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I keep seeing people laughing at or about Herman Cain. They can't take him seriously, and in a way I can't blame them. His campaign centered around a tax plan (which may or may not have come from Sim City) that put simplicity above practicality and actual effect, he can't seem to give an answer to any kind of policy question (foreign or domestic), he's quoted a Pokemon movie theme song as inspirational poetry in a national debate, he's never held any political office, and now he's swamped with allegations of sexual harassment and an extramarital affair said to have lasted over a decade. It's no wonder Rachel Maddow has laughed his campaign off as a brilliant piece of performance art.
The thing is that people keep forgetting the most important thing about the Cain campaign: the Koch brothers.
The Koch Brothers, for those who don't know, are a pair of oil company billionaires who put huge chunks of money towards promoting far-Right political causes. Their money is the basis for Americans For Prosperity and the Tea Party Express (which co-sponsored a national debate with CNN during the 2010 midterm elections) among other things.
Cain's job before running for office wasn't at Godfather's Pizza. That was years ago. Since then, he's spent his time managing a state chapter of Americans For Prosperity. AFP is not only a major funder of the Cain campaign (to the point that they weren't even properly set up to take money from other donors), his campaign staff and architecture come almost entirely from AFP. Effectively, he is the Koch brothers' candidate. He won't deny it, either. He's come right out and proudly proclaimed that he is "the Koch brothers' brother from another mother."
The real story of the Cain campaign isn't a joke. It isn't the gaffes. It isn't the sexual harassment or misconduct. It isn't his failure to grasp the issues (any issues). It's that the Koch brothers fielded their own candidate and got him this far. Two people used their private resources to take someone blatantly unqualified for any meaningful public office and make him a top tier candidate for the highest office in the land.
Imagine what they could have done if they'd picked someone with some idea what he was talking about.
We need to get money out of our politics (backed by United Re:Public). But we're moving in the wrong direction. This week, the House voted to end public financing of Presidential elections and eliminate election oversight. That won't pass the Senate, but we're still in trouble. Let's not lose sight of that.
The thing is that people keep forgetting the most important thing about the Cain campaign: the Koch brothers.
The Koch Brothers, for those who don't know, are a pair of oil company billionaires who put huge chunks of money towards promoting far-Right political causes. Their money is the basis for Americans For Prosperity and the Tea Party Express (which co-sponsored a national debate with CNN during the 2010 midterm elections) among other things.
Cain's job before running for office wasn't at Godfather's Pizza. That was years ago. Since then, he's spent his time managing a state chapter of Americans For Prosperity. AFP is not only a major funder of the Cain campaign (to the point that they weren't even properly set up to take money from other donors), his campaign staff and architecture come almost entirely from AFP. Effectively, he is the Koch brothers' candidate. He won't deny it, either. He's come right out and proudly proclaimed that he is "the Koch brothers' brother from another mother."
The real story of the Cain campaign isn't a joke. It isn't the gaffes. It isn't the sexual harassment or misconduct. It isn't his failure to grasp the issues (any issues). It's that the Koch brothers fielded their own candidate and got him this far. Two people used their private resources to take someone blatantly unqualified for any meaningful public office and make him a top tier candidate for the highest office in the land.
Imagine what they could have done if they'd picked someone with some idea what he was talking about.
We need to get money out of our politics (backed by United Re:Public). But we're moving in the wrong direction. This week, the House voted to end public financing of Presidential elections and eliminate election oversight. That won't pass the Senate, but we're still in trouble. Let's not lose sight of that.
.