DES MOINES — Recent reports here in Iowa suggest that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is having little trouble weathering accusations of sexual harassment dating from his time as head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. On Monday, the Des Moines Register published an article, “Iowans appear ready to give Cain benefit of the doubt on sexual harassment allegations,” in which the paper got in touch with participants who supported Cain in a recent poll.  “None said the allegations had moved them to reject Cain as a potential pick,” the paper reported.  Other news organizations, following the Register’s lead, also suggested that Cain’s problems are not hurting him in Iowa.

There’s a good chance those assessments are wrong, or at least seriously premature.  Talks with voters here in Iowa suggest two things. The first is that the still-sketchy details of the Cain controversy have not fully sunk in with people who are not following events in Washington moment-to-moment.  And two, some voters’ continued approval of Cain is based on the condition that there be no more damaging revelations in the case and, indeed, that nothing else go wrong with his candidacy — a tough condition for Cain to meet, if the experience of the last week is any guide.