Politico reports that Herman Cain, who once appeared to be one of the stronger GOP candidates, is set to become a "campaign afterthought."
A former Godfather's Pizza CEO who became an Atlanta-based talk-radio host after leaving the business world, Cain finished fifth in Saturday's straw poll, suggesting that he lacks the grassroots or organizational support needed for a viable run.
For a while, things were looking hopeful for him: He impressed conservative activists by relentlessly attacking President Obama (not to mention, assuring them that they weren't racist), winning high-profile straw polls at the Tea Party Patriots' February convention and then again at the Conservative Values Conference in Iowa in March.
But one of the five disgruntled staffers who left the campaign told Politico that the candidate was more interested in jet-setting than in running a campaign that incorporates traditional grassroots techniques.
"He's not inquisitive. He wants to be in front of the adoring crowds, but he doesn't seem to be interested in the issues," said Zeiler, a former regional field director.
A half-dozen others — a mix of former staffers and volunteers — said that they, too, doubted Cain's campaign priorities and grasp of the issues. (He gave an incoherent response to a question about Afghanistan during a debate and then repeatedly shifted his position on Muslims and Shariah law.)
But Cain was undeterred by the straw-poll loss and plans to stay in the race: "We had four buses to bring people here," he said on CNN's State of the Union. "We spent zero on TV, zero on the radio. So this campaign is encouraged and our momentum continues to grow."
Read more at Politico.
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