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Historian Douglas Brinkley on why the affair allegations are too much of a distraction for Herman Cain’s campaign as well as the Republican Party.
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By the way this would not be the first -- that a campaign has imploded the question now.
Is whether this one has now exploded some perspective from bestselling historian Douglas Brinkley.
Doug I am so much to get in there with you do not my -- very good to see you what what do you think there's -- happens now.
Well I think king was never that serious of candidate a bit of a friend -- -- character who this he's become a pop star really.
And he's still gonna be very popular conservative circles but he needs to step down he'll probably back Newt Gingrich.
And now trying to energize the Gingrich campaign a little more one of the things Gingrich is going.
Form as we roll into December with the Iowa coming early as if if a -- -- -- in -- Rick Perry get out they probably will back Newt Gingrich remember Perry.
Wrote the or Gingrich wrote in a reduction to Perry's book fed up so there's a it's idiotic relationship between Perry Gingrich in -- so it's a good day for Newt Gingrich not.
Golf with him getting out does not -- Mitt Romney any.
You'd imagine just.
The appeal Herman -- so -- of the conservative wing of the party.
-- but he did have across the board support from a lot more on that party.
There might be no truth to any of these allegations they have piled up but what.
Cord or was the breaking point.
I think that'd be mishandling of the press with that it's better to all of come clean early with whatever these problems were win the women came forward.
On the media was you know can be a pack of hounds and they were dogging him in he started to doing which is a fatal mistake politicians make they're going to.
I'll smack depressing to place all -- kept on and kept on the -- he's kind of damaged goods at this point to this degree in the next debate.
People will be looking -- K not to hear about 999 but to see.
How we answers either sexual harassment question or about this -- -- and that's a distraction.
To the Republican Party they don't need it.
-- is energized a lot of people and I think he could be an asset for somebody like Gingrich but he'd only be doing damage to the party.
I'm you know when -- last set I'm on the shown again and one half months tomorrow and it dividend or whatever the other one of the things -- -- remembrances stating.
When I asked him why neat knowing did these harassment issues were out there when you were ahead of a restaurant association.
Why did -- that even come -- -- as something you want to get out that much is Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton went on national TV I think -- -- have to under Super Bowl game to address.
-- visited the womanizing issue that Hillary Clinton's famous have been Tammy Wynette -- stand by my man comment.
Why not that it did did was that a tactical error in that respect.
Yeah that's a rookie mistake.
Because he didn't have enough of the of the top media advisors which is why people like -- seem to be winging -- on its own.
Well he he did such a marvelous job with with -- working with companies getting them up and running -- godfathers pizza.
But -- you do have to have some professional media advice everybody's out there to -- -- down and you never want to I mean the lesson of Watergate is -- it's the cover -- never the crime not.
He mean Bill Clinton did much worse and he took off but he handled it and a different -- quickly.
With Hillary Clinton that aside in this became waited a little bit too long with all that's needed to -- put it to rest sooner.
Very hard of course famously got now dot.
Have -- he actually dared the press to follow him and they did that -- -- upon.
But there's you did this Douglas when you step back from -- I -- to know while nick for a big Republican fundraisers said.
On a paraphrasing I want to make sure get this right the gist of it was like.
-- continues poison some money.
The managers and and and and fundraisers.
Because we're where there's doubt there's no dollars and then there's a lot of doubts of -- dollars and this guy was collecting a lot of money.
Arm and is now no longer collecting at the doubts have now.
-- whatever the sensation was and that's the reality for -- do grew at a.
I do agree and it's also hard to be an outsider remember Jimmy Carter ran as an outsider -- amazingly got elected.
But he had said the democratic party's kind of an albatross around my neck Carter and ended up getting challenged abide by Ted Kennedy.
While Ross Perot we you know had cut tripped up by the media even though we had 18% in 92 is the third party it's tough felt their Romney and Gingrich from the top.
The state media advisors that have helped them month figure out the timeframe of everything they didn't implode -- mean Gingrich is surging right now -- just the right time.
-- came from 1% to -- set to and now when I don't know how Romney's going to be able to stop Gingrich is -- but it might -- one of the debates or some new.
Consolidation if you saw me a lot of things over the years are on its hesitant greatest -- yourself.
These are fading and passing moment selected products snapshot that quickly fades.
But they've all had a turn to -- I think in our may be minus impairment of Mexico governor Johnson but everyone else -- But but the results they did -- their fifteen minutes is up or it could be that Newt Gingrich is approaching that because they're gonna raise the same.
Person which -- with them I know a lot of people.
In our business -- seem to know about this I still think Doug but a lot of people outside the general public do not.
And I think that did that's gonna be another -- -- moment so what happens where Republicans going.
But right now -- -- god is the front runner no matter what the polls say.
He's just has such an incredible organization around them but he's gonna have to really do well in Iowa New Hampshire.
Gingrich has going -- South Carolina.
End of the fact that he's going at the conservatives feel it's their time a lot of moderate Republicans.
While went with McCain -- -- want McCain last time men and they they they stuck with them.
There's all these conservatives who can't cancel each other -- I mean and that's why are we don't Romney is up his game and I -- because it Tuesday's.
There'll competing would -- sort of -- an entire area.
Paul -- has our kids as we deliver when this.
I think so and end but -- but the what I'm suggesting is -- giving out early if he does organizer love to see.
It's -- that will help Gingrich I mean it's going to those Cain supporters won't go Romney.
And so in a way Gingrich is starting to attract a little bit I think Michelle Bachmann in the end we'll stick with Mitt Romney.
And now Romney is the national Republican candidate right now but.
On -- running in insurgents campaign in he's got straight from the south than we don't know how Mormon isms gonna play -- Gingrich is in in Rick -- -- done a great job of organizing evangelicals.
In the south from the southern primaries gonna -- a lot.
You know I'm.
