Herman Cain To Cut Back On 2012 Campaign Events To Avoid Gaffes

BIRMNGHAM, Ala. (AP/The Huffington Post) -- Presidential candidate Herman Cain is full of confidence about his 2012 prospects.

It's been weeks since he's set foot in first-voting Iowa or New Hampshire, yet he said Saturday he said expects to finish first or second in each state.

The latest Des Moines Register poll out Saturday showed Cain statistically tied with Mitt Romney for the lead in the GOP primary.

Cain's also predicting victory in South Carolina, which will hold the South's first presidential contest in 2012.

"And then, look out," Cain said Saturday before plunging into a crowd of football tailgaters at Samford University, a Baptist-affiliated school in Alabama.

That win, he says, will set the stage for him to capture the GOP nomination.

Cain's campaign, however, said he plans to "dial back" his campaign and media appearances in order to avoid missteps. Since climbing in the polls, he has had a series of fumbles, forcing him to clarify comments on abortion, immigration and terrorism suspects.

"I wouldn't say we're going to dial it down. We're going to be more deliberate on the type of things we do when I have a very full schedule, Cain told ABC News. "For example, in retrospect doing a taped interview following a debate, following some interviews, probably wasn't a good idea because. You know I'm only a human being. And you reach a point where if you're too tired, you're not on your 'A game'. When we say dial it down, we simply mean we're going to balance it out such that I can be on my a game every time I have to do an interview."

Cain has chalked up the mistakes to a grueling campaign schedule jammed with media interviews. Such itineraries are standard fare on the presidential campaign trail and it is unclear how aggressively he will restrict his schedule.

A former pizza magnate who has never held elected office, Cain is adapting from a longshot candidate hustling for any media attention to a front-runner who must be more selective with his time and disciplined in his message.

The blunt-spoken Cain has been more cautious lately. At a campaign stop at the Alabama Republican Party headquarters on Friday, Cain paused then asked a reporter to repeat a complicated two-part question on immigration.

"I don't want to have to clarify," he said with a laugh.

Not everyone thinks walking back a misstatement is a sign of weakness.

"I like that if he says something, he's not afraid to turn around and admit he's wrong," said Phil Andrews, of Birmingham, who tried without success to reach the candidate and have him sign his Cain t-shirt.

"He's human and that's just fine."

Comments

[southingtonian]

11:50 PM on 10/31/2011

"I like that if he says something, he's not afraid to turn around and admit he's wrong," said Phil Andrews Only admits he's wrong when he's been backed into a corner with the facts, and even then it's obviously with bad grace.

[Aurical]

11:08 PM on 10/31/2011

I will try that method at work. Instead of becoming better at what I do, I will just come in less so I have fewer chances to screw up!

[jodieez]

10:43 AM on 10/31/2011

When you don't have enough intelligence to or moral underpinnings to say with conviction what you stand for, you have to hide.

[orbitxal1]

10:37 AM on 10/31/2011

Avoid gaffes? Maybe he should use a teleprompter.

[Mechelle Gray]

11:03 AM on 10/31/2011

Maybe you should go check out that "Great Blue Heron". * sigh *

[orbitxal1]

11:46 AM on 10/31/2011

Just figured the man could use a few pointers.

[troyrobertdavid]

09:45 AM on 10/31/2011

Herman Cain’s new strategy to avoid gaffes; STOP TALKING!

[southingtonian]

11:52 PM on 10/31/2011

How would that strategy work if, by some curse, he were to obtain to the office of President?

[troyrobertdavid]

09:18 AM on 11/01/2011

Halloween is over, don't scare me like that.

[kiya002]

09:34 AM on 10/31/2011

Cain don't deliver.

[Mechelle Gray]

09:00 AM on 10/31/2011

Can't wait for him to explain his pal, Neal Boortz.

[carljr]

08:37 AM on 10/31/2011

Conservative change you can believe in

Grand Old Party (GOP) becomes the RAH (Run and Hide!) Party.

[Boopsie2008]

08:09 AM on 10/31/2011

Here's the problem with Herman Cain "dialing it down" so he can be on his "A game" by being more rested and prepared each time: you don't get to call the shots that way when you're president. You have to be on your A game all the time, as things get heaped on you or come out of left field in a non-stop barrage.

It may not be the 3:00 am phone call, but it does say quite a bit about whether candidate Cain has what it takes.

Assuming he survives his sexual harassment scandal, that is.

[BlueGirlRedState]

08:04 AM on 10/31/2011

One thing about Herman Cain that disqualifies him for president more than anything else is his absolute refusal to be held accountable. Even when there is audio/video evidence, he finds some way to excuse himself and he expects us to move on. He sells us on his job at Godfather's, which ended 15 years ago, and doesn't talk about his affiliation with the Koch family and the years he spent lobbying, not only in Washington but in other states on state issues (Wisconsin), which are more recent and far more important than a regional pizza chain. He downplays his role as a preacher, which is baffling in itself and should give pause to the religious right and fundamentalists. He has backed off bashing Obama, but for months he relentlessly criticizws the president (without offering any substance to his claims) and he often compared himself favorably to that "other Black man." He is disrespectful of large segments of our society and has shown himself totally lacking on foreign and domestic policy. He said he would veto any Bill longer than three pages, and in his latest book brags, "I'm a leader, not a reader." People who don't read are followers.

[troutster]

07:26 AM on 10/31/2011

Just a thought on 999: If I'm at 33% tax bracket, and rich, my tax rate would drop 24%. If I'm at 15% and middle class/poor, my tax rate drops 6%.

Add in the regressive 9% sales tax, and who is 999 really gonna help?

[stape45]

08:48 AM on 10/31/2011

ANY and every Republican tax plan is geared toward enriching the same small percentage of beneficiaries. There is not a single exception to that hard and fast rule.

[southingtonian]

11:53 PM on 10/31/2011

it's the gas in their tanks.

[Col Hogan]

06:35 AM on 10/31/2011

Don't blame your mistakes and failure to perform on something else.
Blame yourself!

[Skidooo]

06:23 AM on 10/31/2011

Blaming your mistakes on the rigorous schedule you have maintaintained, huh? Whatever are you going to do if elected President. President Obama works 24/7 365 days a year now. How in the world would you ever handle that then ? For those of you who think the POTUS takes to many vacations, do you really believe he is actually not kept busy during these times? Most people that go on vactions forget about work etc.......unfortunately he cannot do that.

[Aurical]

11:06 PM on 10/31/2011

Bush worked 24/7 as well: 24 hours a week, 7 months a year!

[southingtonian]

11:55 PM on 10/31/2011

Haven't actually done the math, but that sounds about right.

[Ppossom]

04:43 AM on 10/31/2011

The GOP is not racist, but every racist in America is GOP.

Nominating CAIN is the best thing that could happen to GOP. It will drive the racists OUT of their comfortable home in the GOP.

[stape45]

09:49 AM on 10/31/2011

It's far-more likely that the racists will push him to the rear of the pack, by whatever means becomes available to them.

[Space Chief]

03:44 AM on 10/31/2011

Don't pick on Cain - he's proven he's got as much guts as Eric "No Public Seats" Cantor and Rand "Someone Stomp a Woman's Head" Paul, so, no making him stick out in a crowd...