Herman Cain, Fred Thompson, Mike Reagan, Ted Nugent, Chuck Norris, Sarah Palin all lining up on the side of Newt against the machine….
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Herman Cain endorsed Newt Gingrich for president here on Saturday, injecting some energy into the campaign with two days to go until Florida’s primary.
The former presidential candidate and pizza executive called Gingrich the right person to address the “crisis of leadership in the White House.” “I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for president of the United States,” Cain told the cheering crowd here. “Speaker Gingrich is a patriot. Speaker Gingrich is not afraid of bold ideas,” he said.
“And I also know that Speaker Gingrich is running for president and going through this sausage-grinder — I know what this sausage-grinder is all about. I know he is going through this sausage-grinder because he cares about the future of the United States of America.”
Gingrich thanked Cain and said he’d be a part of a commission on “jobs, economic growth and taxes” should Gingrich become president. He promised that Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan would be part of the national conversation.
Cain’s endorsement may not provide a major bounce for the former speaker. But it could infuse some energy into a campaign that’s now trailing Romney in Florida polls after a lackluster debate performance and scathing attack ads against Gingrich by Romney and his super PAC.
Since abandoning his own bid for the Republican nomination – dogged by allegations of misconduct with women dating back to his tenure at the helm of the National Restaurant Association – Cain is still trying to influence the race.
On the day in December that he dropped out of the race, he announced the launch of a website to show “the people are still in charge of this country” that would promote his tax plan and other issues he trumpeted during his presidential bid.
Cain had suggested that he would not endorse a presidential candidate, instead offering up an “unconventional endorsement” of “the people” who will decide the race.
At a keynote speech of the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, Cain said his endorsement was “not a candidate seeking the nomination, not someone that’s running.”
“One of the comments that I got most often after I ended my quest for the position of president — ‘Mr. Cain, please keep 9-9-9 alive,’” he said. “We will, with the 9-9-9 revolution.”
Most recently, Cain’s failed campaign bid became a cause for Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert, who explored a presidential bid as a way to lampoon the political process.
The two appeared at a Charleston, S.C. rally — billed as the “Rock Me Like a Herman Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally” — together standing in front of a “Vote Cain” banner, and Colbert called for the state’s voters to support Cain.
“Herman Cain is an outsider. In fact, he is such an outsider he’s not even running for president anymore,” Colbert said.
While Cain is determined to play a role in the political process, he’s also a favorite media pundit, appearing on all the major cable networks and giving interviews to a number of print publications. (read more)