Two GOP stars, Herman Cain and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, made news today. Cain was in the news for being the first black GOP Presidential Candidate to appear on ABC’s The View this morning. Governor Christie made the headlines for his decision not to seek the GOP nomination for President of The United States.
Good.
But back to Cain on The View.
Cain did well, and in fielding questions from Barbara Walters on Rick Perry and the N-Word Ranch issue, gave a clear, well-reasoned answer, saying that he stands by previous comments (about Perry being racially insensitive) but accepts the apology Gov. Perry’s staff issued in the wake of the news incident.
Where Cain faltered was in his criticism of African Americans who don’t vote GOP (and presumably for him), and choose to vote for Obama, as being “brainwashed.”
That’s an old charge, but Cain can’t alter decades of built-up GOP ill-will toward blacks just by running for President. Being Black and conservative is nothing new – but what Cain forgets is it’s easier to be black and conservative in the Democratic Party, than in the Republican Party, even today.
The Democratic tent has been that large, it’s just that some conservative white Dems went Republican in the 80s, with President Reagon. But not conservative Blacks. Arguably, Cain’s displaced from his base, but on the other hand, the success of Alan West in Florida could be an example of a changed GOP.
Chris Christie Not Running
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie took the podium today and said he’s not running for President. Good. That means he can focus on his beloved state of New Jersey and help it recover from Hurricane Irene. Going for the GOP nod would have seemed self-serving just a month plus after the Hurricane Irene disaster that damaged New Jersey.
Stay tuned.