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(Note: there’s a distinct possibility that the words of this article will result in the Left accusing me of “racism”, “bigotry”, and/or wanting to return to the Jim Crow Laws.  To paraphrase Leftist uber-icon Al Franken, I won’t dignify such accusations with a response, except to advise that they all buy a thesaurus….)

Herman Cain’s on a roll.  After an astounding win in the all-important Florida Straw Poll, his name recognition has soared—his campaign, re-energized—and his seriousness as a presidential candidate, reestablished.

Such helps explain why Cain’s suddenly getting smeared like mad by the Left (which, claims of You-Know-Who to the contrary notwithstanding, does control the slant of the “mainstream” media—as a recent study, published in book form by UCLA professor Tim Groseclose, re-confirms).

Try this accusation for size: Herman Cain—the African-American businessman, born in 1930’s Georgia, who’s therefore been every bit as “down for the struggle” as President Obama (some would say more so)—is apparently racist and bigoted…towards the black community.

I know—an asinine stretch, if ever there was.  But in its desperation (which, apparently, it doesn’t seem to feel regarding Ron Paul) the Left is seeking to destroy exactly what makes the Herminator such a threat—namely, that this classy, cool and conservative “brother” has what it takes to break up what is practically their most central voting block.  And it was Herman Cain’s reference to this simple fact which gave the Left their opening.

Here’s what happened: last Wednesday, in a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer, Cain said, “African Americans have been brainwashed into not being open-minded, not even considering a conservative point of view.”

For proof of this assertion, Cain pointed to the fact that every African-American who publicly endorses a conservative point of view is smeared by the self-appointed black leadership (Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Maxine Waters, etc.) as “Uncle Toms”, “traitors”, “house Negroes”, etc.—saying, “I have received some of that same vitriol simply because I am running for the Republican nomination as a conservative. So it’s just brainwashing and people not being open minded, pure and simple.”

Like it or not, Cain has a point.  Alan West, conservative and Tea Party icon, had to fight for a place in the Congressional Black Caucus.  Clarence Thomas was smeared left and right (more appropriately, “Left and Far Left”) with the disgracefully concocted Anita Hill scandal.  Bill Cosby—not quite a conservative, but he went against the tide, telling the black community to stop destroying itself and clean up its act—had all credibility unjustly stripped from him…and with it, his entire career.  The excuse?  Something along the lines of, “Oh, well, those people don’t care about the issues that matter to the black community.”  Sure….

Needless to say, nothing’s changed.  Shortly after Cain’s remarks, CNN asked Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher (yes, you did read his last name right) to weigh in.  Cornell, who is also black, belched out the following: “What Herman Cain said was a racist, bigoted statement and it should treated like a racist and bigoted person who makes those racist and bigoted statements.”  (Odd grammar—but, whatever….)

His line of reasoning?  “If I came on your show, Anderson, and I said all Jewish people are brainwashed, I probably wouldn’t be invited back to CNN and I assure you the condemnation would be swift and it’d be powerful and be strong.”

Indeed.  Are you Jewish, Mr. Belcher?  Because if not, your analogy breaks down.  And if you were, I wouldn’t count on your being labeled “anti-Semitic”.  Quite the opposite.

Janeane Garofalo, notorious Leftist shock-jock, has also given her $0.02 on Herman Cain.  On Keith Olbermann’s show (yes, it still exists—on Al Gore’s channel), she’s repeatedly claimed that Cain’s just a “token black man” for the GOP to point to.  She also says he has Stockholm syndrome.

Cain’s weathered such accusations before.  And his response is always the same: he’s a man willing to think for himself, and not blindly accept what Al Sharpton tells him to believe.  He has risen on his own accord, without a handout from the government—and he has triumphed.  And he wants all other Americans, regardless of color, to do the same.

If that makes him a “racist”…I’d say his point on brainwashing is well made.

(Photo: Library of Congress)