Last week Herman Cain, former CEO of the Godfather’s Pizza chain, announced he had formed an exploratory committee to investigate the possiblity of running for president in 2012. In the Daily Caller the other day, he wrote an editorial explaining some of the reasons why he’s considering a run for president, and why he believes he’ll be a good president – a people’s president:
Of course some people think I have lost my normally rational mind, while others are excited about the possibility of a problem-
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solver in the White House instead of another politician. Some others have expressed doubts that I even have a chance, but I have been to that rodeo before and succeeded against the odds. In fact, that’s been the story of my career.
The day after the announcement, I had fifteen interviews with all types of media. The most frequently asked questions were whether people would elect someone who has never held public office, what makes me different from the other likely candidates seeking the Republican nomination, and was I running to win. In the case of the last question, they don’t know me very well.
As for not having held public office, I pointed out that most of the people in Washington today have held public office, “so how’s that working out for the country?” None of the reporters attempted to defend the lack of leadership we have in Washington, D.C., or the myriad of problems that never get solved. They just get worse, delayed or ignored altogether, as the self-appointed political elites pass new legislation for the greatest power grab in our history.
What makes me different is that I am an unconventional candidate. I believe voters are ready for an unconventional candidate based on how the citizens’ movement has impacted the political landscape as evidenced in the November 2010 elections. Many people also like the fact that I have actually run large organizations and fixed broken businesses in my 45-year business career.
Another attribute that makes me different from other potential candidates is my approach to problem solving. It’s simply working on the right problems, establishing the right priorities and putting the right people in place to execute the right plans. Ask the right questions along the way, with a good dose of common sense, and we make things happen.
I am, understandably, skeptical about any man’s ability to utilize common sense while occupying the office of president. Not because they aren’t possessed of it, but because too many of the players that make up the cast of this crazy production place political loyalty above what makes sense. I’m not sure how Cain, or anyone, can rise above this dynamic – but if his success and determination in the business world is any indication, Cain could be the right man for the job.
Read more at The Daily Caller
