Video: Herman Cain speech to the SRLC
posted at 12:45 pm on April 11, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
Most of the attention at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference has been on the potential presidential nominees for 2012, or at least before it started. The delegates heard excellent speeches from the top-line names this week, but if you missed Herman Cain, you missed one of the most inspirational. Cain, an author and radio-show host, talks about the differences between rights and guarantees, but that’s just the warm-up. When Cain talks about his own life experiences battling life-threatening cancer, he is at his most powerful. The Right Scoop captured the entire speech:
After this speech, I had an opportunity to speak to Herman one-on-one. I’m still processing the video, and I hope to have it up later today or possibly tomorrow. Herman talks about that last line of his speech in more detail, so be sure to check back.
Blowback
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Hermans entire life is an inspiration.
tim c on April 11, 2010 at 12:49 PM
I love Herman Cain! I wish he would run for President.
moonsbreath on April 11, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Herman’s fantastic, however I don’t hear a compelling message that the general public will rally around.
The Republicans have nothing to offer except the perfunctory “free markets” nonsense that is meaningless unless we get some meat addressing the nexus of corporate and Congressional corruption that has destroyed our national wealth.
rickyricardo on April 11, 2010 at 12:56 PM
Good man there. The left will quickly dismiss him with racial terminology as an uncle tom, or whatever other racist nonsense they will spew about him.
tx2654 on April 11, 2010 at 12:56 PM
I dearly love Herman! He is just wonderful and knows what he talks about. I wish he would run again for office and get elected. He is one of the good guys!
L
letget on April 11, 2010 at 12:57 PM
Good speech from a…horrors of horrors…Black conservative. No doubt he receives lots of hate mail from the looney left.
GrannyDee on April 11, 2010 at 12:57 PM
This man is AWESOME.
VegasRick on April 11, 2010 at 1:01 PM
I heard him on Bill Bennett one morning. I was really impressed with the man.
Terrye on April 11, 2010 at 1:05 PM
“The Department of Happy”… LOL, Mr. Cain. Well done.
princetrumpet on April 11, 2010 at 1:08 PM
Never heard of Mr. Cain before now, what an honorable man and a thank you to Mr. Morrissey for that inspirational introduction.
fourdeucer on April 11, 2010 at 1:12 PM
What an inspirational speech from a real American patriot. The GOP beltway crowd needs a dose of his passion and fire. Simply outstanding.
Paul Revere_1 on April 11, 2010 at 1:15 PM
If I’m not mistaken, Herman started the Pizza Hut or some other pizza chain. He subs for Boortz when he is off sometimes. He is great to listen to.
L
letget on April 11, 2010 at 1:16 PM
Good job! I hope he’s the dark horse candidate he speaks about. That would be great!
Lisa on April 11, 2010 at 1:16 PM
Thanks for posting this Ed. Quite moving indeed.
tai-pan on April 11, 2010 at 1:20 PM
Chairman and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, mathematician for the US Navy, business analyst for Coca-Cola, board member for the National Restaurant Association, and VP at Pillsbury. He also turned a chunk of Burger King around into profit.
amerpundit on April 11, 2010 at 1:30 PM
This is an incredible person.
True_King on April 11, 2010 at 1:31 PM
What an incredible CV. Makes me feel guilty for not doing more with my life……:-{
IrishEi on April 11, 2010 at 1:37 PM
Cain is a friend of a friend. I’ve kept an eye on him for the last 11 or 12 years. He’s an impressive fellow.
He would do well on the top or the bottom of a presidential ticket.
greggriffith on April 11, 2010 at 1:37 PM
Cain shows what one can achieve if they aren’t spending all their time playing victim and waiting for government handouts.
docdave on April 11, 2010 at 1:39 PM
I like it when he subs for Boortz,nice change :)
ohiobabe on April 11, 2010 at 1:39 PM
I’d say he qualifies; a helluva lot more than what we have now!!
PaCadle on April 11, 2010 at 1:45 PM
God bless Herman, who is a personal and political inspiration to me as a cancer survivor. He has business acumen and lives according to his conservative convictions. Romney has the first but hasn’t done the second.
Terrie on April 11, 2010 at 1:45 PM
I’ve heard Herman subbing for Mark Levin. Herman doesn’t get “cranked up” like The Great One, but he is Excellent!
RADIOONE on April 11, 2010 at 1:46 PM
Wow. This guy rocks. I sure hope I can find his radio show on one of the local station.
Daggett on April 11, 2010 at 1:49 PM
Dayum, he’s a great speaker!
I didn’t know about that bumble bee thing… I’ll have to look that up.
JABB on April 11, 2010 at 1:50 PM
amerpundit,
Thanks for the information. Herman is on Cavuto’s Fox show sometimes also.
L
letget on April 11, 2010 at 1:51 PM
Herman Cain has his own talk radio show on WSB 750 radio in Atlanta. He is on week nights from 7-10 p.m. See more at
http://wsbradio.com/inside/herman_cain.html
I am also a member of his Intelligent Thinkers Club. Herman Cain offers insightful commentary full of common sense conservative thinking and values. I learn so much listening to him.
Libertybelle on April 11, 2010 at 1:52 PM
I liked that last line of his: a dark horse candidate. I think he was referencing himself and I would be happy with that.
And what amerpundit said, he has an impressive resume.
Mirimichi on April 11, 2010 at 2:02 PM
Just WOW,what a difference between political partys!!
I’ve seen and heard Walter Williams,and Herman Cain is
another great speaker,and Republican!!
canopfor on April 11, 2010 at 2:03 PM
I wonder if Joe Biden finds Herman “clean and articulate”?
Captain America on April 11, 2010 at 2:04 PM
He has a great voice.
logis on April 11, 2010 at 2:05 PM
http://biggovernment.com/bparks/2010/04/11/so-voicemails-expose-lefts-racism-wheres-the-msm-been-all-this-time/
Wait for it to start…
reshas1 on April 11, 2010 at 2:05 PM
To Ricki, at least he has some BUSINESS experience under his belt…
Cain was born and raised in Georgia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Morehouse College in 1967, and a master’s degree in computer science from Purdue University.
[edit] Business career
Cain worked as a mathematician for the Department of the Navy, a business analyst for the Coca-Cola Company, and for the Pillsbury Company, where he became Vice-President of Corporate Systems and Services within three years. Cain hoped to reach a corporate presidency, and to pursue this goal he decided to resign his senior position and move into the restaurant industry. Cain entered Pillsbury’s Burger King division, where he worked his way up from making hamburgers to managing 400 restaurants in the Philadelphia region. Under Cain’s leadership, the region went from being the chain’s worst-performing in the country to its best.[citation needed] In 1986, Cain was appointed head of Pillsbury’s struggling Godfather’s Pizza chain, which he restored to profitability in 14 months, and organized a buyout of the company from Pillsbury in 1988. Cain went on to serve on the board of the National Restaurant Association, chairing the board from 1994 to 1995 and becoming President and CEO in 1996. In 1999 Cain became President of RetailDNA.[1]
reshas1 on April 11, 2010 at 2:08 PM
It’s a pity our first black president couldn’t have listened to a lot more Herman Cain and a lot less Reverend Wright. If he had, it’s quite possible he could have been the most successful president in history.
President Obama is very intelligent and, when he was at that malleable age, he was just surrounded by the wrong people. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, it’s not that he doesn’t know anything, it’s just that so much of what he knows is wrong.
bflat879 on April 11, 2010 at 2:12 PM
Big deal. What does he know? It’s not like he was a community organizer or anything.
/sarc
JohnInCA on April 11, 2010 at 2:13 PM
What a great speech. Cain is able.
Mojave Mark on April 11, 2010 at 2:14 PM
I love Herman Cain! I wish he would run for President.
moonsbreath on April 11, 2010 at 12:55 PM
Chaz706 on April 11, 2010 at 2:17 PM
Look at all those white supremacist cheering on that Black Man.
chb03c on April 11, 2010 at 2:20 PM
I wonder where he stands on conservative issues?
If he is a small government 2nd amendment supporter I would volunteer to help him run.:)
Sgtmack on April 11, 2010 at 2:20 PM
That is the Best speach I have seen in a long long time.
Now thats a Southern man with fire.
Indian Outlaw on April 11, 2010 at 2:22 PM
He comes off as fairly pro liberty to me right now. I’d suspect he probably agrees whole heartedly that the second amendment is a very important part of liberty and freedom.
Especially if he knows anything about the history of the south and gun rights.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s an NRA member.
Chaz706 on April 11, 2010 at 2:34 PM
Well done.
Have to agree, he is outstanding. I will be watching him as we enter the longest campaign season ever.
sherry on April 11, 2010 at 2:38 PM
An excellent point he brings up…
Is there anything in the health care insurance reform bill, that guarantees, or will pay for, a Second Opinion?
franksalterego on April 11, 2010 at 2:44 PM
Hell, I`ll say it……. Palin/Cain 2012!
and for non-Palin fans…….. Cain 2012!
ThePrez on April 11, 2010 at 2:45 PM
Dark Horse eh!!!
Cain/Cuda/2012
Cuda/Cain/2012
canopfor on April 11, 2010 at 2:45 PM
Hell, I`ll say it……. Palin/Cain 2012!
and for non-Palin fans…….. Cain 2012!
ThePrez on April 11, 2010 at 2:45 PM
ThePrez: We both submitted at 2:45!!
Spooky eh!:)
canopfor on April 11, 2010 at 2:47 PM
It is. I do like the sound of CudaCain. Sort of like Bennifer or Brangelina. :)
ThePrez on April 11, 2010 at 3:01 PM
This man sounds like a great Presidential candidate.
We have so many good conservative voices that should be
promoted nationally to articulate this man’s message and
ideas. Would love to see him on the Prez ticket with Palin
too. We have so many good people in the mix…..
dec5 on April 11, 2010 at 3:01 PM
canopfor on April 11, 2010 at 2:47 PM
—————-
It is. I do like the sound of CudaCain. Sort of like Bennifer or Brangelina. :)
ThePrez on April 11, 2010 at 3:01 PM
ThePrez: Me likey,I think your on to something!!:)
canopfor on April 11, 2010 at 3:07 PM
It appears Mr. Cain has (1) math skills, (2) business skills, and (3) logical reasoning skills. So, just for starters, he has 3 important things Obama lacks.
On the other hand, Obama probably knows more about grievance law and Marxist theory. So if that’s what you’re looking for in a president, then Barry’s your man!
AZCoyote on April 11, 2010 at 3:10 PM
To see a debate, or two, between this Man and our Teenager in Chief, would be the ultimate delight.
Schadenfreude on April 11, 2010 at 3:18 PM
Herman Cain has the kind of dynamism and optimism that inspires.
Stay connected! Stay informed! Stay inspired! Focus on 2010. Recognize the potency of “bumblebee power. Herman Cain, speaking at SRLC, is a gem of optimism.
onlineanalyst on April 11, 2010 at 3:18 PM
Yup, Cain has an inspirational life story, gives a great speech, and breaks stereotype imagery down through example. If white guilt gave us Obama in 2008, maybe voters’ remorse might well get us Cain in 2012.
That said, I am tired of words, but crave deeds. I want to see someone actually elected to political office at *some* significant level and actually prove their fitness to get things done. No more surprises, just show me a track record that I can actually look at without bias.
Just saying.
itzWicks on April 11, 2010 at 3:20 PM
Cain really rocks. Palin and Cain on the same team would be awesome.
docdave on April 11, 2010 at 3:21 PM
What a thrill to learn that Cain studies mathematics and physics, too. His scholarship should be an inspiration to all young people to expand the horizons of their career selections.
Is Cain’s radio program syndicated? He needs a wider audience, especially in urban areas around the US.
onlineanalyst on April 11, 2010 at 3:23 PM
What a thrill to learn that Cain studies mathematics and physics, too. His scholarship should be an inspiration to all young people to expand the horizons of their career selections.
Is Cain’s radio program syndicated? He needs a wider audience, especially in urban areas around the US.
onlineanalyst on April 11, 2010 at 3:23 PM
I was about to ask that same question ! He sounds like another talk radio host I could easily get hooked on! Currntly I listen to a lot of Mark Levin
cableguy615 on April 11, 2010 at 3:38 PM
I’m stunned. I never heard of this guy. He’s like the business version of COL West.
Dump Steele and put Cain in charge!
rcl on April 11, 2010 at 3:40 PM
Are you fired up?
Ready to go?
Hell yeah!!
pjean on April 11, 2010 at 3:46 PM
I was in Georgia when Herman Cain ran for the Republican Nomination. I donated money to him, and told others about him. Unfortunately he didn’t get the Nomination. I honestly think that many of our issues would be more clearly defined if he had.
Snake307 on April 11, 2010 at 3:59 PM
McCain/Palin 2012jstjoan on April 11, 2010 at 4:20 PM
Herman Cain has the kind of dynamism and optimism that inspires.
Stay connected! Stay informed! Stay inspired! Focus on 2010. Recognize the potency of “bumblebee power. Herman Cain, speaking at SRLC, is a gem of optimism.
onlineanalyst on April 11, 2010 at 3:18 PM
onlineanalyst:”Bumblebee power”,and Tea Partys,me likey!!
canopfor on April 11, 2010 at 4:44 PM
There are dozens of conservatives in Congress who are doing a lot for our nation & our cause, not to mention governors & legislators around the USA.
itsnotaboutme on April 11, 2010 at 5:12 PM
It was my great honor to vote for Mr. Cain for Senator. Sadly, the generic-GOP-suit won (Isacson, who hopefully is recovering from his recent medical malady). Maybe he’ll run again in the future. More of him, please.
rjwest21 on April 11, 2010 at 5:31 PM
WOW! Did he just throw his hat in the ring!?!
Sultry Beauty on April 11, 2010 at 5:44 PM
Intense! If they ever do a BioPic of him they need to line up Sam Jackson.
SocklessJoe on April 11, 2010 at 6:37 PM
Hey, I hate to be a buzzkill here, but you guys do remember what the “R” in SRLC stands for right? Anyone? Bueller?!
It stands for Republican. Remember? The party that didn’t know from shinola after the big 1994 congressional takeover?
gryphon202 on April 11, 2010 at 7:04 PM
That was awesome.
We need more of that and more people like him.
AZfederalist on April 11, 2010 at 7:20 PM
True. Pride comes before the fall. We also should add to his mantra of “Stay connected. Stay informed. Stay united.” “Stay humble”. Humility is a pride killer.
-
TwilightStruggler on April 11, 2010 at 9:18 PM
He sounds great, accomplished, earnest, clear-thinking. What are his weaknesses?
Thanks.
The Race Card on April 11, 2010 at 9:18 PM
STFU. Enough with the ridiculous calls for every person to run RNC. RNC Chairperson is nice but not legacy building. We need good candidates at the state and national levels. Leave the chairmanship to someone like JC Watts or Dick Armey or someone who is never going to run again.
Steele is using his post for personal gain, little more. RNC chair requires someone with Republicans’ best interest in mind.
The Race Card on April 11, 2010 at 9:21 PM
I’m proud to say I gave to Cain’s Senate campaign in 2004!
He’s a good man.
I hope we hear a lot more from him in the run-up to elections in November, but especially before Election Day 2012.
Jenfidel on April 11, 2010 at 10:51 PM
I, too, would love to hear him *debate* the CIC. No contest.
And they call all of us ‘racists’. No way. Give us Conservatives who care about US!! When you take care of US, then you can take care of the rest of the World.
jatfla on April 11, 2010 at 11:51 PM
The Hurricane.
5u93rm4n on April 11, 2010 at 11:54 PM
I agree with both of you.
Steele is an incompetant man who’s using this opportunity for his own personal gain.
Let’s replace him with someone who will care for the republican party like he should. This is too important for a self serving arrogant smug.
Dump Steele and put Cain in charge.
Chaz706 on April 12, 2010 at 12:10 AM
How is he doing that?
The man has been slammed around left and right and this benefits him personally how???
I find Steele to be neither self-serving, arrogant nor smug.
You must be talking about a different guy!
Steele’s fine where he is.
There’s a lot of work to do: Surely we can find another place for an upstanding, articulate Conservative Republican like Cain to shine.
Jenfidel on April 12, 2010 at 12:31 AM
Urbane-colloquialial, term-of-endearment/racial-slur, please.
Armey is chasing the fame he never found. (He’s not alone. All politicians want to be part of the celebrity culture and feel entitled because they see Palin, a presumed lesser, doing so well. The lurch towards social-popularity and fame is unmistakable, as proved by Showtime Michael Steele.)
Watt has popped up lately. But, the man freakin oozes boredom. I’m feelin you on the type of person who should chair the RNC, but you sound like you were just pulling names off of Hannity’s Great American Panel.
Here’s the deal. RNC needs a good solid new-school nerd.
The Race Card on April 12, 2010 at 4:15 AM
Great speech.
Have been saying the bee facts for years,(ever since I read it in a comic book)
gstep58 on April 12, 2010 at 5:39 AM
I’m glad the greater HA readership is getting a chance to hear Herman. He has developed a large base in the Atlanta area. His show can be heard streaming over the web weeknights from 7-10 ET.
TedInATL on April 12, 2010 at 7:04 AM
What’s a “new-school nerd?”
The Race Card on April 12, 2010 at 3:04 PM