Herman Cain is a very likable breath of fresh air on the political scene. And, he has some good, if not fully formed, ideas. But, to my mind, he is not qualified to be President.
Unlike many others, I am not overly impressed with Cain's corporate resume. One does not have to be either the best or the brightest to advance to the top of the corporate ladder. The position of one's nose often plays a role as do other things, like the good work of subordinates and just plain luck.
I reach the conclusion that Cain is not qualified largely on the basis of the present controversy involving alleged acts of sexual harassment. Its not the alleged acts ( whatever they are); they many or may not really have taken place. Goodness knows, sexual harassment falls pretty far down on the objection-ability scale of things which Presidents have done while in office. At least one President thought nothing of receiving (dare I say) "head" in the oval office. If that wasn't a dis-qualifier, a little sexual harassment more than a decade ago shouldn't be either. (Indeed, except for those who studied at Oral Roberts University, BYU, Liberty and schools of that ilk, it would be hard to imagine that most who have gone to college were not guilty of sexual harassment or worse at some time. Or, have told an off-color joke in mixed company. Or, have complimented someone of the opposite sex on their outfit , hair, workout routine at the corporate gym, or the like.)
No, its not the foregoing which I think disqualifies Herman. Its that he clearly was not prepared for the eventuality that these activities would be found out in the course of the primary or general election campaigns. If Herman Cain (or his staff) didn't think this, at least, might happen, I don't want such myopic people running my country.
There are those who offer that, perhaps, these events took place so far in the past that Cain forgot about them. Nonsense. There are some things one never forgets. I have some personal experience which informs me in this area.
During my long career in the world of corporate law departments, I came to manage a woman who I thought did a good-enough job in the limited area to which she was assigned. But, for various reasons, I did not think her capable of advancing further in the law department and I had doubts, unproven, but well justified, about the employees honesty. I told her all of the foregoing during a performance review.
Shortly thereafter, she ran into the General Counsel in an elevator. He inquired as to why she looked so glum. She said, "Guy won't promote me." "Why do you think that is?" "Maybe because I'm black," she said.
As in routine in corporations worried about being sued, I was advised immediately that an investigation was to be conducted by the Human Resources Department. Needless to say, I was more than a little pissed. I was not concerned that I would be found to be a racist. I knew the facts. But, my honor -- the very core of who I thought I was and how I had tried to conduct myself as a human being -- was being attacked. I seethed about this investigation for two or three months until the cheerleader type from HR pranced into my office one day and told me she "good news." I was not a racist. I had been cleared. Wow! Good for me. (After a transfer to another department, the woman involved eventually was separated from the company. I heard through a very unofficial grapevine that some promotional items had been delivered by a company supplier to her house.)
As you can tell, I still remember that incident more than twenty years later. It still hurts. And, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Herman Cain remembered charges of sexual harassment, too. Its just something that cannot be forgotten easily.
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