Citizen Cain

The Godfather is back on top. Could Herman Cain’s candidacy offer Republicans something they can’t refuse?

Herman Cain? Really? If he was Irish would he be Herman McCain?

Believe it or not the latest polls show that Herman Cain, the former Godfather’s Pizza executive, is leading in the race for the Republican nomination for President.

The mainstream media and many others on the left seem to be discounting Cain as a serious contender.

Elites, however, do not determine electoral outcomes. Voters do. At the grassroots level Herman Cain appears to resonate with the people. Why?

He is Citizen Cain.

For the time being this is “Herman Cain’s moment.” Perhaps it is his 9-9-9 tax reform plan. His outsider status also gives him an early edge. But Cain’s candidacy has been highly unorthodox. Cain has had difficulty raising money. He has a serious “organizational deficit.” Not to mention that certain state filing deadlines will make it difficult for Cain to get his name on some ballots.

Nevertheless, Herman Cain seems to be winning the race for likeability. The experts, of course, are doubting his electability.

The people will ultimately decide.

Our advice would be to learn from another Citizen Kane. Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane hit the big screen seventy years ago this year. The commemorative Blu-ray disk was just issued. The movie was a critical success but a box office flop. Today the film is consistently considered the best film ever made. It topped AFI’s 100 Best Films list and Roger Ebert has called it “the greatest film of all time.”

The central character in the film, loosely based on the life of media mogul William Randolph Hearst, starts out as an idealistic young newspaper man only to become consumed by a ruthless pursuit of power.

Herman Cain’s current state of idealism runs the risk of being corrupted if he attempts to quickly join the conventional way of doing things inside the Beltway. Ironically candidate Cain might learn from the original William Randolph Hearst, the first Citizen Kane, who once said, “You must keep your mind on the objective, not on the obstacles.”

Citizen Cain?

At a time when the new normal is in vogue, do not be surprised to hear in the near future - “Yes we Cain!”