From a CNO Reader who said, “He’s so much more than the ‘pizza man”’ 

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Herman Cain - Know Your 2012 Candidates
Herman is running for the Republican nomination for President. 
September  29, 2011 

Herman Cain grew up in Atlanta, Georgia with loving parents and little else. His father worked three jobs—as a janitor, a barber and a chauffeur—and his mother was a domestic worker. Even though these jobs required hard work and little glamour, his parents knew this life was better than the dirt farms upon which they grew up. They also knew that this hard work was the key to achieving their American Dreams. 

Herman’s parents had two dreams. First, they wanted to own their own house. Secondly, they wanted both of their children to graduate from college. During the segregation era in the Deep South, these aspirations might have seemed lofty, but they knew that if they kept their faith in God, faith in themselves and faith in the greatest country on the Earth, they could achieve. 

The first dream was realized in a modest brick house on Albert Street in Atlanta, Georgia. After years of saving from his many jobs, Herman’s father surprised the whole family, even his wife, by purchasing a home for their family. The second dream was realized when Herman graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in mathematics in 1967. His brother, Thurman, would go on to graduate from Morris Brown College. 

Inspired by the work ethic and character of his parents, Herman continued his education by earning his Master’s degree in computer science from Purdue University while working full-time developing fire control systems for ships and fighter planes for the Department of the Navy. Though Herman enjoyed using his talents as a civilian employee for the Navy, he gravitated towards the culture of business. 

Herman returned to his home of Atlanta to begin working as a computer systems analyst for the Coca-Cola Company. After considerable success at Coca-Cola, he moved to the Pillsbury Company. Within a short period of time, Herman rose to position of Vice President. Although the comforts of a corner office on the 31st floor of a majestic corporate building seemed satisfying, Herman knew that he needed a challenge. 

He became the regional vice president of Pillsbury’s Burger King division. This meant starting from the “ground up,” dodging grease fires and broiling hamburgers. Herman was assigned to lead a low performing region of 450 of their restaurants. Within three years, it became the best performing region in the company.

Energized by overcoming the many obstacles of his job at Burger King, Herman took on the biggest challenge of his career. He accepted the call to become the President and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, a company that was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. In just 14 months, Herman returned Godfather’s to profitability and he led his management team to a buyout of the company. 

His professional successes garnered the respect and admiration of industry peers who named him the President of the National Restaurant Association. Under Herman’s administration, the group grew significantly and began to lobby for the interests of America’s restaurateurs and small business owners. 

In 1994, as head of the National Restaurant Association, he had the opportunity to speak with President Clinton during a nationally televised town hall meeting. Here, Herman challenged the President regarding the impact on businesses if his health care overhaul proposal were passed. President Clinton attempted to assure him and the millions of viewers watching at home that his legislation would not harm American business owners and their employees. 

Herman was skeptical. “Quite honestly Mr. President, your calculations are incorrect,” he said. “In the competitive marketplace, it simply doesn’t work that way.” His words echoed across America, and Newsweek named Herman Cain the primary saboteur of Hillarycare. 

Through these and other appearances on behalf of the National Restaurant Association, Herman began working with business leaders across all sectors of the American economy. This led to his acceptance of a position on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and he was subsequently elected their chairman. In this role, he analyzed economic conditions in the region and notified the Federal Reserve of how their policies should respond. 

Most recently, he hosted a radio talk show, “The Herman Cain Show,” on Atlanta’s WSB 750 AM/ 95.5 FM. He serves as a regular contributor on several broadcast networks and as a keynote speaker at conferences and events around the nation. 

Despite the many professional commitments of his life, Herman continues to enjoy most the time spent with family and friends. As his children got married and had their own children, he knew that he had an extraordinary obligation to do what he could to make this a safe and prosperous nation for them. The paramount joys in his life are his wife, Gloria, his children and his grandchildren. 

Herman Cain on Principles and Values: 

Our Founding Fathers recognized a higher power in the formation of this nation when they said in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and that they are “endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.” 

It was no accident that in some of our earlier years as a free and independent nation that our leaders added “In God We Trust” to all of our currency. 

And to send a message to the rest of the world when Communism was on the rise in the 1950s, Congress added the words “under God” to our pledge of allegiance. They were not just words. It was a collective reaffirmation that we know the ultimate source of our greatness as a nation. 

America’s moral foundation does not need to be rewritten. It needs to be respected and taught to our children and grandchildren. It is the basis for our concept of freedom. As former President Ronald Reagan reminded us many years ago: 

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the blood stream. It must be fought for and protected and handed on for them to do the same. Or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and grandchildren what is used to be like in the United States when men were free.” 

We are free because “In God Is Our Trust.”

Life begins at conception, period.

Life, liberty & pursuit of happiness starts with unborn life.

Defund Planned Parenthood; intent was to kill black babies.

Tea Party checks the powers within the Republican Party.

American laws in American courts, not Shariah.

1986: As CEO, refocused Godfather’s Pizza on brand identity.

Pledge’s “under God” is a collective reaffirmation.

Liberals SIN: Shift the subject; Ignore facts; Name-call.

US polarized: party divide; racial divide; economic divide.

Religious faith & political views inextricably intertwined. 

Herman Cain on Jobs: 

Government doesn’t create jobs; businesses create jobs.

Economy is stalled like a train with no engine & no fuel.

Right-to-work laws.

Employee Free Choice Act is really forced unionization.

Card-Check is union intimidation, not free choice. 

Herman Cain on Economy: 

America has long been a beacon of prosperity throughout the world. The American Dream has been attained by those who were willing to think, work and sacrifice to achieve it. Each dream was different, but each dream was made possible due to the freedoms this country provides. 

The role of the federal government should be to encourage economic growth by ensuring conditions that will allow businesses to thrive, not just survive. That means less legislation, less regulation, lower taxes and business-friendly policies. 

The federal government should not be in the business of picking and choosing industries they support financially. This happens in the form of subsidies, and special tax breaks in which the government “plays favorite” with one industry and in turn, hinders the competitiveness of another. There are some exceptions, but in Washington it has become the rule. 

The federal government also impedes economic growth by interfering in the employer and employee relationship. While labor unions once provided a representative body to lobby for fair wages and safe working conditions for employees, they now principally serve as a political mechanism for the Left. Forced unionization through the dishonestly named “Employee Free Choice Act,” or “card check,” would drive up the costs of goods and services, cause hundreds and thousands of jobs to be lost and ultimately, a more powerful system of liberal fundraising to be maintained. 

Currently, the federal government taxes too much and too often. Meaningful tax reform should be implemented immediately to alleviate that suffocating tax burden placed on businesses and individuals in America. This means across-the-board tax cuts to provide long-term relief, including reducing the capital gains tax, suspending taxes on repatriated profits and permanently eliminating the death tax. 

Focus on the Three E’s: Economy, Entitlements, and Energy. 

Herman Cain on Immigration: 

America is an exceptional nation. We are also a prosperous nation because of our liberties and our free market system. That’s why people from all over the world want to come to America to create better lives for themselves and their families, because we are truly the land of opportunity. 

Americans have embraced their role as the world’s premier “melting pot,” welcoming immigrants from every corner of the planet. We readily learn about other cultures, customs and beliefs. We appreciate those who are willing to come to this country and make America a more vibrant and enriched place. 

Americans do resent, however, the willingness of some to circumvent our laws and enter our nation illegally. While many, if not most, illegal immigrants are peaceful people simply seeking to provide for their families, some are not. In fact, some are quite dangerous, jeopardizing the safety and well-being of American citizens. 

Illegal immigration has only exacerbated illegal activity, such as the horrendous crimes of drug smuggling and human trafficking. Illegal immigrants who are repeat offenders are harder to track, making it difficult for law enforcement to prevent crime. Further, weak borders have caused a compounding problem of terrorists assimilating with illegal immigrants, crossing the border with them and entering the U.S.

Illegal immigration also puts a tremendous strain on America’s entitlement and health care systems. Illegal immigrants are typically uninsured and cannot afford to pay for their medical care, driving up costs for all Americans, even those actually insured. In fact, several hospitals in the U.S. have declared bankruptcy as a result of the costs of caring for illegal immigrants. 

We must secure our borders, enforce our laws and promote the existing path to citizenship. Protecting our nation’s sovereignty should be a paramount concern of those elected to lead us, not an afterthought or a reaction once the problem becomes even worse. Further, taking a stand on the issue does not mean one lacks compassion, but instead, that one respects the rule of law and the importance of not becoming a lawless nation.

The path to citizenship is called legal immigration. 

Not right to sue Arizona for trying to protect themselves.

Secure our borders; enforce our laws.

Where’s the fence? Not in the Immigration Bill!

Illegal immigration exacerbates horrendous drug smuggling. 

Herman Cain on Gun Control: 

The answer on gun control is I support, strongly support, the Second Amendment. I don’t support onerous legislation that’s going to restrict people’s rights in order to be able to protect themselves as guaranteed by the Second Amendment. 

Let each state pass a concealed weapon bill. 

Cain’s view on the Second Amendment is completely at odds with the mainstream conservative Republican position, in that, Cain favors state level gun control legislations. 

Herman Cain on Homeland Security: 

Our enemy in WW III is unlike any we have ever faced, as is his motivating ideology. In previous wars, our enemies fought to acquire land and power or spread a political philosophy such as communism or fascism. Today, our enemy is motivated by a unique combination of factors derived from his religious and political beliefs. Islamic terrorists are not motivated merely to acquire land and power. Instead, they are motivated by the literal reading of the Quran’s call for jihad of the sword – death to those who refuse to convert to Islam. 

The enemy is further motivated by a hatred of western civilization and the religious, political and economic freedoms we fight to protect. Religious pluralism and economic prosperity for all who desire it are concepts completely foreign to the Islamic terrorist, and are principles they believe must be violently overthrown wherever possible. 

A critical component of our strategy in the new war must be to secure our borders. As long as our southern border remains porous, we are laying out a welcome mat to the terrorists who want to kill us. A secure southern U.S. border and a commitment to fighting Islamic terrorists with our allies in all corners of the world will allow western civilization to prevail. 

The anatomy of WW III is unlike any we have ever fought. Unfortunately, this fact has escaped too many people who believe that traditional diplomacy, appeasement and concessions to the terrorists are the keys to our success. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Terrorists understand one thing – annihilation. It’s either them or us.

Cannot put a price on security; cut waste, but nothing more.

No doubt that terrorists seek to destroy our way of life. 

Herman Cain on National Security: 

The primary duty of the President of the United States is to protect our people. In fact, it is the principal duty of a limited federal government. They must ensure that our military and all of our security agencies are strong and capable. 

Unfortunately, national security has become far too politicized with our elected officials using the issue as a means to polarize our country as the “war hawks” and the “peace doves.” In response, the safety and morale of our brave men and women in uniform are often at risk for political gain. The judgment of our military experts on the ground is often underutilized in exchange for political purposes. National security isn’t about politics. It’s about defending America. 

While diplomacy is a critical tool in solving the complex security issues we face, it must never compromise military might. Because we are such a free and prosperous people, we are the envy of the world. Many regimes seek to destroy us because they are threatened by our ideals, and they resent our prosperity. We must acknowledge the real and present danger that terrorist nations and organizations pose to our country’s future. 

Further, we must stand by our friends and we must not be fooled by our enemies. We should never be deceived by terrorists. They only have one objective, namely, to kill all of us. We must always remain vigilant in dealing with adversaries. 

We must support our military with the best training, equipment, technology and infrastructure necessary to keep them in a position to win. We must also provide our men and women in uniform, our veterans and their families with the benefits they deserve for their tremendous sacrifice. These heroes have served us. We must never forget to serve them. 

Best military training, equipment, & technology.

START treaty gives away too much; build missile defense. 

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