Herman Cain’s denial of Ginger White’s allegations that the pair were engaged in an extramarital affair for over a decade, according to CNN:
“In a statement to WAGA, Cain attorney Lin Wood said reporters had no business asking about the allegation.
“This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace — this is not an accusation of an assault — which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate,” he said. “Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults — a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public.
“No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life,” Wood said. “The public’s right to know and the media’s right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one’s bedroom door.”
He did not address White’s assertion directly, and said Cain “has no obligation to discuss these types of accusations publicly with the media.
“Some things are fair game, and some aren’t,” Wood told CNN in a telephone interview, adding that this was one that was off-limits. “You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.”“
First of all, this smacks of either arrogance or stupidity on the part of Herman Cain. With a third woman coming public with allegations of improper behavior on the part of Cain, it seems hard to deny that he was doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing.
And this “private sexual life” stuff is alarmingly far from a denial. It sounds like he’s saying “I did it but it shouldn’t be a big deal.”
This is not 1961, and Cain is no Kennedy. He should have heeded the lessons of the Clinton scandals – Bill Clinton, chief executive during our nation’s last budget surplus, would be inevitably ranked higher as a President by historians (and the public) without LewinskyGate and an impeachment for perjury hanging like a dead seagull around the neck of his legacy.
Also, in our modern era of omnipresent digital media, social networking, and 24/7 breaking news, did Herman Cain really think he could get away with a past marred with sexual indiscretion? Did he think the women would not see him on television and, incensed, come forth? Did he think they wouldn’t dare do that, or did he just not think at all?
If Cain is indeed guilty of the allegations against him, he should not be in office. Regardless of guilt, his current behavior and non-denials speak volumes about his personality and level of judgment. He seems to be out-of-touch with current realities and expectations for political candidates, and harping at the media only makes him look angry and niave.
Herman, do the honorable thing and bow out of the race. Leave the media to focus on Newt Gingrich, the other pinnacle of ’90s-era inappropriate personal behavior.
