Herman Cain Visits Ohio University

Cain was considered to be a Republican frontrunner in 2011, until allegations of sexual harassment and a 13-year-long extramarital affair surfaced. Cain dropped out of the race in December, but continues to travel the country with his 999 bus tour, pushing for support behind his plan for a nine percent corporate tax, a nine  percent income tax and a nine percent national sales tax.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Richard Vedder, a professor of economics at Ohio University and close friend of Cain’s, said “Herman Cain is the quintessential example of the American dream in action,” adding that with hard work, discipline and human ingenuity, he has “turned a sow’s ear into a silk purse.”

Cain gave the audience three main categories to focus on. His first message was that politicians are part of the problem.

“Washington is broken,” he said, “and it is going to hamper you in pursuing your dreams.”

“When was the last time something in Washington got fixed?” he continued.  “They just kick the can down the road; they don’t fix stuff.”

Cain maintained that America’s economy is its biggest domestic challenge. His solution to the economic spiral is his 999 plan, because it “is fair to everybody. 999 treats everyone the same.”

He also insisted that Americans are demanding a change in the tax codes, and he wants to replace it, not reform it. The current tax code is at a length of about 70,000 pages, and Cain argued that no one really knows how it works.

“Until we change the tax code, the economy is not going to fix itself,” he said. “This is your future we’re talking about.”

The second topic Cain discussed was his plan for a path to energy independence.

“Even though we have enough resources to be totally energy independent, we are energy stupid, because we won’t develop our own resources,” he said.

He stated that the reason America is not moving toward energy independence is because of the “scare tactics employed by environmentalists.”

“Here’s why our government won’t issue a permit to drill on 2,000 square miles [in Alaska]. It’s because they’re afraid they might hurt the caribou,” he said.

“You’re not going to hurt a caribou by drilling for oil,” he added. “Because the real agenda of the environmentalists is to make America more dependent on foreigners for our energy needs.”

Cain also declared his distaste for foreign oil dependency. “I don’t like the idea of being dependent upon Shieks, Shikes and Shakes for oil so that America has to beg. America’s not a begging nation.”

Cain’s third point was aimed directly at the audience.

“Be a part of the solution, and not the problem,” he said. “I want you all to make the right decisions, because stupid people are ruining America.”

He urged Ohio University students to stay involved and to turn out more informed voters in November, saying that he didn’t care who students voted for, but only wanted students to use the power they had to vote.

“We need a new revolution,” he said. “Not with bombs and bullets, but with brains and ballots.”

Cain ended with a famous quote, which he said he looked up for material when he was hosting a radio talk show. “It touched me back then, and has inspired me ever since,” he said.

But Cain assumed wrong when he thought that the song had been the closing selection for the 2000 Olympics. A reporter on the campaign trail told him these lyrics were actually from the Pokémon movie.

Cain closed with the lines, “Life can be a challenge. Life can seem impossible. It’s never easy, when there’s so much on the line. But you can make a difference. There’s a mission, just for you. Just look inside and you will find what you can do.”