Herman Cain thanks New Hampshire staff, vows to keep fighting for now
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Herman Cain, by turns buoyant and defiant, told about 50 cheering supporters last night that he would not drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination – at least not yet.
“It ain’t over till it’s over – and it ain’t over yet,’’ he declared, sparking applause and shouts of “Yeah!’’ from the supporters who packed into his cramped, spartan headquarters above a Brazilian steakhouse.
Standing on a black audio equipment box and taking sips of water to soothe his hoarse voice, Cain thanked his supporters for their backing while reiterating he is reassessing his campaign following a series of sexual harassment allegations against him, punctuated by an assertion from an Atlanta woman on Monday that she had a 13-year affair with the candidate. Cain is married.
Cain has staunchly denied the allegations, at times blaming them on liberals and establishment forces that he says are threatened by his candidacy.
“I believe that America is sick of character assassination!’’ Cain declared, sparking, “Amens.’’
“We’re with you, Herman!’’ one man exclaimed.
“Raising Cain!’’ another declared.
Cain shook hands with his backers, and then spoke to them for about 15 minutes. As he worked his way through the crowd, one woman pulled the candidate into a tight embrace, “Spread the rumors!’’ she said. Cain laughed.
Despite the upbeat atmosphere, Cain said he was not sure what the future holds.
“We’re rethinking the impact on my family,’’ he said. “That’s number one, folks.’’
He also said he was reevaluating his strategy and, although he did not elaborate, he sought to reassure his team, saying: “New Hampshire is a big part of our strategy. It always will be.’’
He said he expects to make a final decision within a week.
Cain held a pep rally with his supporters in Ohio yesterday and delivered a similar message on FoxNews – mixing determination to stay in the race with acknowledgments that he was reevaluating his priorities.
Last night, the former Godfather’s Pizza executive sounded determined to soldier on, even as his poll numbers have slipped and some supporters have begun to abandon him. He acknowledged that his fund-raising had dropped after Ginger White came forward to allege that she had had an affair with him but said money is coming in again.
“As the week has gone on, and this woman who has made these accusations has started to contradict herself, our fund-raising has gone up,’’ he said.
He said he could not guarantee that more accusations would not come forward but contended that possibility should not disqualify him as a candidate. “When was the last time we had the perfect nominee with no blemishes?’’ he said, in a tense five-minute question-and-answer session with reporters after he addressed his supporters.
Cain was clearly fed up with questions about the affair. Asked by one reporter to describe White, Cain said: “Let me answer this way – ‘9-9-9’ [his tax blueprint] is going to turn this economy around.’’
Don Overman, a 77-year-old retiree from Litchfield, said he hopes Cain stays in the race. He said he has been making five calls a day for the candidate, just dialing numbers out of the phone book. He said he has considered the possibility that the allegations against Cain are true but doesn’t believe they are.
“I just think a man with his integrity wouldn’t do these things,’’ Overman said, adding, “I think he’s too important to this country’s future.’’
Karin Tomasuolo came from Northborough, Mass., to cheer on Cain. She was carrying a homemade sign that read, “Women for Cain,’’ and said she blamed the media for trying to drive the candidate from the race. “They will do anything to stop a black conservative,’’ she said.
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