Herman Cain Losing Support Of Women Voters After Sexual Harassment Allegations, Poll Shows

WASHINGTON -- CBS News has a new poll up on the GOP presidential race. And while the top line numbers seem relatively unchanged -- Newt Gingrich is rising, Mitt Romney remains near the top, Herman Cain is leading -- the takeaway narrative isn't all that good for the former Godfather's Pizza CEO.

"Cain has lost support among women since last month -- from 28 percent in October to 15 percent now," the poll reveals.

The problem, naturally, is the series of past sexual harassment allegations that have been leveled at Cain in recent weeks. At least four women have claimed Cain harassed them while he headed the National Restaurant Association in the late 1990's, claims that have likely persuaded 30 percent of all respondents to say that they are now less likely to back his candidacy. That number rises to 38 percent when restricted to female respondents.

And yet, Cain has some staying power. Though it is a national poll, which carries less weight than a poll of Iowa or New Hampshire voters, Cain still leads with 18 percent, followed by Romney and Gingrich, who are both at 15 percent.

"Support for both Cain and Romney has declined since late last month, and Gingrich is the only one of the top three whose support is steadily -- if slowly -- on the upswing."

One caveat: Seventy percent of respondents said it is still too early to pick a candidate.

UPDATE: Making matters worse for Cain: He wasn't doing too well with women voters in the first place. As the Center for Responsive Politics reported, even before the sexual harassment allegations surfaced, the Cain campaign was struggling to secure money from women donors.

In terms of receiving political donations from the ladies, Cain's fund-raising so far this year has been slightly lower than nearly all of his rivals.

For its part, Cain's campaign has relied on women for about 25.1 percent of its money, according to estimates by the Center for Responsive Politics. That ranks Cain behind all but two other current candidates.

Comments

[YUM YUM WINE]

05:43 PM on 11/17/2011

FOR THE ONES THAT E MAILED ME ON MY DEFENDING CAIN AND MY SPELLING OF WITCH I SAY "WHO GIVES A SH-T! AT MY AGE I DONT CARE HOW I SPELL THE WORD BUT WHY DID SO MANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT I WAS SPEAKING OF?? IT'S OK THAT 15 MILLION AMERICANS ARE NOT WORKING AND ALL THE STIMIULESS DOLLARS WENT OFF SHORE UNDER WHOSE NAME???
SORRY THOSE OF YOU THAT STILL THINK OBAMA IS A LEADER HE IS JUST A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, PEROID!!!!!!!!

[Jamgrae]

03:28 PM on 11/14/2011

Did anyone hear about how Herman describes Michelle Bachmann and Mitt Romney as ice cream flavors? He calls Michelle...TUTTI FRUITTI...and Romney as PLAIN VANILLA. What if Mitt had described Cain as just PLAIN CHOCOLATE....imagine the firestorm. But Romney wouldn't be that stupid.....Cain is.

[scrappyjack]

07:36 PM on 11/13/2011

If Mr. CAIN gets any more "ALLEGATIONS", I'm afraid he'll
have to go out and buy the "LARGE" size "ROLODEX" file
to put them all in!

[Bad Spotted Dog]

02:38 PM on 11/13/2011

I've listened to Cain for over 5 years on the radio. I have more knowledge than most about the way he thinks. Here are some facts for Cain doubters.
• The fact that Cain never had any complaints filed against him from Pillsbury, Burger King, Godfather's, or the Navy, but ONLY from the Restaurant Association smells rotten to me.
• Cain harassment charges = Restaurant Association = Hotel and Restaurant workers UNION = Harry Reid.
• More bothersome fact; The only woman that has come forward against Cain, was, & is still represented by an attorney who's known for filing frivolous law suits & specializes in discrimination & sexual harassment cases.
• Attacks on the gaffe about Chinese nukes? Why not worry that China OWNS so much of the US?? At least Cain doesn't visit "57 states!
I truly believe Cain can & will get our country out of this mess. Come on people, pay attention, listen to logic, & stop letting the mainstream media herd you around like the sheeple you've been.

[Jimbo2001]

01:44 PM on 11/13/2011

Someone named "mimimus" keeps calling Constitutional patriots "pilgrim". Since liberals love to hatefully name-call, I must assume he looks at the term as an insult. I just can't quite figure out why. I'm guessing it's because the Pilgrims were religious, and he looks at anything religious as being worthy of insults. That's a shame, because real atheists, like me, don't throw insults at religious people. I guess we are the REAL tolerant ones.

[blessed457100902]

08:56 AM on 11/13/2011

Brother Cain will WIN the nomination hands down because his ideas reach the people not the RNC and they will be held by their feet to the fire by this Black man if they try to pull any tricks against him!!!!!!!
White women who lie are just like any other woman who lies, a LIAR.......

[Jimbo2001]

10:58 AM on 11/13/2011

I'm confused as to whose side you are on? First, I don't think he will win "hands down", because there are so many great candidates. Second, I don't know why you would suggest that his ideas don't reach the RNC, other than the fact that they have allowed themselves to surrender to liberal wishes by becomeing more moderate than traditional Republicans. Third, to true Republicans his skin color is totally irrelevant. And fourth, you are absolutely right about women who lie.

[scrappyjack]

10:53 PM on 11/12/2011

Sorry, Mr. CAIN, you're on the "CHOPPING BLOCK", but
that's the "NAME of the GAME" in "POLITICS"! If you are
innocent, you'll do just fine!

[rfergu1188]

10:15 AM on 11/13/2011

IF?

[scrappyjack]

04:21 AM on 11/14/2011

Did you write this. Mr. CAIN?

[scrappyjack]

10:49 PM on 11/12/2011

Who knows what "CAIN" knows? Only "CAIN" knows,
what "CAIN" knows, and somehow I don't think he's
willing to tell us!

[Stopinstigating]

10:32 PM on 11/12/2011

No doubt Progressives are patting themselves on the back for this development.

Fortunately, PBS does a great job reminding us how they laid the framework for this kind of attack to be so effective:

"On the evening of March 21, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson attended a special screening at the White House of THE BIRTH OF A NATION... It falsified the reality of Reconstruction by presenting blacks as dominating Southern whites and sexually forcing themselves upon white women."

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_birth.html

As a black man I've lived with this vile stereotype for 50 years, and, thanks to the shameful and wicked legacy of Progressives and their skillful use of bigotry to advance their social engineering agenda, the twin boys I raised as a single parent will have to live with it too.

[Kate Fletcher]

12:49 AM on 11/13/2011

I doubt it is Woodrow Wilson or DW Griffith's fault that I find Herman Cain to be unqualified for public office. I can't even place the blame on that cinematic bilge "Birth of a Nation." All the blame belongs to Mr. Cain himself.

[Stopinstigating]

01:39 AM on 11/13/2011

Please, save your patronizing commentary for someone who hasn't experienced the reality of having lived a lifetime being subject to this vicious stereotype.

Are you a black man? Have you ever been falsely accused by a white woman and had others assume your guilt to be more likely because you were?

I didn't think so.

Your shallow attempt to conflate legitimate policy disagreement with your own biased opinions rooted in a racist and bigoted stereotype endorsed and promoted by Progressives is disingenuous, disgusting and rejected out of hand.

[scrappyjack]

09:41 PM on 11/12/2011

It "BOILS MY BEANS" when I see these "POLITITIANS" play "SCRABBLE"
with words, to make them fit! Bill Clinton said, I did not have "SEX" with that
women. All he was saying is, I did not have "STRAIGHT SEX" with that
women, Excluding all other types of "KINKY" sex. Now, Mr. CAIN uses the
word "AGREEMENT" like it was somehow different and more acceptable than
the word "SETTLEMENT". If you did no wrong, you don't make "ANY" kind
of "ANYTHING" with "ANYBODY" Period!

[Jimbo2001]

10:06 PM on 11/12/2011

In Mr. can's case, it was actually an agreement. A settlement would be if there was some sort of acknowledgement that something really happened.

[scrappyjack]

10:39 PM on 11/12/2011

Sorry, I don't "BUY" that! If it was me, and I did absolutely
nothing wrong, I woudn't pay a "dime", sign any kind of
"Agreement" or anything! Even if it cost me a good-paying
job, I would take my innocence to the grave and say
"SCREW YOU" to all the sceptics!

[mimimus]

08:48 PM on 11/12/2011

Mrs. Cain is mysteriously absent in all this. Will this turn into a murder case too?

[Jimbo2001]

09:58 PM on 11/12/2011

Do any libs aver suggest anything intelligent?

[MGhamma]

11:53 PM on 11/12/2011

All the time.

But it takes intelligence to recognise.

[mimimus]

08:54 AM on 11/13/2011

Getting rid of the GOP/TP is rather brilliant, pilgrim.

[barbgre1]

08:09 PM on 11/12/2011

It's really a shame that so many accept allegations instead of proven facts before changing their minds. This MAY be no more than a smear campaign from the left...and, if so, it's an affront to the American people to manipulate them us this way.

[Jamgrae]

04:25 PM on 11/14/2011

BARBGRE1....Use your common sense for just a moment; why would the left want to smear Herman Cain from the race....WE WANT HIM TO WIN THE NOMINATION. Anyone who doesn't know that China has nukes, or that his 999 plan would destroy medicare and social security, deserves to give Obama an easy re-election. The only ones who might benefit for Cain's fall is either Romney or Perry....and I don't think Perry is smart enough. But, you're welcomed to continue blaming the left, that way you won't know in which way the knife fell.

[baej]

08:01 PM on 11/12/2011

If hypocrisy were a terminal illness, all the libs here would be dead or dying as we speak. What in the world makes them think anyone cares how they feel about a Republican candidate - since they all owe their soul to the obama company store anyway?

[mimimus]

08:43 PM on 11/12/2011

We'll raise that quizzical question during our next imaginary meeting at our secret headquarters, pilgrim.

[MGhamma]

11:55 PM on 11/12/2011

You seem to care, since you're here.

[scrappyjack]

07:38 PM on 11/12/2011

Starting the race to the "WHITEHOUSE", with the weight of "AMBIGUITY"
dragging behind, is almost certainly going to put a big enough "TAX" on
the participant to "DESTROY" any chances of coming in at the
"FINISH LINE"!

[ltltiggrr]

07:29 PM on 11/12/2011

The allegations regarding Mr. Cain's actions have come to light, thankfully, much more quickly than those against the former Penn State assistant football coach. Embarassment, fear and shame often keep both male and female victims of all races and all ages from speaking out against the people who are victimizing them.