Robert Kaltenbach

News Editor

       Just weeks after some polls had him leading the Republican Presidential Primary, Herman Cain has officially suspended his campaign in response to allegations of sexual misconduct brought forth by several women. Though Cain vehemently denies the claims, they have done what many analysts consider to be irreparable damage to   his campaign.

    In October, news outlets reported that two women, Karen Kraushaar and Sharon Bialek, had filed sexual harassment suits against Cain in the late 1990s. At the time, Cain was working at the National Restaurant Association. Bialek said that after she lost her job working as one of Cain’s subordinates, Cain made a sexual pass at her while they were discussing her future employment options. When Bialek refused, Cain reportedly said, “You want a job, right?” Kraushaar has not yet revealed the specific details of her accusation. Politico reported that both women had previously accepted settlements from the National Restaurant Association that prohibited them from further discussing the allegations.

    Cain asserts that both accusations are totally invalid, even going so far as to say that he had never before seen Bialek. However, Bialek claims that she had recently spoken to Cain at a Tea Party rally in October, a story supported by Chicago radio talk show host Amy Jacobson, who was also at the rally.

     On November 28, another woman, Ginger White, told a Fox News affiliate that she had carried on a 13 year affair with Cain that lasted until just before the start of the primary campaign. Though Cain denies that he and White carried on a sexual relationship, he has admitted to making payments to White when she was having financial trouble. Cain stated, “She was out of work and had trouble paying her bills, and I had known her as a friend. She wasn’t the only friend who I helped out in these tough economic times, and so her messages to me were relating to ‘need money for rent’ or whatever the case may be. I don’t remember all the specifics.”

    Cain suspended his campaign on December 3 in light of rapidly declining poll numbers. With Cain out of the race, speculation has begun as to which of the remaining candidates he will endorse. Given the close relationship between Cain and Newt Gingrich, many analysts see the former House Speaker as the most likely candidate. According to the National Post, “His coveted endorsement is likely to further bolster the standing of Gingrich, who has catapulted to the top of the polls and seized the momentum in the Republican nominating race just weeks ahead of next month’s critical early election balloting in Iowa and New Hampshire.”

    In the months prior to the controversy, Cain had generated a lot of support, marking the first time that an African-American presidential candidate had been viewed as a strong contender in a GOP primary race. His “9-9-9” economic plan, in which the tax system would be restructured to include a 9% business transaction tax, a 9% personal income tax, and 9% federal sales tax, had gained momentum and appealed to many party members disillusioned with the current arrangement. Some of the remaining  candidates may adopt elements of the plan in an attempt to garner the support of voters who had been a part of Cain’s base.