As the scandal swirls around Herman Cain,Victor Davis Hanson comes to Cain’s defense in The National Review.  Yes, in terms of what we know (or what I know at this writing), Cain seems guilty only of being a borish lout.*   And  yes, Clinton got away with work place sexual harassment (probably because Monica didn’t complain).

It is not likely that the Democrats are behind the scandal.  I do not know how Gloria Allred and Sharon Bialek got together, but it is certainly possible (likely in my book) that Ms. Bialek sought her ought and politics is not at issue.   Beyond that, most Democrats would be gleeful to see Cain get the Republican nomination.

Mr Hanson writes:

Cain also wins greater scrutiny, not exemption, because he is black — or at least a certain sort of black. In addition to his conservatism, his voice, bearing, grammar, and diction, even his showy black cowboy hat, bother liberals in much the same way that Joe Frazier was not Muhammad Ali and Clarence Thomas was not Anita Hill.

Mr. Hanson, Cain’s conservatism, his marketing approach to policy (9,9,9), and his disdain for foreign policy ( Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan) are more than enough for us to not like Herman Cain.  His color has nothing to do with it.

Hat tip:  Kevin Drum

Update:  ABL at Angry Black Lady Chronicles does the work to take down Mr. Hanson’s defense of Cain much more thoroughly than my laziness allowed above.

*Though we do not have any details of the complaints about him when he was head of the Restaurant Association.

Or something like that.

Obama reminds me of Clinton.  I remember thinking that Clinton would be a liberal Reagan in that he, too, could be a “great communicator.”  I thought that because he seemed to communicate with the public so well as a candidate.  But once he was in office, he stopped.  And the Republicans controlled the message.   Soon Clinton was declaring the era of big government over.

Obama seemed to be able to communicate as a candidate and seems to not be able to do so as a President.  The Republicans control the message and Obama is trying hard to sound more centric in the State of the Union address.

It is interesting that when polled about specific elements that make up (one of?) the health care reform bill, the majority of Americans are in favor of almost all of them.   http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/upload/8042-T.pdf

In other words, if people understood what was in the legislation, there would be a lot more support.

I found the poll from a link on Jonathan Chait’s blog at The New Republic.

If only Obama could communicate.