HERMAN CAIN ANNOUNCEMENT
UPDATE: SUSPENDING CAMPAIGN
UPDATE: Therapeutic Vengeance

Posted on Comments

2:10 p.m. ET: My 12-year-old son Jefferson asked, ‘What does ‘suspending’ mean?” It means “quit.” Cain will still be on the ballot in several states. He could, if he chose, resume the campaign at some future point, but in general, “suspend = quit.”

The good news? J.D. Gordon is now unemployed.

More good news? My “sources close to the campaign” can now speak on the record about who was responsible for screwing up.

And finally, for those of my friends worried about my future diplomatic career, it’s still morning in Vanuatu. IYKWIMAITYD.

UPDATE 3 p.m. ET: Major media headlines via Memeorandum:

Herman Cain suspends his campaign
for 2012 GOP presidential nomination
— Washington Post

‘Plan B’: Herman Cain Says He’s
Suspending Campaign
— ABC News

Herman Cain Suspends His Presidential Campaign
— NY Times

Cain suspends campaign, vows
to work from outside the race
— The Hill

Churches seek wider consultation
as Vanuatu ratifies WTO
— Radio New Zealand International

Iowa law enforcement officials could not immediately confirm rumors that several of the remaining 2012 GOP presidential candidates have sought restraining order to prevent J.D. Gordon from coming anywhere near their campaigns.

UPDATE 3:30 p.m. ET: Linked by Bob Belvedere, Fausta Wertz and Nice Deb — thanks! And to all my friends wishing to console me in this moment of profound sorrow: Hit the freaking tip jar!

UPDATE 3:45 p.m. ET: Linked by Donald Douglas at American Power and by Conservative Hideout 2.0.

NOTE ON THERAPEUTIC VENGEANCE

UPDATE 6:30 p.m. ET: The disappointment of our hopes requires psychological healing, and my healing process has involved focusing my rage on J.D. Gordon. This is my fault and not J.D.’s. He showed himself a Christian gentleman by calling me on the phone just now to address my anger head-on.

More will need to be said, to explain all the misunderstandings, but it seems that I have unfairly blamed J.D. for things that were not his fault. Putting Robert Costa on Tuesday’s conference call and leaving me out? That was somebody else, and J.D. didn’t even know that media (including a Fox News reporter) were on the call until it was over.

As to the general errors of the messaging/P.R./communications operation under Gordon’s tenure . . .

Well, “extenuating circumstances” would be one way to say it, although those less charitably disposed toward Gordon might say “excuses.” Gordon spent 93 days in a crucible of nonstop crisis and, in retrospect, he never had time to fix everything that needed to be fixed, including many things that were not his fault — and being hated by some people merely because he wasn’t Ellen Carmichael.

Those of us in the press corps who admired Ellen Carmichael’s work — when she worked for a candidate best known as “Herman Who?” — are necessarily prejudiced in her favor. As my disappointment turned to rage this week, and I sought a scapegoat on whom to focus all my pent-up frustration with the failures of the Cain campaign . . .

Well, J.D. drew the short straw. And it was unfair to blame him, uniquely and personally, for destroying the Cain campaign.

But if life was fair, Obama wouldn’t be president and I would have been invited to speak on a panel at BlogCon.

I’ll try to explain more about my feelings, and what happened to the Cain campaign, when I’ve gotten some sleep. And switched to decaf.

So I’m sorry to disappoint those who were looking forward to a bloody death-match beween J.D. and me. But I hope you enjoyed a laugh at my ballistic fury.




** PREVIOUSLY **

1:45 p.m. ET: “I am not going to be silenced and I am not going away! . . . Plan B: I call it ‘TheCainSolutions.com.'”

1:42 p.m. ET: Cain says he is suspending his campaign.

1:41 p.m. ET: “I am at peace with my God. I am at peace with my wife. And she is at peace with me.” Chants of “Gloria! Gloria! Gloria!”

1:40 p.m. ET: “False and unproven accusations . . . It hurts the American people.” Chants of “Herman! Herman! Herman!”

1:39 p.m. ET: “I am the very first to own up to my mistakes . . . I handle it my way.”

1:38 p.m. ET: “I am proof that a common man can lead this country.”

1:36 p.m. ET: “We can say, I’m in the Final Four.”

1:34 p.m. ET: Cain jokes that his name recognition is now “probably 99.9 percent.”

1:32 p.m. ET: Cain’s verb tenses indicate he will quit?

Jazz Shaw at Hot Air doesn’t link me.

1:30 p.m. ET: Cain says his supporters are not “warm weather supporters.”

1:29 p.m. ET: Herman Cain takes the stage. “Well, you all are great. . . . I love y’all, too.”

** PREVIOUSLY **

We are awaiting Herman Cain’s appearance at an event where he is expected to announce whether or not he will continue his campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

UPDATE: I’ve been told that Cain’s speech is actually likely to begin at 1:30 p.m., instead of the announced 1 p.m. time. The cable TV networks are full of speculation of what Cain will do if he quits. My sources say: “Full speed ahead.”

UPDATE II: Invocation prayer by Alveda King. The pledge of allegiance by Col. Michael Steele.


RECENTLY:

75 comments

  3. And check out the free breathless coverage nonstop on NBC and CNN!
    Is this “Block being Block” as the master strategist at work?
    You cannot buy his kind of coverage

  5. Now the “smart people” on Fox say Cain is dropping off the ballot but will tour the country to promote 9-9-9, the “smart people” say he will do this as a compromise with his wife. I would be OK seeing Cain continue to run if only to make the self proclaimed media “smart people” eat it. they are now speculating that Herman is arguing with Gloria behind the curtain. Those “smart people” on Fox are a bunch of dumbasses.

  9. Of course it is only as good if Herman spins this on the offensive and starts proving these allegations to be false. 

  11. Okay here is the good news (for what that is worth)–Herman Cain says he is not going to shut up and go away.  Okay.   I guess I wait to see Plan B. 

    The only good thing is J.D. Gordon should be out of a job. 

  12. Too bad Cain is quitting.  But I like that he’s going to stick around and fight. 

    OK, MSM, you’ve achieved your goal.  But he’s not going back to the plantation.  HAHAH!

  18. Not a lot of good top tier candidates left to choose from.  Does anyone think that Perry will now rise again?  I can’t see Cain fans moving to either Newt or Romney.

  19. So I guess its “full speed ahead”-off the campaign trail, that is. If I was Herman I’d be eating out a few days until Gloria has time to cool off. Otherwise he might be just a few short tuna sandwiches away from a major gastroenteritis attack.

  21. If I had to put a bet on it, my bet would be on Newt. Fellow Georgian, did the “Lincoln-Douglas debate” thing together, and Newt would have no problem integrating just enough of “9-9-9” into his schtick to make for a deal.

  22. I suspect the same thing knappster, but he endorsed Romney in 2008 and there does appear to be some sympatico going with Bachmann.  Still, Herman wants to be relevant and wants to pick who he thinks will be the winner.  And Newt will not be as swarmy judgmental at the Romeny folks (how can he?). 

  23. Thank God the NBA is starting up again.  That will hopefully distract me from the collapse of this nation.

    I assume RSM will now try to figure out a way to make everybody feel good about Santorum’s desire to force morality upon us.

  26. I was giving HC the benefit of the doubt up until the last one… his story is fishy, Stacy- paying her bills and 4am texting, I dunno.
    And while he’s not the only candidate with fidelity skeletons, recent cover stories sound weak, making him at least appear dishonest… as he lost momentum at the worst possible time

    As noted here previously, his campaign was also poorly ran and dealt with the bimbo challenges in a most amateurish fashion

    As Browns fans like me and Condi say (every year)… ‘Oh well’

  28. Darling, since your blubbered ass is permanently glued to your barcalounger and your are incapable of unsucking  your sorry-assed eyeballs from your TV Entertainment Addiction then you have no right to complain about the collaspe of this nation.

  42. Some Cain fans will move to Newt.
    I have two reasons:
    He’ll take the fight to the enemy.
    He and Cain are good friends – might make a joint ticket, especially if Cain clears his name.

  47. I hope that eventually Stacy you get the inside dope of what happened.  Because obviously some things were really well done and some things were insanely badly done.  Credit should go where it is due and blame and warning should go where it is due. 

  48. Maybe not.

    I suspect that his main reason for suspending the campaign was a lack of funds – they key effect of the ‘scandals’ being the drying up of campaign contributions.

  50. Not a good idea. If the RNCC ever hired for a position like that they’d probably send out white guys in blackface and baggy pants armed with banjos and stage names like Razmus.

Comments are closed.