Cain: Alabama matters
(CNN) - With a little more than two months until the early voting season kicks off in Iowa, Herman Cain is spending precious campaign time in states that vote later in the primary calendar.
Making multiple stops in Alabama on Friday, Cain sought to justify his unorthodox campaign schedule by arguing that "Alabama matters!"
Nearly two dozen states are currently scheduled to hold their contests before the Yellowhammer State's primary, set for March 13, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Since Cain has surged in the polls in the last month, he's traveled to 14 states and Washington, D.C., in part to promote his new book on a book tour and campaign.
Meanwhile his competitors have largely focused on the first four early states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
"Even though a lot of people think you are supposed to give all of the attention to the early states–yes the early states matter–but Alabama matters because of the compression of the primary schedule," Cain said at a press conference at the state's GOP headquarters.
Adding that he was a native of Georgia, Cain said: "Y'all are my neighbors. You gotta see your neighbors. But I'm in Alabama because the people of Alabama matters. Your issues matter."
Alabama is locked in a battle with the Justice Department over a controversial illegal immigration law that would enforce the harshest immigration laws yet, requiring police to determine the immigration status of anyone they suspect to be in the country illegally.
Cain's unusual campaign strategy, however, has raised questions as to whether the former Godfather's Pizza CEO is in it for the long run or just for a publicity stunt.
But Cain sought to put those rumors to rest on Friday.
"I'm not doing it to get a TV show," Cain said. "I don't want a TV show. I don't want another book deal. I want to help save this nation."
Their strategy may soon pivot, though. On Friday, his campaign confirmed it was in the planning stages of a town hall series in early primary and caucuses states.
Others, however, have repeatedly argued that Cain's 15 minutes will soon be up, including former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who Friday labeled Cain a "flavor of the week" in an interview on CNN's "The Situation Room."
Cain is no stranger to that term. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin first made headlines hitting Cain with the phrase at the end of September, when Cain's boom in the national polls began.
But the Georgia businessman on Friday countered the "flavor of the week" zings by pointing to his still-rising front-runner status.
"For weeks later, the Cain campaign still tastes good," he said.
- CNN's Steve Brusk and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report.
Also see:
Huntsman: Romney's a 'perfectly lubricated weather vane'
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We want more Cain.
"don't speak to me unless you are spoken to"! that sounds just like a line in a movie right out of the mouth of a plantation owner in the south talking to one of the slave servents in the owners home!
Alabama matters? What is there place in the primaries, 39th?
We wouldn't want that pesky campaigning to get in the way of our book tour, now would we?
NeVer will he ge the nomination and if NeVer happens, he can't beat OB.
Cain can pull a surprise, don't under rate him or calling him the underdog.
If Cain can keep his mouth shut, he can win more votes. It actually gets difficult for him when he talks or answers a question and then flip flops. Electric Fence, negotiating with terrrorists, abortion .... the list is endless. Stay home - you will get more votes.
Btw my grandmom is in Honolulu. Doesnt Honolulu matter to you? Why dont you visit there?
No they don't. Most can't read, and they all watch Fox Noise for the propaganda. I consider them mattering one bit. Hope They, SC, MS, and AK go with TX when they secede. The average IQ of the U.S. will immediately go up 30 points. They all take more out of the system than they put in - WELFARE STATES. Dump 'em.
Alabama matters? Sure–if you want the racist vote. 🙂
"Herb" (Sarah, you scamp), your brethren have shot holes in 9-9-9. Made it 9-0-9, 9-0-0, even 6-6-6 etc.. Face it, that was your segue. What else ya' got? They'll turn on you, just like they did on Bachmann, of course they waited too long to submarine her, but they will turn.
Wow! It's amazing the amount of hate that comes from republicans.
Palin most certainly did not call him the flavor of the week after his win in Florida. She instead decried the media, such as yourself, immediately promoting a surprise rise in approval as a flavor of the week in the sense that the media grossly over reported the surprise rise. What I just wrote is not a matter of opinion. Just watch the Greta Van Susteren show in question. She explicitly stated she was not labeling him so. So Ashley are you lazy or a liar? Let us know.
Let me guess. Herman is doing it all wrong according the the 'experts.' Well good for him! He's got my vote!
he isnt serious about being president. The fact that he is leading the GOP field speaks volumes about all of them......
Somebody tell this jive turkey, that's what he really is, to shut up.
There's a lot of people there who want to buy his book, duh!
"Just SMILE! Even though I hurt, still I SMILE. You look so much better when you SMILE." LOL
CAIN IS A FAKE!
It is true; Herman Cain was on a book tour when he suddenly wandered atop of the Tea Party Republican polls. He has no national campaign staff but he does have high hopes of getting a TV deal and increasing his speaking fees, all at the expense of the U.S. Democratic process.
Sweet home Alabama ,
Redneck Riviera here we come !
If Cain wants to help "save the nation", then he should do everything he can to help re-elect President Obama. Cain is already being mocked by world leaders for the buffoon he is.
Burning up money to sell books. Uncle Ben Cain will have the teabaggers on his tail like Bachmann soon.
Mr Cain, large parts of AL (and most of the South) are still living in the past. And by the time the prrimary arrives in AL, there probably will be a nominee (hope so, since what the GOP has now is a circular firing squad) making it Obama 2012.
â–º"I'm not doing it to get a TV show," Cain said. "I don't want a TV show. I don't want another book deal. I want to help save this nation." â—„
This is "exactly" why you are running around the country using donor money – it's to promote your book and eventually get a TV show or movie – just like Palin!!
Obama 2012
Cain is wrong. Alabama doesn't matter. It is largely a backwater state with a political system based on fear, hate, lies and ignorance, all fostered by the GOBP deathcult and a population too deluded to see their party cares only for the greedy and not the needy. Alabama should be grateful each and every day for the blue states that continuously bail out Alabama from its self-destructive politics.
Cain we have had a taste of your kind of guidance in Obama. We do not need or intend to go there again. We need intelligence in the White House and Patriotism.