Herman Cain makes another great joke(/ends his campaign)

[Bull Moose Base]

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/10/18/347276/cain-if-al-qaeda-demanded-it-id-consider-freeing-every-gitmo-prisoner-for-the-release-of-an-american-soldier/

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[Simfan34]

It's pro-Israel, in a way. To say no would be a half-condemnation of the Gilad Shalit exchange.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I agree 100% with what he said.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This is one of the good things I've heard him say. Why are you trying to make it a negative? It's really a no win scenario & you'd have to make the call.

[cavalcade]

Not campaign-ending if he walks it back, but a very bad mistake, and one which reflects that Cain is really more of a single-issue candidate trying to shape the conversation than a credible possibility for the Presidency.

Heck, Obama would use this in an attack ad.

[Bull Moose Base]

This is one of the good things I've heard him say. Why are you trying to make it a negative? It's really a no win scenario & you'd have to make the call.

I was commenting on the politics of it, which strike me as the equivalent of a memo from Haagen Daas that they will no longer be selling Black Walnut.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....it's over.   He has to retract this TONIGHT at the debate....but, even if he does, it's still over

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

now we know what 999 stands for:  the number of terrorists Cain would exchange for one US soldier...even though it cost the lives of many US soldiers to bring those 999 terrorists to justice...not to mention the potential harm to US citizens these terrorists would pose.


it's over

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

another softball question ends the political career of a Republican.  His answer regarding Israel's policy was acceptable cause it's Israel's policy...but his answer to the follow-up question was the "wrong answer"

did the guy not ever read a newspaper, esp during the 80's?

See Reps, this is why you need to nominate jmfcst.

[Bull Moose Base]

God this is hilarious to me.  That photo of Cain from jmfcst's sig looks like Cain just finished a great show and is saying thank you, good night.  Ironic for Republicans to have bashed Obama as all flashy talk then fall in love at first sight with Cain, Perry, Bachmann, Trump, Palin...

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

God this is hilarious to me.  That photo of Cain from jmfcst's sig looks like Cain just finished a great show and is saying thank you, good night.  Ironic for Republicans to have bashed Obama as all flashy talk then fall in love at first sight with Cain, Perry, Bachmann, Trump, Palin...

hey, I never fell in love with Perry Bachmann or Trump...but, holy cow, I do expect someone to know basic GeoPolitics101

[Simfan34]

Tell me you're being sarcastic.

[TJ in Oregon]

...and jmfcst is showing us why the Republicans can't find a nominee. It's like survivor, once you say something "wrong" (to the Republican base) you're out.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

...and jmfcst is showing us why the Republicans can't find a nominee. It's like survivor, once you say something "wrong" (to the Republican base) you're out.

"wrong" = just about the worst foreign policy answer given by any US candidate for POTUS in the history of the United States

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

...and jmfcst is showing us why the Republicans can't find a nominee. It's like survivor, once you say something "wrong" (to the Republican base) you're out.

"wrong" = just about the worst foreign policy answer given by any US candidate for POTUS in the history of the United States

You cant be serious? The life on an innocent Israeli soldier is not worth letting 1000 worthless Palestinian petty criminals go? Are these guys proven terrorist? Is it even our own business?

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

...and jmfcst is showing us why the Republicans can't find a nominee. It's like survivor, once you say something "wrong" (to the Republican base) you're out.

"wrong" = just about the worst foreign policy answer given by any US candidate for POTUS in the history of the United States

You cant be serious? The life on an innocent Israeli soldier is not worth letting 1000 worthless Palestinian petty criminals go? Are these guys proven terrorist? Is it even our own business?
[/quote

]Israel's policy was the first question...I didn't have a problem with the first answer....but the 2nd question was a specific hypothetical involving a US soldier held by al
Qaeda demanding the release of all prisoners in Gitmo

[Simfan34]

*Grabs jmfcst by the lapels of his virtual double breasted suit*

Listen,  I'm not on the Cain Train, but he had two bad options. He could either say yes, and look weak, as he did, or he could say no, and thus give a veiled criticism of Israel's actions. If he had said no, the interview would have gone like this:

BLITZER: So, you wouldn't exchange those prisoners for that American?

CAIN: No, it would endanger our national security. Of course I value American lives, but I'd be putting many more at risk by doing that then the one I'd gain in an exchange.

BLITZER: So, if you were Benjamin Netanyahu, you would have not exchanged the 1000 Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit? That he was wrong to do that, because it would endanger Israel's national security?

Cain would try to backtrack without directly flip-flopping, but the damage would be done.  Boom. The headlines:

CAIN AGREES THAT ISRAEL WAS "WRONG" IN RELEASING POW

CAIN: I WOULD NOT HAVE RELEASED GILAD SHALIT

CAIN SAYS THAT ISRAEL SHOULD HAVE NOT EXCHANGED PRISONERS FOR ONE POW

CAIN: NETANYAHU IS WRONG

The blowout would have been terrible. He would have been destroyed in the debate. AIPAC would go against him. You have to understand.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

all he had to say is that "the Israeli government has made a promise with the people of their country that they will pay whatever price for the safe return of any Israeli soldier, including 1000:1 terrorists for one soldier swap....so, the Israeli decision is according to their promise to their people..but if you ask me what I would do as POTUS, I don't make the deal on the simple principle that the United States has lost thousands of soldiers to bring these terrorists to justice and I don't want to dishonor the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers lives to save a single American soldiers life...not to mention the harm to the American people, maybe millions, that releasing their terrorists would place the United States in....If the Israelis want to do terrorists for single Israeli soldier, then that is their choice according to the promises made to their people, but the policy of the US is that we don't negiotiate with terrorists. Period."

[Simfan34]

all he had to say is that "the Israeli government has made a promise with the people of their country that they will pay whatever price for the safe return of any Israeli soldier, including 1000:1 terrorists for one soldier swap....so, the Israeli decision is according to their promise to their people..but if you ask me what I would do as POTUS, I don't make the deal on the simple principle that the United States has lost thousands of soldiers to bring these terrorists to justice and I don't want to dishonor the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers lives to save a single American soldiers life...not to mention the harm to the American people, maybe millions, that releasing their terrorists would place the United States in....If the Israelis want to do terrorists for single Israeli soldier, then that is their choice according to the promises made to their people, but the policy of the US is that we don't negiotiate with terrorists. Period."

That's a lot to "just" say. It also still criticizes Israel by intimating that something they do goes against what we would do. The Gilad Shalit case is not the most pressing issue facing our nation today, and Cain tripped up. He should be given a pass here.

Do not underestimate the strength of our politics' adherence to Israel. The lobby would have loved to simply make an example of him, as a show of force.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I'm one of the most pro-Israeli posters on this board, but that doesn't mean I wont contrast Israeli policy with American policy.

[Simfan34]

You might not have done that, but Blitzer forced the comparison.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

You might not have done that, but Blitzer forced the comparison.

I meant that I'm not afraid to make the comparison

[Simfan34]

You might not have done that, but Blitzer forced the comparison.

I meant that I'm not afraid to make the comparison

Well that's political suicide.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Well that's political suicide.

it is not political suicide to say "that is the Israeli policy, they may believe it works for them...we in the US don't believe it works for us."

trust me, I have enough of Israel's back to make that comparison and get away with it....but, at the very least, Cain should have rejected the follow up question on the basis that it was a hypothetical.


I don't carry water for Cain or any other candidate.

[Simfan34]

Well that's political suicide.

it is not political suicide to say "that is the Israeli policy, they may believe it works for them...we in the US don't believe it works for us."

trust me, I have enough of Israel's back to make that comparison and get away with it....but, at the very least, Cain should have rejected the follow up question on the basis that it was a hypothetical.

I don't carry water for Cain or any other candidate.

Ah, but it is.

So who is your favored candidate now?