What Does Herman Cain's Situation REALLY Mean?

By: Thaddeus S. Kaczor, Jr.

Let's look at this whole Herman Cain situation soberly and without the lens of partisanship and campaign spin from ANY side. It's not about race. It's not about 'allegations' (there WAS a settlement after an investigation, after all). When you get right down to it, it's not even about sexual harassment. It's about competence, character and the ability to manage and get through a crisis.

It's about how a candidate handles the pressure of a tough campaign, and all the curveballs thrown at him or her. Disregard the actual substance of the 'allegations', 'charges' or 'findings'- because ultimately, they are merely the template upon which a candidate is tested. This glimpse of how a candidate will perform under pressure is a window into how he or she will perform as President under much more enormous pressure.

If you disregard the Republicans' fundraising hyperbole about 'high-tech lynching' and the hypocritical bluster about 'hypocrisy' from the Democrats, you have to judge Herman Cain's reaction and handling of this crisis in his campaign with a critical and jaundiced eye.

It is obvious he has failed miserably. Walking back statements. Claiming to know nothing about multiple charges of sexual harassment- who could 'forget' being accused about something like this? Especially if they were 'false charges' as Mr. Cain is asserting? Just think in your OWN personal life if you were the target of such allegations- I know I would have such an incident seared into my memory for life!

The only conclusions we can draw are: Mr. Cain deliberately lied and hoped the whole incident would blow over- as if THAT would happen in a hotly contested Presidential Campaign!; That he thought since the records are 'sealed' with a confidentiality agreement that he could say anything to defend himself, and there could be no rebuttal- OOPS! A 'confidentiality' agreement works both ways, and you have to know the press will dig it up anyway.; Lastly, perhaps Mr. Cain actually DOESN'T remember this incident from only 12 years ago. THAT would be the most damning indictment against his ability to lead this country, as 'forgetting about' such an intense episode that occurred only 12 years ago can only indicate that Mr. Cain possesses a severely faulty cognitive reasoning process, that could, in the future, endanger not only his potential Presidency, but the Nation as a whole.

Once you get past the Partisan rhetoric, and even the facts of the cases that were settled by Mr, Cain and the National Restaurant Association, you have to use this incident to judge the character and abilities of one Herman Cain. I, for one find those qualities severely lacking in what I am looking for in a President.