The Fast Fix: GOP contender Herman Cain on the rise

2012 hopeful and former Godfather pizza CEO Herman Cain is the hottest thing in Republican presidential politics


Herman Cain is the hottest thing in Republican presidential politics these days.


Cain, a businessman who served as the CEO of Godfather's pizza chain, has been winning over converts with his fiery rhetorical flourishes and non-political background.

He was widely judged to have emerged as the winner from last month's presidential debate, which included, among others, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty. And a new Gallup poll showed Cain receiving a surprisingly strong eight percent support, putting him ahead of nationally-known candidates like Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann.


And, he was the most searched-for GOP candidate on Yahoo! in the last month by far, overtaking Ron Paul from the previous month.

While Cain is opening lots of Republican eyes, he's not exactly new to politics.

In 1994, he became a conservative hero when he confronted then President Bill Clinton at a nationally televised health care town hall in Omaha, Nebraska. Ten years later, Cain ran in a Senate primary in Georgia against a Republican Congressman who enjoyed the backing of the political establishment. He won just 26 percent of the vote.

So can Cain keep it up? He is the most charismatic candidate in the field -- he calls himself he Herminator -- and is a favorite of the tea party movement.

But, he's still little known by Republican voters nationally and could struggle to stay financially competitive with people like former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty.

Cain is rising at the moment. But he'll need a top three finish in Iowa's caucuses next year to be truly taken seriously.

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