Herman Cain Dominated the First GOP Debate ‎

Herman Cain emerged from the first GOP Presidential Debate as a statesman, a man of courage, and a leader who is in charge.  Herman Cain commanded the debate stage with poise, confidence, and an articulate delivery.

Herman Cain entered the debate on Thursday night as a dark horse candidate with little name recognition and virtually no chance of winning the Republican nomination for President.  Herman Cain emerged from the debate as the Republican candidate we have been waiting for.

According to Frank Luntz, Herman Cain was the landslide winner of the debate.  Only one person in Luntz’s focus group considered Cain their favorite candidate at the beginning of the debate.  It appeared almost everyone picked Herman Cain as their favorite candidate at the end of the debate.

Herman Cain has set the bar high, which is excellent so early in the 2012 Presidential political process.  Cain will bring out the best in all of the candidates.

In 2007, many of us were looking to Fred Thompson to break away from the Presidential candidate pack and to take a commanding lead.  Fred Thompson could not summon the personal energy to do that.  In this first GOP debate, Herman Cain has shown he has the energy and the drive we have been waiting for in a candidate.  Herman Cain may be the person to make an early and decisive break away from the pack.

As this debate may have had a relatively small audience, Cain may not have a rapid rise in the polls.  I predict Cain will steadily rise in popularity and recognition and will quickly be the focus of attack by both Progressive Left Democrats and Liberal Republicans.  It will be interesting to watch who attacks Cain and who supports him.

When asked during the debate about not previously holding office in Washington before, Cain gave a response that solidified his leadership in the debate, "Everyone in Washington has held public office before.  How's that working out for you?"   Herman Cain’s quick-witted response reminded me of Ronald Reagan responding to Walter F. Mondale during a 1984 debate, “I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience.”

Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and other potential GOP Presidential candidate leaders lost much by not participating in the debate.  I do not think Herman Cain won the debate because they were not present.  I think Herman Cain would have won the debate no matter who participated.