Actions speak louder than words

Okay, so let’s talk about something that we can’t get around: the now numerous allegations against Herman Cain. Before you read on, understand that I am going to talk about this in the sense of whether he is guilty or not. I obviously don’t condone sexual harassment but this blog isn’t about that. It’s about the campaign, and how he handled such an important event that cropped up in the middle of his.

I’m going to delve much into what I think of him based on these allegations, but rather the way he handled them. Cain who has always pushed himself as an honest candidate, a straight up politician who won’t dodge the tough questions, has built up some success on that image.

I think it is that image that could have helped him most in this situation. Suddenly the man who challenges others to face him with tough questions, completely clams up when the allegations initially came forward.

I’m not interpreting this as a sign of guilt or innocence, and I understand that if he is guilty he obviously can’t hold steadfast to that “straight up politician” image. What would he say? ‘Well, yes I did sexually harass several women I used to work with.’ Obviously not, that would be a PR nightmare for Team Cain and would end any hope he has of grabbing that GOP nomination.

But likewise clamming up about it or flat out verbally attacking the women, but not denying the claims doesn’t do much for you either. According to Politico, this was the first statement released by Cain’s people:

“Fearing the message of Herman Cain who is shaking up the political landscape in Washington, Inside the Beltway media have begun to launch unsubstantiated personal attacks on Cain,” Cain’s campaign said in a statement. “Dredging up thinly sourced allegations stemming from Mr. Cain’s tenure as the Chief Executive Officer at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s, political trade press are now casting aspersions on his character and spreading rumors that never stood up to the facts.”

As always there is emotionally charged rhetoric trying to divert the issue. This statement may make out Cain as a, dare I say ‘maverick’, challenging the oppressive political landscape of current D.C. but it doesn’t really address the accusations.

And that is where you lose your credibility. Not that I think Cain has much after this given that by all accounts and reactions there is some truth behind these accusations. However, he never gave himself the opportunity to maintain credibility with us.

Again I am not defending or prosecuting him for the allegations, I’m simply examining how he has handled it. As Politico put it, Cain has since been faced with many media events and eventually had to talk about it, something he should have done from the beginning.

Acknowledge the accusations, give some kind of feedback, don’t lambast these women in hopes of avoiding public eye, it only made it worse. Given the fact that there has been no countersuit filed for slander or libel I again acknowledge that there very well may be validity behind the claims. Although I could not tell you what the PERFECT response would be, I can tell you that verbal counterstrikes and blatant refusals to answer questions