Among the many striking features of Georgia-based radio talk show host Herman Cain's presidential announcement speech in Atlanta on May 21, the most surreal was to hear an African-American in front of a heavily white audience of hard-core conservatives, at a site within shouting distance of the Martin Luther King Center, end his remarks by declaring, "When Herman Cain is president, we will finally be able to say, 'Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, America is free at last.'" Cain's decision to appropriate those famous words from King's "I Have a Dream" speech is in many ways characteristic of the man himself and the kind of campaign he's been running. But give him credit: Outperforming Tim Pawlenty in many recent polls, running tied for second in Tuesday's latest PPP poll of Iowa, Cain is surging on the backs of the Tea Party faithful. He is nothing if not audacious, and his popularity is due in large part to the fact that he has come to embody some of the more dubious but emotionally central claims of the Tea Party Movement.
The first thing Cain has going for his fan-base is his biography. He's a successful business executive who saved at least one company, Godfather's Pizza. He made his bones on the national political stage by attacking the Clinton Health Reform plan in 1994. And after liquidating his business holdings, he became a motivational speaker and author, with many opportunities to hone his communications skills. Following his one, unsuccessful race for office — a surprisingly strong showing that resulted in a runoff loss to now-Senator Johnny Isakson — Cain worked his way into the world of conservative talk radio under the tutelage of the veteran quasi-libertarian gabber Neal Boortz, who has a big national audience. He soon got his own syndicated show, in which he identified himself with one of the most durable conservative pet rocks, the Fair Tax proposal (a flat consumption tax that would theoretically replace federal income and payroll taxes). And unlike other pols who have since tried to ingratiate themselves with the movement, Cain was a big Tea Party proponent from day one, quickly becoming a fixture at Tea Party events in Georgia.
Now, the door is open for people who come from all different types of backgrounds," she said. "I think people in the Republican party are seeing that the time for change is now."
Cain recently released an official campaign music video where he does not shy away from the race issue. He says he left the "Democrat plantation" years ago, and he uses his family's history to make the case for his country.
"My great-great-grand parents were slaves," he says, "and now I'm running for president of the United States. Is this a great country or what?"
Shorter said Republicans have been trying to make the argument that their party - which President Abraham Lincoln belonged to - is the original party of the emancipators, which makes Cain's message even more appealing.
"I think the story of transformation is a pretty powerful one," she said.
Recent polling suggests Cain may be a serious contender for the nomination. A May 26 Gallup poll shows 8 percent of Republicans support Cain's nomination, which puts him at fifth among potential candidates, and he received the highest favorable rating among all candidates in a separate poll. Robert Browning, associate professor of political science, said the general discontent with politicians is likely helping Cain, who has never held elected office.
"I think the fact that he's an outsider helps," he said. "This seems to be the year of the outsider."
Despite relatively strong poll numbers, Cain is recognized by fewer than 40 percent of all Republican voters. If he is going to win the nomination, which Browning called a "very long shot," this number will need to improve. Browning said the reason Cain may have a chance is because no frontrunner has emerged for the nomination.
"Without money and a lot events, that's a slow path," he said. "But there's no frontrunner yet so he can get some more exposure from debates and from these candidate appearances that get picked up in the media.
