Herman Cain, the first person to announce his GOP candidacy in the 2012 presidential election, roots his campaign in the idea that the American Dream is under attack, actualizing an apocalyptic theme trending among potential GOP candidates that was criticized in a recent Politico article.
At the Blogger’s Briefing held at The Heritage Foundation Tuesday, Cain tried to prove that he doesn’t have his head a dream cloud, but that he has a plan to keep the American Dream alive.
This may have been the theme that resonated with tea party activists, who recently gave him the most votes during at live straw poll at a conservative gathering in Phoenix.
Cain addressed a number of questions by media in attendance, probing at his stance on current hot-button topics, such as: entitlement reform, a balanced budget amendment, which he said he supports “in phases” and even Planned Parenthood, saying “It’s not planned Parenthood, it’s planned genocide!”
Most notably, Cain addressed the issue of healthcare reform. Interestingly enough, it was a debate about healthcare that brought Cain into the political scene in the first place.
In 1994, Cain as Chairman of the National Restaurant Association spoke to President Clinton, who was promoting a healthcare overhaul, at a town hall meeting. Cain simply did not believe that Clinton’s healthcare plan would work. He has the same demise for “Obamacare.”
Cain cited his support for the H.R. 3400 Empowering Patients First Act, a bill which was originally introduced in the 111th Congress, but was never passed. One provision in this bill sought to amend the Children’s Heath Insurance Program (CHIP) and required that states outline their own plans showing how they will attain health care coverage for 90% of their low-income children. Cain obviously supports state sovereignty, saying at the briefing, “we have
50 laboratories out there, let’s use ‘em.”
Cain may have showed initiative by being the first to announce his candidacy, but he has no state or federal office experience, which may cause voters to question his ability to lead a nation.
