Herman Cain Endorses Gingrich, Maybe Widens Romney's Lead
Our old friend Herman Cain delighted the internet — if not the Gingrich campaign — by officially endorsing Newt Gingrich in Florida Saturday night. No, I can't say for sure that Gingrich didn't appreciate the plug, but I think the NBC News story said it best.
"I hearby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for president of the United States," said Cain, who saw his own candidacy dissolve amid accusations of unwanted sexual advances.
See also: Cain, who probably ran for president to promote his own book. Or Cain, who put the Pokemon in "presidential." But it's Cain's sexual harassment allegations that may be causing the most discomfort to the Gingrich campaign, after Newt himself was revealed to be a sexual deviant. (He wanted an open marriage, which isn't really a big deal, but when you're that much of an asshole, it's completely acceptable to use your own terminology against you.)
So far, Cain's endorsement has not netted a gain for Gingrich: the most recent NBC/Marist poll has Romney up by 15 points. And Cain's support could, in fact, prove damaging, especially given Gingrich's female trouble. Turns out Romney already has a sizable advantage in that department.
There was a stark gender gap between Romney and Gingrich. Women said they preferred Romney by 47-26 percent over Gingrich.
To be fair, the recent Cain endorsement may not have had any effect on Gingrich's appeal to female voters, but it certainly can't help. At the very least, Cain's reappearance has likely given Jon Stewart something to smile about, and isn't that really what we're looking for this election season?
[Image via AP]