Herman Cain Plays the Race Card

Republican front runner Herman Cain

Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain is still feeling himself. He handily beat out prophet-cum-charlatan Rick Perry in the Florida straw poll last week. Now that he's leading the pack, Herman Cain has finally dug through his bag of tricks and pulled out a race card. He's done with that 'black folks are brainwashed by the democrats' harangue, he has moved on and Rick Perry is his target.

Like me you probably noticed prior to winning the Florida straw poll, Cain got as much attention as an overweight person at an all-you-can-eat buffet but things have changed. Cain's folk have dug up some news that the Perry family camp had the word 'Niggerhead' painted on a rock outside the entrance. *crickets chirping* Is this news? Is anyone bothered or surprised by this? I, for one, am not.

The kinds of people Perry appeals to aren't offended by word the nigger and probably use it quite often to refer to our mixed race president, his family and the rest of us black folk. Cain is making a mountain out of a molehill. Rick Perry's base are the same folks who would cheer at the execution of an innocent man, boo at a soldier because he is gay and yell "pull the plug" on someone with no health insurance on life support. Why should Cain or anyone else be surprised that Perry uses such a word and that his family thinks that naming a hunting camp 'Niggerhead' is amusing. Time for Perry to parade around his handful of black friends to prove that he's not a racist in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

If only Herman Cain could find something more substantial to talk about. He wasn't bothered by Michelle Bachmann's claim that black folks were better off under slavery. He has been noticeably silent when some of the most callous and egregious things have been said at the Republican debates and has had absolutely nothing to say about them, until a day or two ago. At the time, Cain was silent.

Herman, take it from me, it's time to put your race card away and talk about the real issues facing Americans today like unemployment, lack of jobs, stagnant wages and the widening gap between rich and poor. No one cares if you think 'Hail to the Chief' needs a gospel beat.