Who is Herman Cain?

Mike Gallagher

Oct 5, 2011 - 17:07

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Georgia-based candidate Herman Cain is surging in the latest polls of the Republican presidential race, but questions linger about his long-term campaign prospects. Cain's star is rising. He has momentum now, but does he have the pieces in place to make the most of it?

His just-released book is selling briskly in Atlanta, and Cain is riding high in the latest voter surveys. He is close to front-runner Mitt Romney in a Quinnipiac poll, and even closer in others. That’s providing an opportunity for Cain to contrast their campaigns.

”He’s running his race top down, Cain said of Romney recently. ”He’s got a lot of money. I’m running my race bottom up. We don’t have as much money.

That's been a continuing refrain for a candidate who rose from modest beginnings to become CEO of Godfather's Pizza, and later, an Atlanta radio talk show host. Now, the question is: can he organize and finance a top-shelf presidential campaign?

”Right now, the conservatives don’t really have a candidate in the race and so right now, Herman Cain is reaping the benefits of that, said Kerwin Swint, political science professor at Kennesaw State University.

Swint has watched the rise of Herman Cain, who lost a Georgia Republican primary campaign for U.S. Senate in 2004 and has not previously held public office.

”That’s one of the shortcomings of Herman Cain’s candidacy, Swint said. ”Are the Republicans ready to hitch their cart to a wagon where some guy who has never won an election before, doesn’t have govement experience the way other candidates do.

But that’s not a problem for some voters.

”Well that I can appreciate that because we need some people in the race that aren’t politicians, said Randy Woods, a Georgia voter.

As has been the case with other candidates, Herman Cain has seen staff departures. He’s spending a lot of time this month off the campaign trail promoting his book. But for now, the poll numbers are encouraging, and many voters have yet to make a final decision.