Yesterday the big news was about the four-page smear job The Politico attempted to lob at GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain and allegations over a decade old from two unnamed women, by unnamed sources with vague details of questionable non-sexual "gestures", which supposedly made those two unnamed females uncomfortable, and a supposed invite to Cain's room being the only definitive detail The Politico could provide and even that detail came from a third party.In fact, the only specific details, specific quotes from named sources in that article came on page four (how many of you usually read that far into any article?) and those quotes from the top echelon of the National Restaurant Association in support of Herman Cain.
Confusing? Yeah, The Politico threw a lot of vague information around but couldn't or wouldn't name the women, couldn't or wouldn't name the amount of settlement handed to the women from National Restaurant Association, couldn't or wouldn't detail what "gestures" made a women uncomfortable or offended, couldn't or wouldn't name the third parties who relayed the sketchy details and couldn't or wouldn't provide anything more than a sloppy article that it took four people to write.
Those writers then made the decision to offer information that benefited Cain on the very last page.
Needless to say, other than another GOP presidential hopeful that is so low in the polls (Santorum- 2%) his name is barely recognizable, not very many conservatives were impressed with The Politico's so-called "Exclusive."
How unimpressive was their story? Well even other news outlets (CNBC) are calling the allegations "vague."
Larry Kudlow, CNBC anchor:
Basically, if Herman Cain faces new and additional charges, I guess he’s gonna have a big problem. But right now this is just too vague for me. It may well be that it was cheaper to send the women packing with a settlement than go through a long hearing with huge legal fees. I just don’t know.
But with so many of Cain’s fellow board members and co-workers praising him, as Politico reported, I just don’t think there’s much behind this.
Has this hatchet job by The Politico hurt Herman Cain?
Not in Iowa:
Most Republicans contacted by the Register felt Monday that the initial news reports were too vague to prove anything.
Again we see that word "vague."
The "Witch Hunt" perpetrated by The Politico has also been good for Cain's money train as we see news that in one day his campaign raised $250,000.
Mark Block, chief of staff to Herman Cain, says yesterday's media frenzy over sexual harassment claims helped the campaign post one of its best fundraising days ever with $250,000 coming into the coffers. Block made the comment while on a panel at National Journal's 2012 Election Preview today. We won't know until the disclosure forms are fully filed, but those are big numbers to cap an October where the Republican hopeful raised $3 million, according to CNN. As for the other big story of Cain's week: "Done. Move on," said Block in a recap from The Hill . "Let's talk about what the American people want to hear about, and that jobs, jobs, jobs."
Conservatives, from Politicians, former politicians, radio show hosts, pundits, writers and high profiled Republicans are rising to Cain's defense, whether they are Cain supporters are not. Such as Mississippi governor and former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour, real estate mogul Donald Trump, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Mike Huckabee, Sean Hannity, just to name a few.
All in all, it appears that panic set in over Cain's rise in the polls, so a few Politico writers decided to run with a tip and created a vague story out of it, and failed, if money and conservative support is indicative of success or failure.
In the end this has probably done more damage to The Politico than it did to Herman Cain.
NOTE- I am not a Herman Cain supporter although I will unite behind him against Obama if he is chosen as the GOP candidate. Unless provable, actionable evidence is provided against Cain in regards to these allegations, then I will continue to consider him innocent of any wrongdoing despite The Politico's ill prepared and vague story.
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