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Herman Cain
Cain in October 2011
Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
In office 1995–1996
Preceded by	Burton A. Dole, Jr
Succeeded by	A. Drue Jennings
Deputy Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
In office 1992–1994
Preceded by	Burton A. Dole, Jr
Succeeded by	A. Drue Jennings
Personal details
Born	(1945-12-13) December 13, 1945 (age 79) Memphis, Tennessee, US
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Gloria Cain ​(m. 1968)​
Children	Melanie Cain and Vincent Cain
Residence(s)	Sandy Springs, Georgia, US
Alma mater	Morehouse College (mathematics, 1967) Purdue University (masters, computer science, 1971)
Occupation	Business executive Radio host Columnist
Website	hermancain.com
This article is part of a series about Herman Cain 2012 presidential campaign Political positions

Herman Cain (born December 13, 1945) is an American business executive, syndicated columnist, and radio host from Georgia. He is the former chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza and a former chairman (Omaha Branch board 1989–91), deputy chairman (1992–94) and chairman (1995–96) of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Before his business career he worked as a mathematician in ballistics as a civilian employee of the United States Navy. He lives in the Atlanta suburbs, where he also serves as an associate minister at Antioch Baptist Church North.

In January 2011, Cain announced he had formed an exploratory committee for a potential campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012 and on May 21 Cain officially announced his candidacy. Although Cain had not held elective office before and remained well back of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and, later, Texas Governor Rick Perry during summer polling, in mid-October 2011 Cain was leading.

Family life

Herman Cain was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Lenora Caine (née Davis), a cleaning woman, and Luther Cain, Jr., who was raised on a farm and worked as a chauffeur, barber and janitor. Cain has said that as he was growing up, his family was "poor" but "happy". Cain related that his mother taught him about her belief that "success was not a function of what you start out with materially, but what you start out with spiritually". His father worked three jobs to own his own home — something he achieved during Cain's childhood — and to see his two sons graduate.

Cain married Gloria Cain (née Etchison), of Atlanta, soon after her graduation from Morris Brown College in 1968. His wife of 43 years, she is a homemaker along with stints as a teacher and a librarian. The couple have two children and three grandchildren.

In 2006, Cain was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer in his colon and metastases to his liver and given a 30-percent chance of survival. Cain underwent surgery and chemotherapy following the diagnosis, and has since reported that he is in remission.

Disclosures filed during his campaign in 2011 categorized Cain's wealth as of that time as $2.9 to $6.6 million, with Cain's income for both 2010 and 2011 combined being $1.1 to $2.1 million.

Education and honors

Cain grew up in Georgia and graduated from Morehouse College in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics.

Accepted for graduate studies at Purdue, Cain received a Masters in computer science there in 1971, while he also worked full-time in ballistics for the U.S. Department of the Navy.

Cain received the 1996 Horatio Alger Award and has received honorary degrees from Creighton University, Johnson & Wales University, Morehouse College, University of Nebraska, New York City Technical College, Purdue University, Suffolk University, and Tougaloo College.

Career

After completing his master's degree from Purdue, Cain left the Department of the Navy and began working for The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta as a computer systems analyst. In 1977, he moved to Minneapolis to join Pillsbury, soon becoming director of business analysis in its restaurant and foods group in 1978.

At age 36, Cain was assigned in the 1980s first to analyze and ultimately to take the reins of Burger King, where he managed 400 stores in the Philadelphia area. At the time, Burger King was a Pillsbury subsidiary. Under Cain's leadership his region went, in three years, from the least profitable for Burger King to the most profitable. According to a 1987 account in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Pillsbury's then-president Win Wallin said, "He was an excellent bet. Herman always seemed to have his act together." At Burger King, Cain "established the BEAMER program, which taught our employees, mostly teenagers, how to make our patrons smile" by smiling themselves. It was a success: "Within three months of the program's initiation, the sales trend was moving steadily higher."

His successes at Burger King prompted Pillsbury to appoint him president and CEO of another subsidiary, Godfather's Pizza. Cain arrived on April 1, 1986, and told employees, "I'm Herman Cain and this ain't no April Fool's joke. We are not dead. Our objective is to prove to Pillsbury and everyone else that we will survive." Aiming to cut costs, Cain, over a 14-month period, reduced the company from 911 stores to 420. As a result of his efforts, Godfather's Pizza became profitable. In a leveraged buyout in 1988, Cain, Executive Vice-President and COO Ronald B. Gartlan and a group of investors, bought Godfather's from Pillsbury. Cain continued as CEO until 1996, when he resigned.

Later in 1996 he became CEO of the National Restaurant Association, a trade group and lobby organization for the restaurant industry, where he had previously been chairman concurrently with his role at Godfather's Pizza..

Cain became a member of the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in 1992 and served as its chairman from January 1995 to August 1996, when he resigned to become active in national politics.

Cain was on the board of directors of Aquila, Inc. from 1992 to 2008, and also served as a board member for Nabisco, Whirlpool, Reader's Digest, and AGCO, Inc.

Media work

Cain is an associate minister at Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta, which he joined at the age of 10. The church is part of the National Baptist Convention, USA.

A sometimes gospel vocalist, Cain performed on the 13-track album Sunday Morning released by Selah Sound Production & Melodic Praise Records in 1996. He also performed a widely discussed gospel-flavored parody of two John Lennon songs, "Imagine There's No Pizza", at a Godfather's company event in 1991, a video of which became popular during his 2012 campaign.

He writes a syndicated op-ed column, which is distributed by the North Star Writers Group.

Until February 2011, Cain hosted The Herman Cain Show on Atlanta talk radio station WSB, a Cox Radio property.

His notable works include:

• Leadership is Common Sense (1997)
• Speak as a Leader (1999)
• CEO of SELF (October 2001)
• They Think You're Stupid (May 2005)
• This Is Herman Cain: My Journey To The White House. Threshold Editions. October 2011. ISBN 978-1451666137.

Cain also wrote "The Intangibles of Implementation" in the technical journal Interfaces (Vol. 9, No. 5, 1979, pp. 144–147), published by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS).

Political activities

Role in the defeat of the Clinton health care plan

Cain publicly opposed the Clinton health care plan of 1993. As president-elect of the National Restaurant Association, he challenged Bill Clinton on the costs of the employer mandate contained within the bill and criticized its effect on small businesses. Bob Cohn of Newsweek described Cain as one of the primary opponents of the plan:

The Clintons would later blame "Harry and Louise", the fictional couple in the ads aired by the insurance industry, for undermining health reform. But the real saboteurs are named Herman and John. Herman Cain is the president of Godfather's Pizza and president-elect of the National Restaurant Association. An articulate entrepreneur, Cain transformed the debate when he challenged Clinton at a town meeting in Kansas City, Missouri. Cain asked the president what he was supposed to say to the workers he would have to lay off because of the cost of the "employer mandate". Clinton responded that there would be plenty of subsidies for small businessmen, but Cain persisted. "Quite honestly, your calculation is inaccurate," he told the president. "In the competitive marketplace it simply doesn't work that way."

Joshua Green of The Atlantic has called Cain's exchange with Clinton his "auspicious debut on the national political stage".

Conservative politician and former Housing Secretary Jack Kemp was so impressed with Cain's performance that he chartered a plane to Nebraska to meet Cain after the debate. Cain credits Kemp with his becoming interested in politics.

2005 - 2011 Americans for Prosperity

Starting in 2005, Cain worked for the Koch family funded Americans for Prosperity(AFP) alongside Mark Block. Block would later become campaign manager for Cain's 2012 Presidential run and would be joined in Cain's campaign by several other AFP employees. Cain continued to receive honorariums for speaking at AFP events until he announced his campaign for the Republican nomination.

2009 Hermanator's Intelligent Thinkers Movement

In 2009, Cain founded "Hermanator's Intelligent Thinkers Movement" (HITM), aimed at organizing 100,000 activists in every congressional district in the United States in support of a strong national defense, the FairTax, tax cuts, energy independence, capping government spending, and restructuring Social Security.

Political campaigns

1996 Senior Advisor to Dole/Kemp Campaign

Cain was a senior economic advisor to the Dole/Kemp presidential campaign in 1996.

2000 presidential campaign

Cain briefly ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000; he says it was more about making political statements than winning the nomination. "George W. Bush was the chosen one, he had the campaign DNA that followers look for." However, Cain went on to state, "I believe that I had a better message and I believe that I was the better messenger." After ending his own campaign, however, he endorsed Steve Forbes.

2004 U.S. Senate candidacy

In 2004, Cain ran for the U.S. Senate in Georgia and did not win in the primaries. He was pursuing the seat that came open with the retirement of Democrat Zell Miller. Cain sought the Republican nomination, facing congressmen Johnny Isakson and Mac Collins in the primary. Cain and Collins both hoped to deny Isakson a majority on primary day in order to force him into a runoff. Collins tried to paint Cain as a moderate, citing Cain's support for affirmative action programs, while Cain argued that he was a conservative, noting that he opposed the legality of abortion except when the mother's life is threatened. Cain finished second in the primary with 26.2% of the vote, ahead of Collins, who won 20.6%, but because Isakson won 53.2% of the vote, Isakson was able to avoid a runoff.

2012 presidential candidacy

In 2010, "Cain addressed more than 40 Tea Party rallies, hit all the early presidential states, and became a YouTube sensation." and on September 24, 2010, Cain announced that he was considering a run for president in 2012 on the Republican Party ticket. In December, Cain was the "surprise choice" for 2012 GOP nominee in a RedState.com reader poll. Cain announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee on January 12, 2011, and officially announced his candidacy on May 21 in Atlanta.

A popular speaker, Cain's addresses to conservative groups have been well-received, and in late September and early October 2011, Cain won straw polls in Florida, Illinois, and at the National Federation of Republican Women's Convention. "My focus groups have consistently picked Herman Cain as the most likeable candidate in the debates," says GOP pollster Frank Luntz. "Don't underestimate the power of likability, even in a Republican primary. The more likeable the candidate, the greater the electoral potential."

Cain supports a non-federally subsidized efficient economic stimulus, saying: "We could grow this economy faster if we had bolder, more direct stimulus policies," criticizing President Barack Obama's stimulus plan as simply a "spending bill" instead of meaningful stimulus through permanent tax cuts.

In July 2011 an advisor suggested that his campaign's tax policy plan be called "the Optimal Tax", but Cain rejected the name, saying "e're just going to call it what it is: 9-9-9." The plan would replace the current tax code with a 9-percent personal income tax, a 9-percent business transactions tax, and a 9-percent federal sales tax. During a debate on October 12, Cain said his plan "expands the base," arguing that "hen you expand the base, we can arrive at the lowest possible rate, which is 9-9-9.". An analysis released to Bloomberg News by the campaign claimed that the rate for each of the three taxes could in fact be as low as 7.3%, but "poverty grants" — which Cain has described as a lower rate in targeted "empowerment zones" — necessitated a national rate of 9%. Paul Krugman has criticized the plan, saying it shifts much of the current tax burden from the rich to the poor. Arthur Laffer, Lawrence Kudlow, the Club for Growth, and Congressman Paul Ryan have spoken favorably of "9-9-9".

References

1. "Mitt Romney is a Mormon and I am a Baptist: Get Over It!". Economicfreedomcoalition.com. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
2. Mark Memmot. "GOP Presidential Contender Takes Lead in Second Poll". NPR.
3. Diana Furchtgott-Roth. "Analyzing Herman Cain's 9-9-9 Tax Plan". Real Clear Markets.
4. Michael A. Memoli. "Herman Cain launches run for the White House". L.A. Times.
5. Thomas M. Hoenig, president and chief executive officer (May 26, 2011). "Herman Cain's Service as a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City" (pdf). kansascityfed.org.
6. "Picture of the Day: Herman Cain in High School and College". The Atlantic. May 20, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
7. ^ King Jr., Neil (May 9, 2011). "GOP Debate Fuels a Long Shot". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 16, 2011.
8. ^ "Tea Party Favorite Herman Cain Joins 2012 GOP Race". Foxnews.com. April 7, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
9. Mark Murray, NBC/WSJ poll: Cain now leads GOP pack MSNBC October 13, 2011
10. Cain leads nationally Public Policy Polling October 12, 2011
11. A New Gop Front-Runner: Herman Cain Leads The Field YouGov October 11, 2011
12. "Herman Cain 2012: The Story of a Self-Made Man". Ibtimes.com. May 21, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
13. politicks Org. "Cain's Parents and Grandparents". 2012.republican-candidates.org. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
14. ^ Pappas, Alex (May 19, 2011), Herman Cain: My wife will not be traditional 'campaign wife', Daily Caller
15. "Cain, Herman (1945–)". blackpast.org. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
16. "My Wife will not be a Traditional Campaign Wife". The Daily Caller.
17. "– Herman Cain's SRLC Speech – Uploaded by rightscoop". Viddler.com. April 10, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
18. Jordon, Steve (October 11, 2011). "Cain: The Godfather's years". Omaha World-Herald.
19. ^ Green, Joshua Herman Cain, the GOP Wild Card, The Atlantic
20. "Purdue University – College of Science – Herman Cain". Purdue University. Retrieved May 20, 2011. 2004 Honorary Doctoral Recipient Computer Science, M.S. 1971
21. http://civilliberty.about.com/od/profiles/p/Herman-Cain-Civil-Liberties.htm
22. "Herman Cain". Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
23. ^ Herman Cain. "Executive Profile: Herman Cain". Investing.businessweek.com. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
24. "Godfather's Pizza: This Pizza Man Delivers". Black Enterprise: 89. February 1988.
25. "The Intangibles of Implementation". Interfaces. 9 (5). Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS): 144–147. 1979.
26. Henninger, Daniel (September 29, 2011). "Taking Cain Seriously". The Wall Street Journal. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
27. "This Is Candidate Cain". National Review Online. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
28. Henninger, Daniel (September 29, 2011). "Taking Cain Seriously". The Wall Street Journal. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
29. Sickinger, Ted (August 27, 1996). "KCP&L head temporarily fills KC Fed Bank post". Kansas City Star. p. D.20.
30. "Herman Cain". Think-it-inc.com. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
31. Sickinger, Ted (August 27, 1996). "KCP&L head temporarily fills KC Fed Bank post". Kansas City Star. p. D.20.
32. Forbes.Com http://people.forbes.com/profile/herman-cain/2151. Retrieved May 28, 2011. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
33. Henninger, Daniel (September 29, 2011), Taking Cain Seriously, The Wall Street Journal
34. Brody, David (March 22, 2011). "Herman Cain's Story of God's Healing Power". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
35. "Antioch Baptist Church North : Atlanta, Georgia". USA Churches. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
36. Schwarz, Gabriella (July 11, 2011), Cain gets his gospel singing on, CNN
37. "Author Archive". North Star Writers Group.
38. "The Herman Cain Show:A podcast powered by FeedBurner". WSB Radio.
39. Cohn, Bob (September 19, 1994). "The Lost Chance". Newsweek. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
40. Green, Joshua (January 17, 2011) Watch Herman Cain Battle Bill Clinton on Health Care, The Atlantic
41. Costa, Robert. "Herman Cain's Kemp Connection". National Review. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
42. "Herman Cain’s deep ties to Koch brothers key to campaign." AP, 16 October 2011.
43. Posted by: admin. "Herman Cain". Rlc2011.com. Retrieved August 6, 2011. {{cite web}}: Text "13/01/07" ignored (help); Text "3:56 pm" ignored (help)
44. Lewis, Matt. "Herman Cain: Possible 'Dark Horse' 2012 GOP Presidential Candidate". Politics Daily. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
45. Weiner, Rachel. "Herman Cain explained". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
46. Roig-Franzia, Manuel (July 18, 2004). "Cain Makes Inroads in Ga. Senate Bid". The Washington Post.
47. "Three Republicans battling for spots in Georgia's likely Senate runoff". New.accessnorthga.com. March 27, 2004. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
48. "United States Senator". Sos.georgia.gov. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
49. Pappas, Alex (September 24, 2010), "Herman Cain, former Godfather's Pizza CEO, is contemplating 2012 run", The Daily Caller, retrieved September 24, 2010
50. Travis, Shannon (January 12, 2011) "Herman Cain talks to CNN on announcing presidential exploratory committee", CNN. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
51. Bernstein, David S. (January 12, 2011) 'Avoiding the "First Primary'?", The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
52. Tony Norman, Obama and Cain: are you hearin' the difference? Pittsburg Post-Gazette September 27, 2011
53. Scott Baker (February 12, 2011). "Did Herman Cain Give the 'Don't Miss' Speech at CPAC?". Theblaze.com. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
54. ^ "Cain upsets Perry in Florida Republican straw poll". Reuters. September 24, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
55. First Read - Cain wins another straw poll
56. Riley, Jason L. "Cain's Post-Racial Promise". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 9, 2011.
57. Citizen Cain, National Review (Jan. 14, 2011)
58. ^ John D. McKinnon, Cain Plan's Reagan-Era Roots The Wall Street Journal October 14, 2011
59. ^ Steven Sloan and Richard Rubin, Cain Reveals 9-9-9 Math With Projection of No Revenue Loss Bloomberg News October 13, 2011
60. Interview with Herman Cain Erin Burnett OutFront October 12, 2011
61. Paul Krugman, Cain Unable The New York Times blogs October 15, 2011
62. Cain the Tax-Code Killer National Review October 14, 2011
63. Seth McLaughlin, Club for Growth defends Cain's 9-9-9 tax plan Washington Times Inside Politics October 14, 2011
64. John Rossomando, Paul Ryan ‘loves’ the idea of Herman Cain’s tax plan October 13, 2011

External links

• Herman Cain, President 2012 official campaign website
• Column archives at the North Star Writers Group
• Profile at Forbes
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Watch Herman Cain Battle Bill Clinton on Health Care, Joshua Green, The Atlantic, January 2011, with Profile

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