-the-999-plan/2011/10/12/gIQAHszPgL_blog.html" target="_hplink">criticized</a> as an economic blueprint that would put a bigger tax burden on the middle class. HuffPost's Amanda Terkel also <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/13/herman-cain-999-sim-city_n_1008952.html" target="_hplink">reported</a> that the simple tax structure exhibited some similarities to the default given to players in the video game, SimCity 4.
Cain added an important update to his plan in October, outlining tax exemptions for poorer Americans and economically depressed areas. The Associated Press reports:
<blockquote>After sharp criticism over his one-size-fits-all plan from Republicans and Democrats alike, Cain proposed no income taxes for Americans living at or below the poverty line. He also proposed exemptions for businesses investing in "opportunity zones" as a way to give an economic jolt to rundown neighborhoods such as the one he visited in hard-hit Detroit.</blockquote>
What's His Deal With Islam?
Herman Cain has repeatedly caused consternation with questionable comments about Islam and American Muslims.
At a March event held in Iowa for prospective presidential candidates, Cain said outright that he <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/26/gop-iowa-steve-king-2012_n_840956.html" target="_hplink">wouldn't appoint any Muslims</a> to his cabinet if elected, over fears that they would work to install Sharia law. He later <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/18/herman-cain-muslims-right-online_n_879852.html#s294502&title=John_LaRosa" target="_hplink">attempted</a> to walk that statement back, saying "I am not anti-Muslim. I am anti-terrorist."
Months later, Cain stoked more scrutiny when he <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/17/herman-cain-fox-mosques_n_900939.html" target="_hplink">said</a> Americans "have the right" to block mosques in their communities. The claim came in response to a question by "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace about Cain's criticism of a planned Islamic center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, which had sparked protests from residents of the town.
He later held a summit with Muslim leaders to try to patch up relations with the community. AP <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/27/herman-cain-muslims-apology_n_911629.html" target="_hplink">reported</a> at the time:
<blockquote>Cain met with four Muslim leaders in Sterling, Va. He said in a statement later he was "truly sorry" for comments that may have "betrayed" his commitment to the Constitution and the religious freedom it guarantees.</blockquote>
Unpolished
Cain's first display of political greenness came at an inopportune time, during his campaign announcement in May. Speaking to his followers about the importance of following the Constitution, Cain seemed to refer to the Declaration of Independence.
"We don't need to rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America, we need to reread the Constitution and enforce the Constitution," Cain said. "And I know that there are some people that are not going to do that, so for the benefit of those that are not going to read it because they don't want us to go by the Constitution, there's a little section in there that talks about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
The Constitution, of course, doesn't reference "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Weeks later, Cain made another <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/05/herman-cain-blunders-on-palestinian-right-of-return/" target="_hplink">public blunder</a> on Fox News Sunday, when he appeared to be confused on the concept of Palestinian "Right of Return," or the belief that Palestinians, as well as their descendants, who were forced to leave their property in Israel should be allowed to return. Israel is firmly opposed to the "Right of Return," and considering Cain had slammed President Obama earlier for his supposedly anti-Israel approach to Middle Eastern affairs, his apparent confusion on the issue didn't go unnoticed.
Cain: Benefactor
Cain made a big impression in Omaha in the '80s when he helped spearhead an effort to save an inner-city youth center. It eventually culminated in a series of charity gospel concerts that raised more than $5 million for a new branch.
HuffPost's Andrea Stone <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/24/herman-cains-charity_n_934996.html#s338338&title=Herman_Cain" target="_hplink">reports</a>:
<blockquote>It was the late 1980s and the then-CEO of Godfather's Pizza and self-made multimillionaire brokered a deal with the YMCA of Greater Omaha to merge with the struggling Edmonson Youth Outreach Center so that its founder could get health insurance. Joe Edmonson was a beloved wrestling coach in the community who, despite being a quadriplegic, inspired a generation of underprivileged black youth.
Cain had joined the board of the sports and after-school program in predominantly-black north Omaha after a young wrestler whose mother worked as a janitor at Godfather's headquarters approached him to help sponsor a team trip to a national tournament. So when the local YMCA approached Cain, one of Omaha's most prominent African American business leaders, for help to raise funds for a new neighborhood branch, he agreed. But only if the Y merged with the Edmonson Center.</blockquote>
But the object of Cain's charitable affection may have changed of late, Stone notes:
<blockquote>In recent years, Cain has written more checks to political causes and candidates than to charity. But the former businessman and conservative radio talk show host had chosen in years past to focus his philanthropy on education for inner-city youth so, he has said, they can overcome poverty and racial discrimination the way he did.</blockquote>
Cain has also donated large sums to The University of Nebraska at Omaha, Morehouse College and Antioch Baptist Church.
For more on the giving habits of other GOP presidential candidates, click <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/24/herman-cains-charity_n_934996.html#s328540&title=Rick_Perry" target="_hplink">here</a>.
Koch Candidate?
Cain has sought to capitalize off of his supposed political outsider status, but a recent report suggested that the one-time pizza mogul may be deeply involved with some of the powerful, moneyed influencers in Washington politics --particularly the Koch brothers.
From the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/16/herman-cain-koch-brothers-americans-prosperity-2012-gop-campaign_n_1013661.html" target="_hplink">Associated Press </a>:
<blockquote>Cain's campaign manager and a number of aides have worked for Americans for Prosperity, or AFP, the advocacy group founded with support from billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, which lobbies for lower taxes and less government regulation and spending. Cain credits a businessman who served on an AFP advisory board with helping devise his "9-9-9" plan to rewrite the nation's tax code. And his years of speaking at AFP events have given the businessman and radio host a network of loyal grassroots fans.</blockquote>
Read the rest of the report here.
Sexual Harassment History?
Politico <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67194.html" target="_hplink">reported</a> in late October that two women had filed sexual harassment complaints against Cain during his tenure as head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.
Cain has denied that the allegations had any merit, though his reaction to the resultant firestorm has been <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/01/herman-cain-sexual-harassment-settlement_n_1068719.html?ref=politics" target="_hplink">anything but consistent</a>. After first claiming ignorance, Cain later admitted to knowing more about the story than he had first let on. The video above documents Cain's vacillation on the facts of the report.
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First Posted: 10/16/2011 11:27 am Updated: 12/16/2011 4:12 am