Herman Cain

The 2012 Republican Party nomination process produced a wide variety of viewpoints that captured most of the Grand Old Party’s ideology. Libertarian Ron Paul ignited passion among young voters. Newt Gingrich experienced a short burst of popularity for his professorial discussions on how to solve the nation’s problems. However, the campaign took an unexpected turn when Herman Cain grabbed the political spotlight and made a serious run towards the top of the pack. As the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and head of the National Restaurant Association, Cain parlayed his business experiences into economic policies that grabbed voter attention. His stint as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City lent credence to his strong business background. With the economy continuing to sputter, even the Republican establishment that had previously backed Mitt Romney, began to consider Cain as a viable opponent to incumbent Barack Obama. His proposed 9-9-9 tax plan drew rave reviews from flat tax proponent Steve Forbes. Cain’s debate performances made him the early front-runner in 2011, but allegations of sexual misconduct sunk his campaign by May of 2012. The Pew Research Center reported that Cain was the most covered candidate from either political party during the 2012 presidential campaign. Even after he dropped out of the race, supporters continued to attend party events and sport Herman Cain election buttons. Because he advocates the creation of a third party, some political pundits see Cain throwing his hat into the 2016 presidential ring as an alternative to the Republican and Democratic candidates. The multi-faceted former presidential candidate is also an author, syndicated radio host, and one of the leaders of the Georgia Tea Party.