The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

E-Mail to a Cain Campaign Staffer

Posted on | December 3, 2011 | 39 Comments

Shortly after midnight, I received an e-mail from an aide to the Herman Cain campaign, evidently alarmed by expressions of wrath in last night’s post. In the wee hours this morning, I replied to that e-mail with a simple question: “Has J.D. Gordon been fired?” So then I went to bed and, upon checking my e-mail after waking up this morning, I found a reply to the effect of “I don’t know.” To which I then replied:

When I woke up, after five hours sleep, the question in my mind was this: To whom is my loyalty owed?
That is to say, am I writing on behalf of the people who have been paid to do a job at which they have conspicuously failed — and I think the name J.D. Gordon is at or near the top of that list — or am I writing on behalf of the many thousands of small donors who have helped pay the salaries of the failures, and on behalf of the unpaid volunteers whose long hours of labor have been squandered because of those failures?
And look: “Multiple sources told POLITICO late Friday that Cain was leaning toward quitting.”
Where are MY “multiple sources,” huh? How come I could get nothing from anybody?
— RSM

Perhaps readers will get the point without my explaining it, but I’ll explain anyway: When J.D. Gordon screwed me over by leaving me off Tuesday’s conference call, I took it personally. But it’s not just about me. It’s about people who supported Herman Cain who have been screwed over by that kind of routine incompetence by staffers who were being paid to do jobs at which they failed.

Category: Election 2012, Herman Cain

Comments

39 Responses to “E-Mail to a Cain Campaign Staffer”

  1. Joe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 9:35 am

    Whoever left you off the conference call, the buck stops with Herman Cain.  He is responsible for his own campaign.  If he treats you like this, when you supported him from the get, why does this indicate he would be a good President?

    Trust me, I feel sick that our choices now are Romney and Gingrich.  Bachman and Santorum can’t seem to get any traction.  Perry imploded.  Ron Paul is just so…well crazy.   If I wanted a metrosexual democrat in charge, I would choose Obama over Huntsman.  And if I need a guy to hang out at a Phish concert with–Gary Johnson would be cool for that–but President of the United States? 

      I really wanted to believe Cain was something different.  But wishes ain’t fishes. 

    Is it too late to draft Fred Thompson? 

  2. Joe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 10:08 am

    Okay, maybe I would flip a coin between Obama and Huntsman.  But you get my point. 

  3. ClassicFilm
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 10:14 am

    I’m hanging in there for Cain. The Obama smear machine worked in Illinois destroying his opponents, it may work now destroying Herman. But I still love the man and still believe in him to lead America.

  4. Joe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 10:16 am

    http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2012/election_2012_presidential_election/december_2011/51_think_cain_should_end_campaign_28_disagree

    Actually I think Cain should fire his entire staff, get a team of private investigators, and prove all these sexual allegations are complete bullshit and continue to run.  Just hire a few hardened grassroots guys who know a thing or two about politics, journalism, and marketing.  And get a forigen policy maven on your team. 

    But of course that assumes the sexual allegations are complete bullshit. 

  5. Duane Lester
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 10:42 am

    While I don’t spend as much time working the phones as you, I have met J.D. Gordon, he has my email and has used it and I have been a supporter of Herman Cain on my blog. 

    I interviewed him back in December of last year.  I’ve been in contact with the campaign for that long.

    And nothing. 

    Oh, and I’m one of those small donors too.

    You’re not alone in your outrage, Stacy.

  6. smitty
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 10:48 am

    The point worth making for all of these campaigns is that blogs should not be doormats.

  7. Mike Rogers
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 10:50 am

    As an early and maxed out supporter and volunteer, I am always treated very well when able to get to a Cain event, but breaking through the campaign clutter has always been tricky.
    I wasn’t invited to he per-announcement meeting/call today, so I get to read about it afterwards. A bit disappointing.

  8. Anonymous
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 10:51 am

    The allegations certainly seem to BS.  But if they aren’t….what does it matter?

    Newt would still have more baggage and a much worse campaign infrastructure.

  9. JewishOdysseus
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 10:55 am

    To write ruthlessly what I believe:

    I fear Herman Cain has a problematic lack of humility.  It may be arrogance.  He has never recognized his shortcomings as a candidate, and therefore refused to address them or minimize them.  He is confident, and that is a great and necessary quality for success, but it is hard to avoid the conclusion that he has fallen prey to OVER-confidence, or a higher regard for his own abilities than was warranted.

    There were two ways to handle this, each acceptable:  one was to carefully control his exposure in public venues and interviews so as to minimize his opportunities for “gaffes,” the other was to get him some steady but intensive issues-tutoring so he cd turn weakness into strength:”OMG, that was a fantastic answer to an obscure question, this guy is awesome!”  (BTW, Ron Reagan was a sharp and knowledgeable guy, but even his campaign recognized his tendency to shoot from the lip, and always kept careful control over his exposure.)

    But, my friends, he has done neither.  And it has HURT him, and after ~7 months of hard campaigning, it doesn’t look like he will EVER get that he needs (needed) to do this. 

    The single thread running through all his blowups the past month or so has been his refusal to recognize his own weaknesses or vulnerabilities at the moment, and prudently either address them or minimize them.  I sense that, at the end of the day, his (rather noble) instinct is:  “Hey, just give me the ball again, fellas, I’m gonna pull this game out of the fire yet again.”  But when the other side has stolen your playbook and knows exactly what you’re gonna do, that just is NOT the best way to win.

    I am truly, truly sorry to write this. :- (

  10. Do The Work | Daily Pundit
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:12 am

    […] The Work Posted on December 3, 2011 8:12 am by Bill Quick E-Mail to a Cain Campaign Staffer : The Other McCain Shortly after midnight, I received an e-mail from an aide to the Herman Cain campaign, evidently […]

  11. Joe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:15 am

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-republicans-like-newt-gingrich/2011/12/02/gIQAlkrWMO_story.html?wprss=rss_opinions

    Kathleen Parker, as usual, misses the point.  And she is using the wrong metaphor.  The GOP race is more like the Titanic sinking and party members looking for a life raft.  Rather than swimming for Romney, they are swimming for Newt. 

  12. Joe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:17 am

    The point making for all these campaigns is voters should not be doormats.  How hard is an occasional “that a boy” or thanks? 

  13. Doc Clear
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:19 am

    Love the Cain train.  But I got off last stop.  The problem is that I don’t really like any of the other trains.  My issue with Cain isn’t the false stories.  My problem is that he refuses to hire competent people or be quick as disseminating information.  Actually it’s the opposite.  The new and improved website is a ghost town.  Like you said about information… it’s non-existent.  I admit that Cain is very shallow in a few areas, but had always believed he would hire good and competent people to fill in those areas where he was lacking.  Now, I realize that either he has zero control of what’s going on, or he’s an incompetent manager.  Either one of those options derailed my Cain train.  It’s sad because he could have been so much more.  There were thousands of people willing to work for nothing other than having access to information.  But instead they issued a blackout to bloggers.  What at first looked like a very approachable down to earth Presidential candidate now looks like a distant boulder.  No, I’m not going to go all Ace and trash everyone else’s candidate, but I really don’t know where to go now.  

  14. Joe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:22 am

    That was very insightful and well said.  My support for Herman Cain started to erode with the constant gaffes.  They happen, but they hurt.  Yet the guy does not seem to get it. 

    And giving money to a woman without telling your wife is a problem (although I admit I have done it on occasion with Joy McCann and Cynthia Yockey, but I think you all recognize that is a wee bit different–neither of them are calling me on my cell phone at 2 am). 

  15. Joe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:24 am

    But if they aren’t….what does it matter?

    It matters.  It matters for Newt.  It matters for Herman.  It should matter. 

  16. Doc Clear
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:28 am

    Maybe I’m just whipped, but I don’t do anything related to women without telling my wife about it.  The only reason I wouldn’t is if I was sneaking around and doing things I shouldn’t.  Which is wrong.  Like you, I can’t see any other reason unless they have a wall between business and private.  Some wives would rather not know anything about their husband’s business.  Not mine of course, but I’ve seen many different types of relationships that work even though they wouldn’t for me or my spouse.  For us, even a separate checking account would be problematic.

  17. Zilla of the Resistance
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:44 am

    Now the big announcement is coming today:
    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/12/herman-cain-announcement-livestream/
    I don’t even care anymore, they screwed over their own supporters in the right blogosphere, especially OUR Stacy. Fuckum. They can all go to hell. Suck it, Herman, maybe in the future you learn how to treat people who are trying to HELP you, maybe in the future you pull your head out of your ass, although at this point it looks like you’ve got too big an ego to do even that. I don’t care about those bitches who are probably just making shit up, I care about Cain’s complete and utter inability to learn a fucking thing about anything as it pertains to running a campaign or not dicking around those who have tried to help you.

  18. thomasmcandrews
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:50 am

    “I fear Herman Cain has a problematic lack of humility.  It may be arrogance.”

    He lost me when he referred to himself in the third person.  I hate that.

  19. richard mcenroe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:10 pm

    It should matter to whatever POS orchestrated these leaks.  But we’re busy doing their job for them, so they don’t care.

  20. Anonymous
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:11 pm

    That is marketing…

  21. richard mcenroe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:13 pm

    I only wish I could be sure it was the Democrats doing this.  But there are so many “good” Republicans popping up on the fringes of this thing, particularly from the two “top” candidates, that it’s impossible to tell.

    I HOPE this is Obama and Axelrod.  But that’s based on not much more than the reflexive lefty belief Rove and Cheney are responsible for all the evil in the world.

  22. richard mcenroe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:14 pm

    Gloria Alred sez ‘prove it they aren’t.’

  23. Joe
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:15 pm

    Of course if some POS orchestrated these leaks and they are true…well that changes things doesn’t it.

    The earlier ones seem to be complete fabrications, but this last one is problematic.  I wait to hear what the explanation is.  Knapster is right, you cannot make up the facts or deny a 13 year affair.  Either it happened or it did not.  It can be proven either way over that length of time. 

  24. Cain Train Agonistes | novatownhall blog
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:30 pm

    […] E-Mail to a Cain Campaign Staffer […]

  25. Catholics4Cain
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:33 pm

    this is one person sticking with Herman Cain.l agree that the higher ups were harder to reach but contacting the staff at the lower end was always a breeze. I didn’t need to be in contact each and every day. They are not their for me to respond to each and every crisis-or to get an inside scoop.Not that big an ego here. If they listened to me every time there was a negative in the race they’d have never gotten anywhere. Sure some folks probably do need fired. That’s a campaign for ya. On the other hand i don’t think it’s Cain’s ego keeping him in the race. It’s that if he caves in to these allegations-which really don’t pass the smell test-they win. Regardless of what anyone thinks about the campaign or his staff. It comes right out of the WH and they want him out bad-and truth is they are probably in cahoots from someone from one of the other campaigns who want him out just as badly. Notice that there wasn’t one profanity in this reply. (HINT). It’s called not being that angry.

  26. Politico Wrong Again? Cain Staffers Dispute Report He’ll End Campaign; UPDATE: ‘Full Speed Ahead’? : The Other McCain
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:36 pm

    […] predicted that the candidate will give a “defiant” speech in Atlanta.RECENTLY:Dec. 3: E-Mail to a Cain Campaign StafferDec. 2: Excrement Impacts Air-Circulation Device UPDATE: Dear Mr. Cain … $7 Million?Dec. 1: Cain […]

  27. Catholics4Cain
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:47 pm

     live stream here at the right scoop w/ chat room

    http://www.therightscoop.com/watch-live-herman-cains-speech/

  28. HERMAN CAIN ANNOUNCEMENT : The Other McCain
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 12:57 pm

    […] */ google_ad_slot = "2046026383"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; RECENTLY:Dec. 3: E-Mail to a Cain Campaign StafferDec. 2: Excrement Impacts Air-Circulation Device UPDATE: Dear Mr. Cain … $7 Million?Dec. 1: Cain […]

  29. Reddmike2004
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 1:00 pm

    I could have sworn that yesterday morning, (Fri. 02 Dec.) on the Neal Boortz show that the “leak” was done by the Romney administration…

  30. Adjoran
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 2:23 pm

    Never read Kathleen Parker.  If you must torture yourself and damage your brain cells, drink enough Wild Turkey neat and burn an image of her face on your forearm with a lit cigar.

    Trust me, it’s healthier.

  31. Adjoran
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 2:25 pm

    Obama would have waited until he had the nomination.  But the Obama Smear Machine didn’t operate like Clinton’s – Obama’s merely dug up dirt on his opponents that they thought was safely hidden, but it was all true stuff.

  32. Adjoran
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 2:32 pm

    Know what it reminds me of?  Dan Ackroyd doing Bob Dole:

    “You see, Bob Dole grew up in Kansas in a small farm town. Bob Dole didn’t have the prep school education, or the sterling silverware, or the bumper pool table in the basement..  Bob Dole didn’t have the shower & massage with five-way adjustable heads.. or the sit-down lawnmower. Bob Dole didn’t have these things!”

  33. Anonymous
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 2:36 pm

    Fred would just drop out just before the FL primary like he did last time.  Last straw for me.  I re-registered as NPA. F’m.

  34. James Knauer
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 5:16 pm

    ROFL Classic & Timeless! “You know it, I know it, Bob Dole knows it, don’t make me stab you with this pen!”

  35. James Knauer
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 5:21 pm

    “And it has HURT him…” Aye, and indeed, to the point where any hangers-on position in a GOP admin is now likely closed to him as well.

  36. James Knauer
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 5:22 pm

    I think the blame ultimately lies with Herman Cain, as he is fond of telling us with regards as to where to place it.

  37. Herman Cain: Wasted Potential | Truth About Bills
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 6:28 pm

    […] One aspect of the dysfunctional nature of the national campaign team is how they were careless about things that deserved more prudence. There was a meeting in Tampa the weekend before the Florida team was officially announced and a lot of confidential information was discussed, but no one was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The technology team emailed me the mp3 file for the ad they were running on Rush Limbaugh’s radio program days beforehand, with no restrictions on what I might do with it initially, and then a last-minute request to not publish it until the ad debuted on the show. As a final note, I’ve met Mark Block and Linda Hansen once, at that meeting in Tampa, and have had a number of conversations with JD Gordon and Jamie Brazil. The message I got over and over from the national team was a determination to “break all the rules” of campaigning. I refuse to believe what many others have said, that Herman Cain was running for president “just to sell books,” but I’m left with the feeling that the campaign staff was trying to prove some kind of point that I just don’t understand. It just breaks my heart because I saw the potential of Cain as not just a candidate, but as a motivator of people and advocate for conservative principles.  What I find even more upsetting is the numerous people who put their heart and soul into supporting Cain’s campaign, and who have now been betrayed.  Francisco Gonzalez, a supporter in Tallahassee, wrote a powerful blog post a few days ago discussing why he was backing Cain, and there’s a sincerity and power in his words that I hope one of the other Republican candidates can capture. Making Barack Obama a one term President is going to be a difficult task, requiring dedication, energy, and unity from the conservative base, and it is deeply disappointing that Herman Cain had so much potential, and so many people freely gave of their time, money, and energy, only to have it squandered so quickly. UPDATE: Scott Plakon sent me a text message that he was still optimistic, “onward and upward!” and posted the following statement on his Facebook page: Herman Cain just left the Presidential race. I am at the Orange County Convention Center today at my daughters cheer competition. It was 10 weeks ago today that the foundations of the campaign were shaken right here when Herman Cain overwhelmingly won the straw poll. What really happened on that day was that We the People said that we had had ENOUGH of the business as usual in Washington. We the People said we are ready for bold, perhaps even politically risky solutions, so that we may hand over a better America to our children that we were given…just like every generation before us. We the People will now make our voices heard in 2012 in DEMANDING that our voices (and those of our children’s children) be heard. THANK you to the thousands of volunteers that made the Cain for Florida Organization the best in any state and the most effective of the other Florida campaigns. We the People made a BIG difference and will continue to do so. Further reading: St. Petersburg Times | The Buzz Blog | Herman Cain pulls out of presidential race State Rep. Scott Plakon, a Cain supporter, “I’m disappointed he didn’t make it farther. But we the people really made a difference here. He put actual solutions on the table that were bold. That has helped move the debate forward. We need significant tax and economic reform. This was a very personal decision with his family. He’s a smart guy and he looked at all the factors and reassessed.” Sunshine State News | Herman Cain Suspends Campaign; Cites ‘Continued Distractions’ By now, many of Cain’s supporters were cashing out. Seemingly random and politically motivated charges had morphed into a disturbing, if not irrefutable, pattern. At best, it was a mess.   Some erstwhile Cain fans pointed to avoidable missteps along the way. Sarah Rumpf, a Florida-based Republican blogger and early Cain supporter, said she was “disappointed” in his national campaign team.”   When the sexual-harassment stories broke, “the campaign’s response was like they never saw it coming,” Rumpf said.   “And what was with that Mark Block smoking ad anyway? It was like a merry band of pranksters masquerading as communications strategists,” observed Rumpf, who now lists herself as undecided. The Other McCain | Email to a Cain Campaign Staffer […]

  38. Christy Waters
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 8:53 pm

    Oh, that Wild Turkey will do a number on you… Thanks for the reminder.

  39. ThePaganTemple
    December 3rd, 2011 @ 11:53 pm

    Feeling like letting loose with a string of cuss words yet?