I'm not sure where the reminder came from, but somehow I remembered that Herman Cain had written a piece correctly lambasting American Socialism as "gutless", and that I had covered it here. I ran a little search of the blog, and sure enough, I found it, though the link to his article is better found here. Five and a half years ago, we actually had some good insight into the thinking of Herman Cain. I reread his article, and found the following points useful in election-time decision-making:

Regarding what he regards as "gutless socialism":

* Congressional liberals lack the guts to tell the public their true intentions.
* Enactment of the Sixteenth Amendment
* The Socialist Security system
* Automatic withholding of taxes
* Liberals in state legislatures are attacking capitalism through overt assaults on our free-market system
* Executives have been called to Congress to justify their companies’ profits
* The use of rhetoric that attempts to disguise their socialistic ideology

Regarding his thoughts on solutions:

National security is and must remain our top national priority. But replacing the income tax code, restructuring Social Security, restraining government spending and increasing economic literacy among the public must also be top priorities to end the march toward socialism.

Sounds good to me.

On the negative side, Cain does seem to have some excess love for big business. That's what makes him a Republican, of course. The question is whether he is more of a loyal Republican or more of a Federalist Tea-partier (as he is being portrayed). He certainly does have the proper appeal of a man who has not been corrupted by the system. That has both advantages and disadvantages, of course. The obvious disadvantage is the lack of any sort of voting record to go on, forcing us to go exclusively by his words and associations. The obvious advantage is that he has no experience with doing the wrong things or caving to liberal threats. He hasn't been tested in this area yet, but those who have are failing dismally. Time to try something different. The question remains whether Herman Cain (or any other Republican or Democrat) is the answer.

This leaves us with very little to go on save for things he has written (peruse this stuff for a pretty extensive look into his mind) and positions outlined on his campaign site. Here are some points from the latter:

On National Security

The primary duty of the President of the United States is to protect our people. In fact, it is the principal duty of a limited federal government. They must ensure that our military and all of our security agencies are strong and capable.

This is a good position, and his other words on the subject are just as strong.

On Government Spending

Though it might not be politically popular to modernize and eliminate some of our entitlement programs, responsible leaders should be willing to do it all the same. They must be prepared to make tough choices and learn to simply say "no." This can only happen when our elected officials stop being politicians and start being leaders. Simply put: there is no “Department of Happy” in Washington, D.C.

Not bad here, but he could and should go further.

On Illegal Aliens

We must secure our borders, enforce our laws and promote the existing path to citizenship. Protecting our nation’s sovereignty should be a paramount concern of those elected to lead us, not an afterthought or a reaction once the problem becomes even worse. Further, taking a stand on the issue does not mean one lacks compassion, but instead, that one respects the rule of law and the importance of not becoming a lawless nation.

Very strong, indeed.

On Energy

Subsidies on agricultural products, like ethanol-producing corn, have become a mechanism for the government to pick and choose industries it favors, while doing little to enhance our ability to harness real alternative energy resources. Instead, we must allow all forms of energy the ability to develop in a free market system.

Alternative energy sources, such as wind, solar, nuclear and hydroelectric are certainly part of the solution long term, but private industry must take the lead for true innovation to be a bigger part of our future energy needs. If alternative energy sources are found to be inexpensive, safe and plentiful, then American consumers will choose to purchase them. Let the markets decide which forms of energy fuel our cars, heat our homes and which ones will keep America working.

In an earlier set of thoughts on Mr. Cain, I mentioned that he was likely to have some government involvement in whatever alternative to the status quo he would support. If this campaign site is to be believed, this may not be the case. These words are very refreshing if he means them.

On the Economy

Currently, the federal government taxes too much and too often. Meaningful tax reform should be implemented immediately to alleviate that suffocating tax burden placed on businesses and individuals in America. This means across-the-board tax cuts to provide long-term relief, including reducing the capital gains tax, suspending taxes on repatriated profits and permanently eliminating the death tax.

This falls WAY short of what he said in the "Gutless Socialism" piece, and though it's a step in the right direction, this in no way goes far enough. I do wonder what Mr. Cain would think of the idea of a tax paid by the states on behalf of the people, as I have often suggested (not on blog - maybe a post sometime soon), based upon suggestions in the New Federalist Platform found at reagan2020.org.

On Health Care

The majority of Americans agree: it's time to repeal and replace Obamacare with patient-centered, free market reforms. It's time to institute legitimate tort reforms that let doctors practice medicine without fear of frivolous lawsuits. Loser pay laws would be a great start! That is, require those who lose frivolous lawsuits to pay the legal expenses of those found not guilty. Additionally, loosening the restrictions on Health Savings Accounts would help to empower Americans to save and invest their own money to expand their options for health care.

Or just get the government out of the health care business altogether. Again, while Cain is offering a move in the right direction, he again falls short of what could and should be done.

On Entitlements

The federal government has imposed expensive and often counter-productive social and welfare programs on the states and the people. It is time to admit the mistakes, and get the federal government out of the way. This will allow states, cities, churches, charities and businesses to offer a helping hand instead of a handout where they live. People closest to the problems are the best ones to solve the problems effectively.

Yup. These programs, like Oblahmacare, also happen to be ILLEGAL. It would be nice to see someone who swears he is "crazy about the Constitution" actually bring this important fact to the fore. What Cain wants to do here is excellent, but he leaves out one of the most important and persuasive reasons for doing it.

On Regulation

Eliminating the burdens of cumbersome federal regulations would provide an immediate boost for our weakened economy. It would signal to businesses and investors that the federal government intends to get out of the business of over regulating. Where regulations are required the states will do their job. Consumers and investors do not need nanny-state federal regulations to save them from themselves.

These regulations also happen to be illegal, and he should drive that point home. "The states will do their job" - THAT is what Federalism is all about!

On Education

A critical component of improving education in our country is to decentralize the federal government's control over it. Children are best served when the teachers, parents and principals are making the day-to-day decisions, coupled with the leadership of local municipalities, school boards and states. What might work for a third grader in Oklahoma might not work for a third grader in Hawaii.

The federal government had no business getting involved in the first place. Again, federal education programs are ILLEGAL. Yet again, Cain fails to make this important point when putting forth a good idea.

On Faith

Our Founding Fathers recognized a higher power in the formation of this nation when they said in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and that they are “endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.”

'Nuff said.

In reviewing the stuff I showed here, it's easy to want to jump on the Herman Cain bandwagon. His status with me has improved considerably, but I will want to read more of his work and scrutinize it more closely before making that call. Remember that people who aspire to high office are quickly and easily corrupted. Choosing a candidate is serious business, especially with what can and should be an automatic win for conservatives this time around. If the Republicans continue to pass over conservatives as they have been doing of late in White House elections, we may be looking unnecessarily at four more years of Oblahma. Get conservatives with a backbone throughout Washington, DC, and America actually has a chance.

Is Herman Cain conservative enough to be considered a Federalist? That is up to those who believe and vote according to that platform. Just make sure you do the legwork. Four more years of Oblahma (or a liberal Republican), and we may be looking at an armed rebellion.

RWR