Herman Cain The Happy Warrior and Me
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has noticed that Herman Cain’s style of campaigning is different from that of every other GOP hopeful.
As for Mr. Cain, what’s not to like? Well, for starters, (as Jim Pethokoukis notes below) his 9-9-9 plan. But Cain did just fine last night. He didn’t get flustered. He didn’t back off. And he has one thing that no one else in the field has. He’s sunny.
It’s amazing. For all the talk among conservatives and Republicans about how we need another Reagan, Cain is the only one who seems to understand that being upbeat, happy and joyful is hugely important. Everyone else in the field (with the slight exception of Gingrich who you can at least tell enjoys being on stage), is either mean, angry, whiny, defensive or too self-serious. I doubt its calculation on Cain’s part. He’s just a happy warrior and that goes a long, long way.
I had a chance to talk with Cain for a few minutes several months ago, not long after he declared himself a candidate. In that conversation, I suggested that he harness his optimism and faith in Americans to solve their own problems to set himself apart from the other candidates. I was convinced then that voters are hungry for a candidate whose love for this country and trust in them propels their campaign and I told him so. We talked about how Reagan had those qualities, how President Obama does not, and how I believed an earnest and determined positive message coupled with concrete plans for the future could capture the public’s imagination. He liked what I had to say and told me he’d give it some real thought. Not long after that, the “feel” of his campaign message changed so that his sunny optimism played a far more prominent role in his speeches and television appearances.
Now, I can’t say for certain that our conversation led directly to what we’ve seen from Cain the past few months. Cain is indeed a happy warrior and I can’t imagine that his campaign would turn nasty, even in desperation. He doesn’t strike me as that sort of man. I do think, though, that I put into words something he knew but hadn’t turned into a concrete strategy (and, believe me, optimism in an election is a strategy that requires effort). If that’s the case, then I’m pretty darned happy, because the decision to run a campaign of unrelenting optimism with a message that boils down to “America, you can recover” has made him the front-runner and could well put him in the White House.
Other Posts of Interest:
- Herman Cain is In
- How Herman Cain Went from Awesome to Not-So Awesome in 24 Hours and How He Can Be Awesome Again
- Bloggers Meet the Cain Train
Category: The 2012 Horse Race
That’s brilliant, Jimmie. I hope Mr. Cain remembers you when he makes it to the White House. (I hope some politician some day values sage blogger advice over dubious consultant advice.)
Chris Matthews, back in 2001, offered a simple but profound test for picking winners in presidential races: “Look for the candidate you picture with the sun on his face.” Think Roosevelt over Hoover, Truman over Dewey, Ike over Adlai, Kennedy over Nixon, Carter over Ford, Reagan over Carter and Mondale. Your advice to Cain taps into that same sentiment. The only time that rule may have failed was in 1968, which was a very close election with a strong third-party candidate.
Kind of you, Michael. I can’t say our conversation had anything to do with the way his campaign has gone, and I don’t know that I’d ever ask for anything from it even if it did. I’m just glad he’s gong the route he has.
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