Herman Cain backs down from Perry criticism

[EffieBlack]

Cain: I'm 'not playing the race card' with Perry
By: CNN's Jason Kessler
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/03/cain-im-not-playing-the-race-card-with-perry/

New York (CNN) - While speaking to reporters outside of a meeting with Donald Trump on Monday, Republican presidential contender Herman Cain dialed back his criticism of Rick Perry over his family's use of a hunting camp named "Niggerhead."

"I really don't care about that word. They painted over it," he said, referring to a sign painted on a rock at the property the Texas Governor once leased. The Washington Post first reported Sunday that the slur appeared on the hunting grounds' gated entrance.

The matter "doesn't bother me at all," Cain added, emphasizing that he was satisfied by Perry's explanation of it and that he was "not playing the race card. I am not attacking Gov. Perry." The Perry camp has maintained that aspects of the Washington Post's report were "incorrect" and that the sign was painted over long ago.

Cain's comments Monday mark something of a reversal. Yesterday he called the Perry property's name "very insensitive" in an appearance on ABC's "This Week.

Sigh . . . it was nice while it lasted, Herman. Your integrity, I mean.

[MADem]

1. He had integrity? We'll know more once the ladies of the VIEW light into him.

He's scheduled for tomorrow. They won't let him off the hook.

[EffieBlack]

2. His integrity lasted about 24 hours

[JoePhilly]

3. He realized that the right wing base is angry it can't use the N-word as freely

as it did before the civil rights movement.

He's just figuring out that his "attack" on Perry over this topic HELPS Perry with the same insane base that Cain needs.

Dope. Looks like he's going to need to give out a lot more free crazy bread with his 999 plan.

[Raschel]

4. Crazy bread, lol.

[Enrique]

5. no one talks more about race than Herman Cain

and no one says they don't care about race more than Herman Cain does.

[Supersedeas]

6. can he do that?

[Raschel]

7. It's true. Can't wait till he goes away.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

8. Actually this sounds very tactical to me

Light a fire under your opponent and then run away and deny you lit it

Herman Cain knows that this controversy will cast a shadow over Perry's campaign because it will generate negative publicity that will follow him around for a while. In all fairness, given whom the Republican base is, it probably won't lose him any votes but Cain's probably hoping that it diminishes some of the aura that has previously surrounded Perry and makes him more vulnerable to other attacks and closer scrutiny.

Cain knows, however, that he needs to back away from his role in igniting the controversy because it will cost him support from the right wing base that he so desperately needs. So he issues a statement to downplay his role in the whole saga while knowing that the fallout from it will continue. Then sit back and reap the benefits from a distance