Ace Rips Herman Cain Pretty Good

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Remember the whole Gitmo-release thing with Wolf Blitzer yesterday? Ace really didn’t dig that at all:

He literally seems to be making it all up on the fly, and I mean all, so when he’s asked a question like this, all he knows about the situation is literally just that which was contained in the question.

You can read the rest. It’s pretty brutal, and this is the kind of situation — a blunder that exposes him to lacerating criticism from conservatives — that Cain must avoid henceforth if he wants to be taken seriously as a contender.

104 comments

  1. What’s the point in going through a big fight to change our whole tax structure just to end up at a place where the government keeps on getting the same amount of taxes as when we started?

    Because every year we waste hundreds of billions of dollars just to comply with the tax code.  If the government ends up with the same amount of tax dollars through 9-9-9 that it gets now, then that tax savings goes into our pockets.

  3. No way I’ll vote for someone who’s that ignorant and/or dismissive of the Constitution.

    So I guess you won’t be voting for anyone this time around, eh?

  4. All right, I just read Ace’s post, so now I know exactly what he’s talking about. He gave the wrong answer to be sure, but I don’t know that I’d take it to the extent Ace did. The proper answer would be that we can’t make such trades for the simple fact it would set a precedent that would endanger all our citizens all over the world, and make them targets for future exploitation.

    I’m telling you people, the best person in the race is Bachmann. And no, I’m not saying that because I want a woman president, though that is for damn sure a positive, to have a Republican conservative woman, just as much as having a Republican conservative black person.

    Bachmann has made her share of missteps and misstatements, to be sure, and I don’t agree with her on everything, but damn people, we need somebody that is going to let loose with Obama armed with the wrath of the gods, and Bachmann is the one that can and will do that.

    Screw her headaches, do you want to know who would have a fucking headache starting every single day of the general election campaign. Obama would have the mother of all migraines every time Bachmann responded to any of his idiocy.

    With Cain, by contrast, he’s going to be expected to treat Obama as a “brother” with whom he just happens to disagree but otherwise whom he must treat with “respect”, and while Obama makes a show of treating him likewise his minions will be ripping Cain so many new assholes it won’t be a contest.

    Let’s nip this stupid shit in the bud before it even gets started.

    Bachmann 2012.

  5. And Marcus Bachmann for First Gentleman. Because nothing says “Fuck you, Progressives” like a First Husband who will unabashedly define homosexuality for what it is-an emotional and possibly spiritual delusion and mental illness.

  6. And by the way, what’s the reason we’ve never seen Cain’s wife? Is she ugly? Shy? Stupid? Come on, people, we don’t know anything about her. What if there’s something about her that might be an embarrassment? You think Obama won’t find out and exploit it? You need to think about these things. And don’t give me that its not important. A two word response to that-Mrs. Gingrich.

  7. I agree that if you’re having to explain what you meant, you’re losing, which is why Cain simply said he “misspoke”.

    But, hey, we’re blog-readers, and we’re smarter than your average bear.

    As for the question he was asked, I don’t see how you justify saying he wasn’t even asked the question I claim he answered.  He was asked if he “could” see himself making that decision.  And he answered the “would” part by saying he would have to know all the considerations, but that he “could” IF that was necessary.

    But by all means, don’t let me stop anyone from piling on Cain.  We’d all much rather have President Romney anyway, wouldn’t we?

  8. Another couple of things about Bachmann, she’s a tax attorney and she should know the best way to reform the tax code. She’s also an educator, and would therefore understand how vital it is that school systems across the country should be reformed. The only person who’s talked about that so far to any appreciable extent is Gingrich, but Bachmann might actually be the first President we ever had that can legitimately be called “the education president”. Everybody else that has tried to touch it, including Bush, has fucked it up. And I hate to say it, but I don’t think Cain would be any better. I’m sure he would try, but I doubt he would do any more at best than tinker around the edges. I think Bachmann has the guts to tackle the teacher’s unions (and all other unions) head on.

  9. And have you noticed the results? If Cain is the nominee, will I vote for him in a second? Absolutely. In a millisecond. Do I feel uncomfortable about his ignorance on foreign policy? Tremendously.

  14. Well, Ace and others over at the HQ seem to have the attitude that if Perry isn’t winning then anyone else isn’t either.

    Sort of like the disdain and piling on that happened to Christine O’Donnell in Delaware. Sure she wasn’t the brightest bulb on the tree but she had won the primary but that wasn’t good enough for some.

    I never understood hacking away at those that aren’t ones enemy. Make cogent criticisms of what they have said, ok,  but doing so in a snarky way and seeming to be actively looking to find things to pick about just seems stupid when we’re faced with an outright anti-american socialist crypto muslim who is determined to tear this country down and apart.

    It’s not like those attacks don’t have consequences.

  15. What about the lives that are later lost due to the actions of the released Palestinian terrorists?

    Or maybe they all got a polonium going away tea party.  I suppose that would be the sort of detail that could change a President’s decision, eh?

  16. I believe food and medicine is not taxed under 999.

    You believe wrong. Everything, with the exception of “used” items, gets taxed under Cain’s federal sales tax. That includes not just goods but also services. Like the doctor, barber, mechanic, etc. You assume that just because these things are exempt under most state sales tax schemes, that they are exempt under Cain’s. But, one of his selling points is how all his nines are simplified. Simplified means no exceptions.

  17. Yes, it will be simplified for many. But, not all. Lots of businesses that don’t currently have to collect sales tax are going to have to start. For example, a landscaping business. Most state sales taxes exempt services, so a landscaping business doesn’t have to collect a sales tax. They will have to start under Cain’s plan. And, some states, like New Hampshire, have no sales tax at all. With 9-9-9, all of them will have to start.

    And, for many Americans, taxes aren’t all that complicated now. Many of the working class can file using a 1040EZ, which is a one page form. For them, Cain’s plan is a tax increase, and making it simple doesn’t make it better.

  18. Here is the population breakdown of Texas: 37% Hispanic/45% White. The song and dance is these children of illegals have lived in Texas their entire lives, and why don’t they get the same tuition rate as the White kids? So, Perry is faced with being labeled as the biggest “racist” in America, or he allows the Hispanic kids in-state tuition, making every conservative madder than hell. Now, we can either approach this like Pete Wilson or Rick Perry. Wilson delivered California to the morons on a platter. You Perry haters are trying your gut level best to deliver Texas as well.

  19. No, you don’t. Read a little WWII history (the unexpurgated kind) to find out how our troops dealt with suicidal Japanese who blew up medics. Hint: they didn’t take many prisoners.

  22. Anon Y. Mous (cryto supporter of some unnamed candidate): 

    Okay.  You may be right on that.  Do you see that particular provision modified if this ever gets voted on? 

    Again the emphasis needs to be on spending cuts and the more spending cuts the less amount of taxes need to be collected. 

    Who are you supporting for President? 

  25. I agree but it is a blunder in that he has not yet realized that these interviews are out to get gotcha soundbites to destroy him.  He has to do interviews.  But he needs to be careful about winging it.  These are increasingly down side events.  Especially when a lot of people not familar with Herman are making their first impression on a 15 second sound bite.  Unfair?  Yes.  But that is the way it is. 

  26. Yeah, saying “I believe life begins at conception” means he doesn’t have a solid opinion on abortion.  Good grief.
     

  27. And those same businesses that would have to start collecting federal sales tax will no longer have to pay employee FICA and calculating all that crap.

    That’s like complaining that you’d rather walk to work than drive a car because you have to put gasoline in the car now and then.
     

  28. RedState is the same way (so far in the tank for Perry that they drank the bongwater).  Right now Leon there has up a post claiming Cain is ‘pro-choice’ despite Cain’s extremely clear statement that he believes life begins at conception.

  29. Relative to Gitmo it would be. The exact details of the demands of the Arabs who formerly lived in Israel don’t catch the attention of many even if they are paying attention. Gitmo on the other hand is fairly unambiguous in that one is either for closing it or not. We don’t negotiate with terrorists is a phrase that come up in the news nearly every time a terrorist kidnapping or hostage situation comes up in the news.

  30. a blunder that exposes him to lacerating criticism from conservatives

    Cain covered himself with pizza sauce when discussing abortion, too.

    Egads.

  31. I think you haven’t read or listened to it closely enough.  He’s taking a libertarian tack on it.  This makes sense on certain things (I don’t like X, but that doesn’t mean there should be a law against it).

    However, for most pro-life types, abortion is considered murder.  “I don’t like murder, but that doesn’t mean there should be a law against it,” just doesn’t work.

  33. Not exactly.  Sure, there’s bookkeeping, etc, involved in FICA and Medicare taxes.  But it’s once per employee per pay period, not once per business transaction.  And there’s still bookkeeping involved for determining the amount of tax owed.  You have to keep track of expenses and investments.  In that sense, the payroll taxes actually sound simpler, aside from perhaps the cap on wages taxes for FICA.

  34. Cain thinks people should be able to choose to have abortions.

    Please explain how this is not pro-choice.

  35. We don’t negotiate with terrorists is not a situational policy the effort to explain the flaws in his thinking while heroic are not persuasive. The problem is that it appears Herman hasn’t thought about foreign affairs enough to form opinions. It’s possible he’s trying too hard to avoid seeming to commit himself to policy positions. It is clear to me that he is unsure of his ground on foreign policy he will have to fix that. If Herman Cain does get the nomination he’ll need to be able to fall back on his principals to answer question he doesn’t know alot of details about.
    Obama feels that foreign policy is the one area where he can run on his accomplishments. A patently absurd notion on it’s face to be sure, but most of the media even FNC seem to believe this. Even the Neocons don’t think he’s vulnerable on this. The Obama campaign and it’s media allies will steer the conversation to foreign policy at every opportunity. Since Cain is obviously weak in this area and he knows it he must fix this weakness stat. The debates haven’t focused on foreign policy very much but they will and the general election most certainly will.

  36. He thinks the government shouldn’t be involved in it, and I agree with him. That not only means people and families should be free to make those decisions, but also the government should not be in the business of funding abortion clinics or abortion procedures with tax dollars.

  37. OK.  It just means you’re pro-choice, too.

    As someone who is pro-life, I want the government out of the abortion business (funding, etc), too.  But I don’t think it should be legal to choose to kill an unborn child, just like it’s not legal to kill a child after he’s been born.

  38. No it doesn’t mean I’m pro choice, it just means I don’t give a good rats ass about leftists thinning the progressive herd. I think you could probably count the number of conservative women who have abortions on the fingers of one hand, and when they do get them I’m sure they have damn valid reasons, either health reasons or they were raped. I’m fine and dandy with that.

    But if it will make you feel better, Cain is on record as saying the jurist he most admires is Clarence Thomas, so if that is any kind of indication as to the kind of jurist he would appoint to the bench, I think your concerns about little leftist embryos are misplaced.

  39. Speaking for myself, I was willing to give Perry considerable slack on his policies in Texas. Of the 37% you cited most of them are legal and therefore potential voters. There were large Mexican communities in all of the border states when they became part of this country and that effects how Hispanics in general illegal or not, are viewed in those communities. This attitude and the policies stemming from it are not acceptable nationally. Going all dreamy acty on our asses was the huge blunder thus far in his campaign. A day or two after the debate one of Perry’s advisers was on Hannity. His remarks made it worse. His attempts to focus the discussion solely on border security created the impression that his only concern was keeping the cartels out. The argument that the Federal governments failure to secure the border is the only element of immigration policy that requires immediate attention simply wont fly. The gist of Perry’s policy seems to be that we must keep the cartels out and try to interdict illegal immigrants from entering but once their here, oh well what’a ya gonna do.

  40. Most of the people in Texas don’t seem to have a problem with it, so I don’t see why anyone else should. Perry’s right, its a state’s rights issue, and it’s really none of anybody elses business. If the feds tried to do it on the federal level, then they’d be right to oppose it, and would have a right to oppose it, and I would be one of those who opposed it. But this is Texas law, and Texas money. Let them deal with it.

  41. You can think about yourself in whatever terms you like, but if you think it should be legal to choose to have an abortion, then you are pro-choice.

    Emphasizing anything about the aborted children other than their lack of life just makes you a partisan asshole.

  43. Emphasizing anything about the aborted children other than their lack of life just makes you a partisan asshole.

    I can work with that. Now, what about you? You have no response to my point about Cain’s judicial preferences. Doesn’t the fact that he would appoint judges like Thomas say more about the abortion issue under a potential Cain Administration than him telling you what you want to hear about his “feelings” about the issue, which doesn’t and wouldn’t mean jack?

  44. Oh Hell, let ‘er rip.  Let the wind blow.  Cain doesn’t have to do anything except what he believes is best for the country.  That he is always doing and that is enough.

  45. I like Thomas, too, and that’s a point in Cain’s favor.  There are other issues.  His statement regarding funding is good.  But also, what about partial birth abortion?  While the Big Question about abortion has been usurped by the Supreme Court, there are still important things around the margin.

    Either way, a candidate’s position on abortion is unlikely to be a big factor in my voting decision.

  47. Your guess is about as educated as the rest of your commentary.

    I was a Palin supporter, but since she isn’t running, I have to find someone else. I thought about Cain briefly, but with his Gitmo and abortion snafus, coupled with his love of Greenspan and his inadequate 9-9-9 plan, he is out of the running for my vote. Amnesty loving Perry is out. Romney, don’t even get me started. Paul is all wrong on foreign policy, among other things. Santorum would be worth a look if he could get some traction, but it doesn’t look like it will happen. Bachman looks like she already blew whatever chance she had. That leaves Newt. I’m not all that happy with him. I would much rather be cheering Palin, but Newt looks like the best of what’s left, at least this week.

  50. From what I’ve seen, once Mr. Cain does bone-up on a subject he tends to come up with the right solution, but the fact that he has not recognized the importance of these foreign policy issues is very, very troubling.  Any progress he makes as President on the domestic level will be for nothing if the world ‘blows up’ and the fuse has certainly been lit.

    [FYI: Anticipating the question from one of you wags: Todd Palin sent me!]

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