Is Cain Able? His First Test Tonight!

Nothing paints a target on your back like being a frontrunner.  Herman Cain has enjoyed underdog status so far throughout the campaign season.  I say enjoyed, because it is about to come to a close.  With his surge in the polls, he has put himself in the line of fire from fellow competitors and the media – whose lust for blood seems insatiable.  So the question remains, is Cain ‘able’ to withstand the slings and arrows that will be volleyed at him tonight and to launch an effective counterstrike?

The short version – Yes.

The long version – here we go….

When watching or listening to the talking heads on TV and radio, it always seems that the pundits have to go through every candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and then predict, using their vast knowledge of political savvy, who’s going to win and who is not.  In fact, recent contests have confirmed what we folks with common sense have always known – they don’t have a clue.

Herman Cain provides a straight up, simple (but not simplistic) message to a country desperate for solutions with substance.  At the pinnacle of his “Reaganesque” delivery is his “9-9-9” plan; a basic flat tax that spreads, yet simplifies the taxation obligation to personal income, corporate income and sales taxes.  It eliminates many other taxes such as the capital gains, payroll and estate taxes.  It is down-to-earth, easy to understand and, well…. Fair!  It also implants a subliminal, reassuring thought into people’s minds; that regardless of their paycheck amount, their small business’ success or the amount of their purchasing tab, the federal government will ONLY take 9 percent.

Where Cain may be most vulnerable will be issues of foreign policy and the future of the courts.  This is where his opponents, both on stage and in the media, will take their pot shots.  Cain’s solutions here are also basic, yet powerful.  When it comes to world relationships, feed our allies and starve our enemies.  When it comes to the courts, fill the positions like you would as a CEO – with the people who will do the job the best.  In order to do this, one has to approach this task more like the head of a big company and less like someone trying to build a legacy.

All Biblical references to the first recorded murder aside, the question remains – can Herman Cain generate enough support and money to convince Republicans that he is the person to go up against Barack Obama in 2012?  What worked for the movie “Field of Dreams” will work for next President – “if you build it (a sensible, straightforward, tangible message of optimism), they will come (the money and masses needed to make it happen).”

America needs a short, realistic answer, but not a shallow 30-second sound byte.  Voters will be scratching the surface to see if the claims of gold are legitimate.  Will Cain survive the test?  Is Cain Able?

Can a “2^nd tier” candidate REALLY make it to the White House?  Just ask the current occupant.