Herman Cain: Bastion of Progress in America

Herman Cain has been a divisive figure in the GOP primaries. Some people see him as the shake-up that the Republican Party needs in order to challenge Obama in the 2012 presidential election, and others look at him as an ill-equipped, jargon-spewing fool. 

He has made surprising headway in straw polls as a legitimate candidate, though his momentum has slowed some in recent weeks due to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. This is a man who has publicly coined the nickname “Black Walnut” for himself, and I personally find his candidacy to be an intriguing oddity more than anything else. 

He is the political equivalent of watching an episode of Jackass, no pun intended ... well maybe a little. You know that what you are watching is Earth-shatteringly foolish, and yet you can't look away. By no means do I want this man to be our next president (though there is a small part of me that would enjoy his 9-9-9 tax plan provided there is a rider on the bill for free pizza Fridays), but it seems to me that there are positives to his legitimacy as a candidate that Americans aren't seeing.

Quoting Cain, "I don't have any facts to back this up," but the popularity of his candidacy with conservatives is proof that race relations in the United States are improving. 

When President Barack Obama was elected, many people claimed that the event proved the U.S. was ready to be a racially harmonious place. Bill Maher dealt with this sentiment best, saying, “We can’t claim America is not racist because a qualified black man has become the president, we can claim America is past racism when an unqualified black man is elected president.” 

Well Bill, we are closer than ever. Republicans seem to be seriously considering placing the real life personification of Uncle Ruckus from The Boondocks up against Obama. God forbid the man actually wins. But at least, if he does, we will all get to hear his amazing parody cover of John Lennon’s song Imagine There’s No Pizza, from his days as CEO of the RC Cola of pizza chains. 

Facts... psssh. Political qualifications?... don't need 'em. A few measly sexual harassment claims? COME ON PEOPLE, it was the 80s. 

This guy is the poo ... so take a big whiff. America's future (literally) be damned! ALL ABOARD THE CAIN TRAIN. Toot toot.

Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore