Sexual Harrassment Controversy Impacting Cain’s Polling Numbers
There are now signs that the sexual harrassment controversy swirling around GOP Presidential hopeful Herman Cain is now negatively impacting his polling numbers with Republicans and other voters:
Allegations that Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain sexually harassed women in the 1990s have begun to damage his bid for the White House, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
The poll showed the percentage of Republicans who view Cain favorably dropped 9 percentage points, to 57 percent from 66 percent a week ago.
Among all registered voters, Cain’s favorability declined 5 percentage points, to 32 percent from 37 percent.
The survey represents the first evidence that sexual harassment claims dating from Cain’s time as head of the National Restaurant Association have taken a toll on his presidential campaign.
A majority of respondents, 53 percent, believe sexual harassment allegations against Cain are true despite his denials. Republicans were less likely to believe they are true, with 39 percent thinking they are accurate.
“The most striking thing is that Herman Cain is actually seeing a fairly substantial decline in favorability ratings toward him particularly among Republicans,” said Ipsos pollster Chris Jackson.
Cain has been running even or in some cases ahead of Republican presumptive-in-many-polls front runner former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. In recent days Cain has gone on the attack against the media, insisted he is finished talking about the issue, and been defended by conservative talk show hosts who’ve used the argument that the liberal media and Democrats are a)out to get him b)trying to bring him down c)racists. However, most informed speculation points to a Republican rival as having engineered the scandal that took him off message. Meanwhile, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has seen his polling numbers go up, fueling speculation that Gingrich would be the new Anti-Romney if Cain’s campaign truly implodes.
3 Responses to “Sexual Harrassment Controversy Impacting Cain’s Polling Numbers”
If only he had made it a 9999 plan, he could have neined this fourth allegation (to come).
How about a 9% graded tax on all dividends and for those making over $1mil or a combination of income and liquid assets of $5mi.
Well I would much rather have Herman Cain as President over Romney.
Certainly the media needs to be chastised for prolonging unjust character assassination against Herman Cain long after the accusers backed out. This affects the outcome of an election far more than any church would and a church would lose it’s tax status rights for doing exactly this. The media should not be allowed to chose our leaders for us by badgering candidates when there is nothing to badger them about.
I’m curious as to whether the falling numbers reflect the sexual harassment and assault allegations or if they reflect people noticing that he’s just not presidential material. Boasting he doesn’t know who the president is of “U-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan” and failing to realize that China is and has been a nuclear power for a great deal of time, along with a better understand of his 9 pizzas with 9 toppings for $9 tax plan might all be contributing to his poll numbers going down. Those who have firmly liked Cain up until now (as our own Allen) seem to continue to like him, dismissing the allegations as obviously untrue and accusing the purported victims of money grubbing or worse.