In a presidential world where most candidates besides perennial front-runner Mitt Romney (and Rick Santorum, but he shouldn't count) has had his or her week in the spotlight, it appears that it's now Herman Cain's time to shine. Strong debate performances and interest in his "999 Plan" have taken Cain from the long-shot pizza man to Romney's most serious challenger for the 2012 nomination. So, naturally, the question becomes will this last? Or is Cain just another flash in the pan?
The media has given plenty of attention to this rise. In an election where mediaites have most likely been disappointed by the decisions of Sarah Palin and Chris Christie not to run, intriguing stories have been hard to find lately. Just to cement her legacy as a superstar, Palin should have announced her decision in a Lebron James-esque manner by stating,"My talents will remain in Wasilla...er,on my campaign, I mean tour bus." There's only so much you can report on the debates after it's the 15th one, and all the candidates are still saying the same thing.
I got a little off track there, but the point is that I'm getting bored of the Republican primary already. In one poll released today, Cain was shown to be ahead of Romney. Discontment with Perry has risen over his poor debate performance, and no one was really ever excited about Romney in the first place. Cain and Ron Paul supporters have shown more intensity during the campaign, and it will be interesting to see if that ends up making a difference.
With this newfound spotlight, Cain's 999 Plan, his lack of experience in politics, and his failure to produce a foreign policy are sure to come under heavy scrutiny. Even one of his advisors has already admitted that 999, which would set income, corporate, and sales tax all at 9%, is "a theory and not a solution." The plan would raise taxes on low-income families (in Republican euphemism language: "Broaden the tax base") while greatly reducing taxes on the wealthiest individuals in the country.
So will Cain's fame last? No. We've already seen the surges of Perry, an established politician, and Bachmann, an officially-certified whack job, and I can't see what makes Cain's fifteen minutes much different. When it's all said and done, 999 will have more holes in it than a new pair of Abercrombie jeans. Ezra Klein of the Washington Post released a scathing post attacking the proposal today. Republicans will fall back to Mitt Romney because he's the safe, conventional pick. Oh shit, he's Mormon. Maybe Republicans really have evolved, but not much. Being conservative is all about doing what you've done before, so my money's still on Romney, the ultimate boring and conventional candidate.
No comments:
Post a Comment