Herman Cain gave mixed signals Friday about whether he would stay in the race for the Republican presidential nomination following allegations that he engaged in a 13-year extramarital affair.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Rock Hill, S.C., the McDonough businessman said he would attend the grand opening of his Georgia headquarters in northeast Atlanta today and make an announcement about his campaign’s next steps. Cain said he was reassessing his campaign because “my wife and my family come first.” He also said he was looking at his campaign’s flow of financial contributions following allegations of the affair, ostensibly to see if the support is there to continue.
Quoting unnamed sources, The Washington Post reported on its website Friday that Cain had invited his top supporters and donors to Atlanta today for a meeting in which he will give them advance word of his decision. The Post said one of those sources said he believes Cain is likely to announce he is dropping out of the race.
But in a sign that he was pressing forward, Cain launched a “Women for Cain” campaign on his website this week, promoting the support he is getting from female voters. He also sent out an email soliciting donations from his supporters Friday.
“I don’t doubt the support that I have. Just look at the people who are here,” he said of the many fans who had gathered to see him in South Carolina on Friday. “We have to look at what happens to contributions. We have to re-evaluate the whole strategy.”
Cain has strenuously denied the allegations from Ginger White, calling her a “troubled” woman whom he helped financially over the past few years. But Cain has also said he would consult with his wife, Gloria, this weekend before making a decision about whether to continue his campaign. Cain has also been denying sexual harassment allegations that several women brought against him when he headed the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.
Cain has been sliding in the polls since the harassment allegations surfaced last month. For example, his support among Iowans likely to vote in their Republican caucuses next month has dropped from 23 percent in late October to 8 percent this week, according to a new survey conducted between Sunday and Wednesday for The Des Moines Register.
On Friday, his campaign website described his “Women for Cain” effort as “an online national fellowship” of women seeking to help elect him.
Cain’s wife, Gloria, who has largely remained out of the public eye during the campaign, is serving as the national chairwoman of the effort. The website calls Gloria a “very special woman who Mr. Cain devoted his life to many years ago,” and it mentions the McDonough couple celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary this year.
It also describes Herman Cain as a “strong advocate for women” and includes posts from many of his female supporters, some of whom criticize the women who have accused him of sexual indiscretions.
“I do not believe a single one of the ‘women’ who have accused you,” says a posting attributed to Karla Heidt of Queen City, Texas. “I believe you to be a God-fearing man who loves his wife and children. Don’t let Satan and his demons win.”
Also on Friday, Cain’s campaign emailed supporters, asking them to consider donating to his campaign.
“As I assess the future of my campaign, I need to gauge the support of the people of this great nation,” Cain said in the email. “In short, I need to know that you are behind me 100 percent. In today’s political environment, the only way we can gauge true support is by the willingness of our supporters to invest in this effort.”
His campaign staff was also busy Friday preparing for today’s opening of his Georgia campaign headquarters on DeKalb Technology Parkway.
“I am at Walmart right now picking up a couple of things that we need for the grand opening, and I am on my way over there to finish getting the office set up,” said Rachel Little, a co-state director for Cain’s Georgia campaign.
Several of Cain’s campaign donors said this week they hope he will stay in the race, though they worry about his chances of winning now under the weight of allegations.
Steven Dyke, an airline machinist from McDonough, is among Cain’s donors who want him to stay in the race. He said he doesn’t believe White is being honest and doesn’t believe the sexual harassment allegations that four other women have lodged against Cain.
“I wish he would stay in and I wish people would stick with him, but things are looking kind of dismal,” said Dyke, who has donated $225 to Cain’s campaign. “As an optimist I would like to say, ‘Stay in.’ I don’t believe he did anything wrong. However, with the media attention to it, a lot of people won’t give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Dyke said he would still vote for Cain, partly because he is not a politician and appears “honest and straightforward.” Dyke said he could understand if Cain decides to drop out of the race to protect his family from further scrutiny.
“That is the most brutal thing about running for president, is all the character assassinations that are going to happen to you,” Dyke said. “It could possibly ruin your family life and ruin any kind of personal life you have. Your privacy just disappears.”
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