Herman Cain announcement near on possible presidential bid
(CNN)– Potential GOP candidate Herman Cain has indicated that he will formally announce he will run for president at an event to be held in two weeks.
And despite many political observers dismissing him as a potential challenger, his campaign's communications director told CNN on Saturday, "We are running an operation because we are first-tier. We're serious."
In a radio interview late Friday with conservative blogger and CNN contributor Erick Erickson, Cain was coy but seemed clear about his intentions.
"We will be holding a major announcement event from me," Cain said.
"Do you think I'm going to be making a big deal out of this to announce that I'm not going to run?" he added.
Cain's campaign released a statement Friday indicating that he will hold a rally in his hometown of Atlanta on May 21 to "announce his decision regarding a potential presidential campaign."
Cain's communications director, Ellen Carmichael, said the announcement will be "a very large-scale, public event."
"It's not going to be a speech," she said, "It's going to be an experience."
In January, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza was the first Republican to officially form a presidential exploratory committee. Cain won the Tea Party live straw poll at a summit in Phoenix in February and has since courted potential supporters in the early primary and caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, among other stops around the country.
CNN's Shannon Travis contributed to this report.
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"It's going to be an experience."
Oh yeah no doubt. Good luck with that dude.
The clowniest clown in the clown car.
find a better cause to waste your money on, nomination isn't happening
Oh yeah, I remember this guy. He's the one who told the GOP crowd that "stupid people are ruining America." Classic irony.
The more I hear and read about Herman Cain the more I like him.
No credibility. No chance. What's the point?
Another Republican non-starter – never done anything before in politics, understands nothing about how our government works, and admitted he has no understanding of major issues like Afghanistan or the economy. Come on Republicans – just concede you have no one worthy to be President, save the money, and donate it to the PEOPLE who lives your policies your lives have destroyed – like maybe soldiers or widows fromy your fraudulent war in Iraq.
Herman Cain has the experience it takes to turn this country around. He has saved companies from bankruptcy, turned around failing regions, you name it. He is brilliant. Unlike some who "claim" to be conservative, he is the real deal. Check him out.
I will be at Hermain Cain's announcement rally in Atlanta. I'm sure it will be an 'event'. People like Herman Cain, and the President is not that popular.
Why don't these republicans that want no taxes and no regulations just move to Somalia instead of trying to turn the US into a mirror image.
Extra cheese and hold the anchovy !
He'll give out some good lines for the boring candidates to take from him (Pawlenty/Romney) who will beat him in the primaries, but otherwise not a factor.