Washington (CNN) – Herman Cain said Sunday he was joking when he wrote a 2006 column endorsing Tiger Woods for president in 2016.
"That was a joke, okay? Tiger - I - that was a joke," the presidential hopeful said. "Americans got to learn how to have a sense of humor, okay?"
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The column, which ran on a conservative website run by Cain, reads like a serious argument for the once highly esteemed golfer.
"Tiger will be 40 years old in 2016," Cain wrote. "The Republican Party should begin grooming him now for a run at the White House. His personal attributes and accomplishments on the golf course point to a candidate who will be a problem solver, not a politician."
In the column - written years before Woods became mired in scandal over extra-marital affairs - Cain went on to write that Republicans need an outsider as its future presidential nominee.
"Tiger Woods could be an inspiring figure for the country, the likes of which we have not seen since Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ronald Reagan," Cain wrote, adding that the 2016 candidate should not come from inside the beltway, but "from inside the fairway, for all of us."
But Cain, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, said Sunday he was not being serious when he wrote the op-ed.
"Yeah I can be pretty serious," Cain said to reporters in Washington after an appearance on NBC News. "But also there are some things that, you know, you just kind of take tongue and cheek, and you don't make a big deal of it. Alright?"
– CNN's Laura Koran contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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Cain, your excuse that this and that is a joke is truly not funny. What is going on in America is no joking matter. If you want to joke, try your act at a comedy club, which I doubt the audience would not find too funny either.
joke of the week
Why not? He has all the qualifications of the normal presidential candidate. Money and Ego – check. Inability to remain faithful to wife – check. Ability to apologize for mistakes in a heart-felt way – check. IQ above 23 – check. Pulse – check.
He's the man!
When he wrote it he was just as serious as he is now. Jokes don't take five years "get". His point then is his same point now, you find someone that is popular and then you tell them how to govern. He might fool the TP but then that is really easy. You just tell them what they want to hear and they never look any deeper into it. Simple is as simple does.
The joke is Cain.
I told that this guy is delusional a while back. He is a joke himself, as well as a token. Clarence Thomas 2.0.
"Americans got to learn how to have a sense of humor, okay?"
And Cain needs to learn how to properly speak English. "Americans got to..."? If you want to be President, I need to know you aren't a fool like Bush. Because only the rich ended up better, while the rest of the planet ended up worse. So please Mr. Cain, speak properly and intelligently.
Does anybody know where I can bet that this imbecile will not be president? I think I'll bet everything I have.
When are the real candidates on republican side going to surface? If this is the best you can do, why bother showing up?
It seems like Mr. Cain is not serious about a lot of things. He was also joking about building a 20 ft. electric fence along the border with Mexico. Now it seems that Sheriff Joe Arpaio (along with Donald Trump and Jim Thune) is a required pit-stop along the road to the Republican nomination. Mr. Cain will probably walk-back his walking-back when he has his date with the Sheriff.
Tiger Woods would get my vote....no joke. Obama is the joke. Sad.
I meant to say Jim Demint in that last post, I accidentally meshed Jim Demint and John Thune into one person.
Scary that GOP/Tea Party zealots trust this man to answer the presidential hot line phone at 3 am.
Just like it was a joke to put a fence that could maybe kill illegals right? That is not funny for Mexicans/Hispanics.. if u think that you have a chance in getting our vote, think again! We stand behind president Obama! Hispanics for Obama!!
A tad of sarcasm and a bit humor can easily be taken seriously by minds that can barely grasp the difference in quality between a campaign of ideals and a badly floundering presidency.
Tiger Woods for President. electrified fence along the border? Cain, you're no comedian.
Cain is a fraud. He is neither a Republican or Democrat. He is in it for the money.
He knows he can't win the presidency, but He couldn't care less. The first thing he did after he won
the Straw Poll in FL, is signing self-promoting and self-centered book at Barne&Nobles. He is the male version of Sarah Palin. Winning the straw poll is like winning a Cash 4 lottery ticket for him. he plays the emotions of the clueless republican crowd for money. If he wins the Republican nomination, he becomes even richer manifold.
Americans have a sense of humor Herman. They are laughing at you right now.
"Americans got to learn how to have a sense of humor, okay?"
Nice grammar.
So if it was a joke, what's the punch line?
Cain's "success" at Godfathers Pizza is also a joke. He took over management of the #5 pizza chain in the US, bought it from Pilsbury (at their loss) with Wall Street Investor money and performed an amazing turnaround where it is currently the #11 chain. In 25 years # of stores have declined by 25%. Imagine what he could do in charge of a complex economy.
It is funny that what he wrote doesn't Read like a joke! Jokes have a punchline & are Funny! People laugh & wont have to be told:"It's a joke!" Perhaps he's running for court jester! Now that would be funny!!
OMG... THe ticket has now 2 jokes from Cain. This guy has foot in mouth disease. He's a disaster for the Republicans and they are now running scared since Obama will wipe the floor with him.
sure, of course that's a joke.
thing is, most people aren't in a mood for joking. I guess it's easy enough to have a sense of humor when you're rich and comfortable, but do us a favor and save the comedy, including your 9-9-9 snake oil pitch.
Well hell I'd vote for Tiger before I'd vote for Cain and you want to know what my chances of not voting for Tiger are? About 99%, so that would put my chances of not voting for Cain at about 100%. And can I just say that he makes the stupidest jokes. First about the border fence and now this? If he is going to make jokes he should at least make them funny.