Stupid People are Ruining America: Cain Speaks on Campus

BY JOHN PERRINO

The GW College Republicans and Young American’s Foundation co-hosted “A Conversation with Herman Cain” Monday evening in a packed 1957 E Street lecture hall.

The 2012 candidate for the Republican presidential nomination entered the room to a standing ovation and addressed an audience packed with both conservative and liberal students.

“Thank you for that warm welcome. Somebody told me I was going to get booed,” he said as he arrived.

Cain’s fiery vernacular language and straight forward personality were on display as he opened with a story about his upbringing and life in business before entering politics.

“Stupid people are ruining America,” Cain said. “Stay informed. Stay involved. Stay inspired. Do what you can do.”

When asked what he would do about the current Republican divide, Cain responded, “Fire all of them.”

Much of the speech focused on the topic of leadership. “Great leaders are born…leading is war and it is hell too…w-a-r,” Cain said. His much repeated mantra was, “Ask the right questions.”

He addressed the hot topic of the American health care system saying, “You don’t blow up the building to fix the leak in the roof.”

Speaking about the Affordable Care Act, Cain said, “They may not call it socialized medicine, but that’s exactly what it is.”

Cain drew some of his largest applause when talking about his 9-9-9 strategy, which brought him much initial success in the 2012 Republican primary.

He briefly remarked on the accusations of sexual harassment that he received during the 2012 Republican primary. He claimed they were false and orchestrated by opponents who began to view him as a formidable opponent.

Cain accused the media of not giving all the facts and said that the reason he started his current radio show, “The Herman Cain Show,” was to correctly inform people.

In closing, Cain told the audience that, “Nobody is a Republican or Democrat, we are all Americans first.”