HERMAN CAIN PRESS CONFERENCE UPDATE: Video, Headlines, Reaction

Posted on | November 8, 2011 | 105 Comments

UPDATE 6:05 p.m. ET: The Lonely Conservative has video:

UPDATE 6:51 p.m.: A quick sample of major media headlines:

Herman Cain: I’d take lie detector test
to rebut Sharon Bialek claims
— CBS News

Cain on dropping out of presidential
race: ‘Ain’t going to happen’
— Daily Caller

Cain denies harassment claims
— USA Today

Cain Says Alleged Groping
‘Simply Did Not Happen’
— Wall Street Journal

It is too early to analyze or evaluate the long-term impact. The immediate reaction toward Cain’s press conference has been generally positive. If he didn’t “hit a home run,” as they say, he at least got a solid stand-up double. And his vow that he will continue the campaign, without regard to his accusers or their accusations, is perhaps the most important thing he said during the press conference.

UPDATE 5:58 p.m. ET: Bob Belvedere at The Camp of the Saints is profoundly skeptical of Sharon Bialek. Allahpundit is poll-watching:

Finally, here’s the latest from Gallup showing some movement in Cain’s “positive intensity” score since the allegations first started flying.

What counts, really, is the results of the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3, now just eight weeks away. All the polling in the world at this point is just a wild shot at a moving target. It’s been nine days since these accusations first surfaced, and we have many more news cycles to go through before we’ll know how the voters in Iowa view this.

UPDATE 5:40 p.m. ET: The press conference is over, and I think anyone who watched it will agree that it went well for Herman Cain. His lawyer’s opening statement might have helped put the press on notice to treat the candidate respectfully. The post-press conference panel discussion now on Fox News seems favorable toward Cain. I’ll be aggregating reaction and adding commentary in a moment.

UPDATE 5:27 p.m. ET: ABC News asks about former employee Karen Kraushaar, now a spokeswoman for the IRS, and Cain says her accusations were determined to be “baseless.”

UPDATE 5:23 p.m. ET: “In no way am I trying to minimize sexual harassment in the workplace. . . . It’s very serious.”

UPDATE 5:20 p.m. ET: The floor is opened to question, CBS reporter asks him if he would take a lie-detector test. He says yes.

UPDATE 5:16 p.m. ET: “We will get through this.” Makes frequent references to “the American people,” talks about his wife, Gloria.

UPDATE 5:14 p.m. ET: Any suggestion that he will withdraw from the campaign “ain’t gonna happen. . . . I will not be deterred.”

UPDATE 5:12 p.m. ET: Herman Cain says he wants to “take my message directly to the people. . . . I have never acted inappropriately with anyone, period.” He says, in essence, he doesn’t know Sharon Bialek from Adam’s housecat.

UPDATE 5:08 p.m. ET: We’re live! Cain’s lawyer talks about his own experience in representing victims of harassment and sexual assault. They didn’t act like Sharon Bialek, he says. Herman Cain is now being tried “in the court of public opinion.” Lawyer, he seems pretty pissed.

* * * PREVIOUSLY 4:49 p.m. ET * * *

Scheduled to begin in Phoenix at 3 p.m. local time, 5 p.m. ET. It will be liveblogged, summarized, aggregated, et cetera. A sample of headlines:

Cain accuser has history of
financial troubles, legal squabbles
— Chicago Tribune

Jobless & shameless gal going for gold
— NY Post

Cain Camp Questions Bialek’s Background
— National Review

GOP senator says Cain should
quit if allegations are true
— CNN

The GOP Senator? Lisa Murkowski. Yeah, right.

Category: Election 2012, Herman Cain, Scandal

Comments

105 Responses to “HERMAN CAIN PRESS CONFERENCE UPDATE: Video, Headlines, Reaction”

Herman Cain: Who Hugged Who and How? Sharon Bialek Fired for Sexual Harassment Claims? | Maggie's Notebook
November 8th, 2011 @ 9:56 pm

[…] If you missed Herman Cain press conference today, The Other McCain lived-blogged it and has all the … […]
Finrod Felagund
November 8th, 2011 @ 10:16 pm

I take it you’re a tax attorney, and you’re afraid that 9-9-9 will put you out of business.
What is the background of Cain accuser Sharon Bialek? « Wintery Knight
November 8th, 2011 @ 10:36 pm

[…] this link? It will take you to Robert McCain’s post on the Cain press conference. McCain has been […]
Zilla of the Resistance
November 8th, 2011 @ 10:42 pm

Cain isn’t even accused of having sex with anybody and yet the media meat puppets are pushing headlines screaming as if he were Jack The Ripper, meanwhile, Obama has sex scandals that actually involve sex (gay sex to be specific) and has at least three murdered dead gay former lovers and one male Hollywood actor who was given a made up job in the administration (until they apparently broke up) and nobody will touch the story.
Yet another reason why Conservative Bloggers are so vitally important, because they undermine the leftist narrative.
James Knauer
November 8th, 2011 @ 10:54 pm

Any links for these irresponsible allegations that you spew in complaint to what? Irresponsible allegations?
James Knauer
November 8th, 2011 @ 10:55 pm

You only need to ask Herman Cain. This was one of the many determinations he made today on his say-so alone.
Adjoran
November 8th, 2011 @ 10:58 pm

Like her saliva, you mean?
Adjoran
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:00 pm

You don’t have to give money to anyone you don’t fully support. But the GOP nominee will be chosen by an open and democratic process. No matter who we put up, they will be ten times better than Obama. Even if we nominate my dog.
Zilla of the Resistance
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:07 pm

How about we play by the rules established by the media regarding Herman Cain and YOU produce links disputing what I’ve said?

In the mean time, you can look at these:

http://hillbuzz.org/2011/11/07/why-wont-the-agenda-driven-media-report-on-barack-obama-being-gay-dating-actor-kal-penn-and-frequenting-chicago-bathhouse-mans-country-you-know-the-way-they-leaped-to-trash-herman-cain-with-u/

http://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/mom-of-murdered-obama-gay-lover-speaks-up/

Also, have you ever heard of Vera Baker?
James Knauer
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:19 pm

Let these men and Vera come forward and tell it. What is stopping them? If it’s true, let’s have it. Vera is as stale as “Rev. Wright” or “Rezko” as a dog whistle, don’t you think?

Meanwhile, all five women are going to give a unified presser to refute Cain. Too bad. He was unfit without this nonsense.

The GOP clown car trundles on. How many more women will come out, do you suppose? Say, 9? Even Eric Erickson has thrown in t he towel. Given the election results tonight, it’s been a good day for libruls.
Adjoran
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:23 pm

Clueless.

The GOP will win as long as our nominee can’t be sunk on a scandal. Obama has ruined the economy and seems intent on regulating to ensure no recovery is possible in time to save his sorry butt.

Our President will be at the mercy of a more conservative Congress after we take the Senate. Even if he wants to be squishy, the facts of our national situation wouldn’t allow it, and he would have to veto the product of a GOP Congress to squish.

The strangest people grow backbones when they are backed against the wall.
Adjoran
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:25 pm

I’ll pass on Erickson, and I would want to see the horse.

Off topic, it turns out that sex with animals increases the risk of penile cancer. Turns out not everything stays in Vegas . . .
Adjoran
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:26 pm

The asteroid does want the job, right?
Adjoran
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:33 pm

Making assertions and accusations without a source, for one.

The conspiracy is “some people don’t want Herman Cain to win the nomination, some people don’t want Herman Cain as President” with no names.

Smearing victims without evidence – the anonymous women have been referred to as golddiggers and prostitutes before this one came forward yesterday. Clinton’s Nuts and Sluts play.

Attacking the news outlets which report the charges and the attorneys who represent accusers – again, right out of the Clinton playbook.

And giving Cain a pass on the multiple contradictory accounts he has given of the facts. He had plenty of notice to refresh his memory but chose to mislead instead. Apparently his supporters are fine with all this.

I’m not fine with any of it. I defended him when the Politico hit piece came out but he insisted on talking his way into their trap. Headlong.
Adjoran
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:34 pm

It was a touching moment when he said that and then turned to smile at his wife standing beside him.

Oh, wait – never mind.
ThePaganTemple
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:43 pm

I’m not so sure I would be so quick to use “Cain” and “going down” in the same sentence.
tmott1
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:56 pm

Tonight, Gloria Alred (TV – Joy Behar) downplayed Bialek’s possible
financial motives. Said Bialek’s fiance (Mark Harwood) is a
pediatrician, implying he is financially set.

Did some checking.
He’s an unemployed medical devices executive per his LInkedIn resume.
Was Pres of RF Technologies for 15 months, his third gig since ’05. Now
seeking another opportunity, so was presumably let go from there.

UK’s
Telegraph: “Her fiancé Mark Harwood, from England, had the $1.2 million
house near Chicago, Illinois, that he shared with his ex-wife
repossessed after apparently failing to repay the mortgage.”

Telegraph
again: “Bialek and her 13-year-old son now live with Mr Harwood, 49, in
a $564,000 five-bedroom house in a Chicago suburb, which appears to be
rented. Mr Harwood, who is currently out of work, claims to have run
multi-million dollar health care companies in the US before the home he
shared with his wife Patricia was reclaimed by lenders. His page on
LinkedIn, a business networking site, states that he received a degree
in English, Maths and Physics from Oxford College of Technology and
Engineering (Oxford, England) in 1982.”

Can’t find that English
school on the web but there is one in India. Also saw reference to an
alleged pending Harwood bankruptcy, probably because of the divorce
settlement (my theory).

So the money could be nice.
Joe
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:57 pm

I would vote for your dog. And I am guessing it is a good dog. Does dog years count for being 35?
ThePaganTemple
November 8th, 2011 @ 11:57 pm

Or the wrong percentage of baby powder in her cocaine.
Joe
November 9th, 2011 @ 12:01 am

Good point. But I was paraphrasing the “conservative carrot top” Erik Erickson.
Herman Cain Press Conference: I Don’t Know Who This Woman Is! | Herman Cain PAC
November 9th, 2011 @ 12:11 am

[…] from the reporters. As soon as the full video is available I’ll post it. In the mean time, The Other McCain has more […]
Anonymous
November 9th, 2011 @ 12:30 am

Don’t you mean baby laxative?
Anonymous
November 9th, 2011 @ 12:35 am

Your dog would be preferable to Romney, hell Romney’s dog would be preferable to Romney for that matter Obama’s dog would be preferable to Romney or Obama.
Joe
November 9th, 2011 @ 12:38 am

She is also a whore…like a person who has sex with strangers for money.
Anonymous
November 9th, 2011 @ 12:43 am

To be fair attacking news outlets should be general principals.
Anonymous
November 9th, 2011 @ 12:47 am

Actually a mixed day for the SDs.
mark
November 9th, 2011 @ 1:09 am

“Meanwhile, all five women are going to give a unified presser to refute Cain.”

wow…talk about putting the band together.

what you meant to say, was that gloria allred and maria cardona ‘want to’ get as many of the five together to get their stories straight, and then give a unified presser.
mark
November 9th, 2011 @ 1:12 am

“Cain isn’t even accused of having sex…”

i know. dude can’t even get laid.
mark
November 9th, 2011 @ 1:16 am

“Given the election results tonight, it’s been a good day for libruls.”
so the obamacare mandate loses by a larger margin than issue two won by…

was it great gop turnout, with massive defections on issue 2, OR, great dem turnout with massive defections on the obamacare mandate?

guess which subject will be a central point of the 2012 election…
Joe
November 9th, 2011 @ 1:21 am

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/11/08/mark-block-did-you-know-that-the-son-of-cains-accuser-works-for-politico/

Oh oh.
mark
November 9th, 2011 @ 1:58 am

worth catching juan williams rxn…

dems may not want to be too eager to get involved with a ‘white princess/black devil’ narrative. allred is out there already, but maria cardona probably should back off.

IF cain survives, this tactic cannot be used in the general election. it completely cuts against obama’s base. the more surrogates that are deployed to amplify the meme’ of allegations against a black man by white women, the more the story comes down to a question of whether a white woman or a black man are to be believed.

the dems are in the process of poisoning themselves to african americans. this, if, for no other reason is why cain needs to be kept in the primary.
Charles Johnson
November 9th, 2011 @ 2:20 am

I sometimes offend even myself.
Charles Johnson
November 9th, 2011 @ 2:24 am

I relish in Chris Matthews’ corruption.
Adjoran
November 9th, 2011 @ 2:27 am

Why wouldn’t it? For dogs, at least.

It is the same way Obama got into Columbia and Harvard Law, and my Lab doesn’t expect any financial aid, either.
Adjoran
November 9th, 2011 @ 2:28 am

Romney’s dog was traumatized by having to ride on the roof.

Obama’s dog was traumatized by having to ride on Michelle.
Adjoran
November 9th, 2011 @ 2:31 am

Mark Block sticks his foot in his mouth again. The guy left Politico last year and is at National Journal now.

But that’s not the good part: he has the same name as her son, but he isn’t. Block is just an incompetent buffoon.
Adjoran
November 9th, 2011 @ 2:31 am

I’ll drink to that!
Anonymous
November 9th, 2011 @ 2:50 am

Ms. Kraushaar’s said “These allegations can be considered together as a body of evidence.”

This is insanity.
Anonymous
November 9th, 2011 @ 2:55 am

A black man on blond women will, at least openly, offend more black women than anyone else. Cain never really made the sale for me, but I hope he stick’s it out for another month or two at least. The enemy is making mistakes, I’d like to see them continue.
Anonymous
November 9th, 2011 @ 5:53 am

No, I just haven’t been drinking the 9-9-9 Kool Aid.

– “We need to do something about the tax Code!”
+ “9-9-9 is something!”
– “Let’s do it!”
Did Herman Cain Harass Ace of Spades? : The Other McCain
November 9th, 2011 @ 7:19 am

[…] is finite, assuming that we will not be disccusing Accuser #11 and Accuser #12 this time next week, Tuesday’s press conference may prove to be the turning point, the high-tide of the “scandal” tsunami which […]
ThePaganTemple
November 9th, 2011 @ 8:02 am

Who’s the actor, the guy from House and the Harold And Kumar movies?
ThePaganTemple
November 9th, 2011 @ 8:06 am

They did come forward, the faggot was even videotaped talking about how he and Obama did cocaine and how he gave Obama a blow job, two times. The first time Obama met him through some kind of arrangement made by a mutual friend. Obama was so pleased with the results of their first date, he made a second date on his own initiative.

The difference is when somebody comes forward to tell something on Obama, you don’t have dozens of media outlets rushing to make sure its covered 24/7 on cable news as well as the on-line and print media.

If they make sure of anything, they make sure the story is buried, which is what they’ve done with the story of Obama’s cocaine use and tendency toward faggotry.
Zilla of the Resistance
November 9th, 2011 @ 8:36 am

Dead men can’t come forward, and scandals which the media actively suppresses doesn’t have the chance to get stale.

I don’t care how many gold diggers come out to pretend that Herman did something, their timing reveals their agenda. And the opinion of Erick Erickson means nothing to me, that’s the guy who goes all rabid dog on anyone who doesn’t adore islamoblow Rick Perry.
Zilla of the Resistance
November 9th, 2011 @ 8:36 am

Yes. His name is Kal Penn.
ThePaganTemple
November 9th, 2011 @ 8:55 am

That’s what I thought, I just couldn’t remember his name. I remember him getting some phony job in the administration, walked away from his gig on House for it. They killed off his character by having him commit suicide. Now he recently made another Harold And Kumar movie. So you’re saying there was some gayness between him and Obama? Wow. Is that just a theory, or rumor, or is there anything to back it up?

I definitely believe the story the one homosexual put out there. Like I said somewhere else, when somebody wants to slander somebody with a gay rumor they generally make out the person they’re slandering is the one giving the blow job, not getting it, or worse, as the one who gets it up the ass, not gives it.

So Kal Penn, yeah I can believe that. It would be cool if somebody would come forward with some evidence, but I just wouldn’t feel comfortable with it until I hear some specifics. One of those things you almost know is probably true, but what the hell.
Bob Belvedere
November 9th, 2011 @ 9:12 am

I said ‘odorless’, Adj.
Bob Belvedere
November 9th, 2011 @ 9:33 am

We won’t hold that weekend against you, Adj.
Bob Belvedere
November 9th, 2011 @ 9:40 am

It’s too damn risky to take it.

As Mark Levin explains so brilliantly at the link below, lie detector tests are not admissible in a court of law for a very good reason:
http://www.therightscoop.com/mark-levin-cains-presser-was-brilliant/
Bob Belvedere
November 9th, 2011 @ 9:40 am

…or Bob Belvedere.