Long Time No See: Cain Returns to Iowa, Visits Urbandale

Herman Cain was back in Iowa today, in Urbandale, but he didn’t stay very long.

The Republican presidential candidate, who has been dogged by sexual harassment allegations as well as a misstep on foreign policy, made a brief appearance at the in Urbandale.

It was his first stop in Iowa since the decade-old harassment allegations surfaced.

Cain had initially planned to meet with supporters at his campaign office in Urbandale, but Cain staffers told Patch that plan was scrapped after protesters noisily disrupted activities at the campaign office this morning.

Instead, Cain met briefly with supporters inside the Machine Shed and then headed outside to film a commercial that staffers said would air soon. The candidate also stopped to sign autographs for a group of high school girls.

Cain also took several questions on the way out.

Cain deflected questions about a botched answer on Monday about his support for the U.S. role in Libya, which included along pause. He told reporters it was simply an opportunity to gather his thoughts, rather than a referendum of his ignorance on foreign policy matters as some have suggested.

Here is more coverage of Cain's visit from Lynn Campbell of Iowa Politics.

Cain defends foreign policy credentials as polls peg him as front-runner
By Lynn Campbell

URBANDALE — Former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain returned to Iowa Tuesday as the new front-runner for the Republican nomination for president.

It was his first visit here since news broke about allegations of sexual harassment against him, while he was head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. But Cain instead found himself defending his foreign policy credentials, a day after he had difficulty answering a question about Libya.

"I believe I have a good enough philosophy of foreign affairs and foreign policy based upon my over-arching philosophy of peace through strength," Cain told reporters outside the Machine Shed restaurant here. "I also know how to talk to the right people … When I am asked to make an informed judgment, I will be informed."

Cain stumbled Monday during a meeting with the editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel when he was asked whether he supported President Barack Obama's handling of the crisis in Libya. A video of the event posted on YouTube attracted 243,678 views by Tuesday evening. But Cain said attention to the matter was blown out of proportion.

"Being in a room where you're being asked question after question on different topic after different topic, I paused. And I don't understand why that pause created so much 'controversy,'" Cain said. "The Libya comment was a pause to gather my thoughts. I'm not going to back down from that. People want to make a big deal out of it."

Two opinion polls this week put Cain as the front-runner in Iowa.

A Bloomberg News poll released Tuesday showed Cain is backed by 20 percent of 503 likely Iowa caucus-goers, followed by Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul at 19 percent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 18 percent and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 17 percent. The poll was taken Nov. 10-12 has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

A poll released Monday by the Republican firm called the Polling company inc. in Washington, D.C., showed Cain leading with 20 percent, followed by Gingrich with 19 percent and Romney at 14 percent. The Nov. 11-13 poll of 501 likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Cain said Tuesday that his goal is to finish in the top three at the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses. He said the poll shows that many Iowans are still undecided about whom to support.

"I don't consider myself the front-runner because I think there's three of us that are statistically tied," Cain said. "So as long as we are in the top, we are happy at this point. We don't really get hung up over whether I'm in exactly first place by a point because statistically, we've got two or three of us that are tied."

Lynn Farrington, 41, of Webster City, on Tuesday took her daughter Michaela, 15, her son Scotty, 4, and her mother Dee Dora, 63, to see Cain and help him shoot a commercial. She said she and her husband haven't supported the same candidate since 1984, but are both supporting Cain this time around.

"In my opinion, our strongest presidents in economic downturns have been presidents who have a good, solid understanding of the economy," Farrington said. "Mr. Cain comes from an economic background and it shows. … I think that's what our country needs at this time. My husband likes him because he's an outsider. He's not a politician."

Farrington, a mother of three and former computer programmer, said she has a "real hard time" believing the sexual harassment allegations against Cain. She said one of Cain's accusers, Sharon Bialek, has been giggly. She noted that people don't giggle when something traumatic has happened to them.

"Men have a male sense of humor," Farrington said. "If you work in an environment where you work with men, eventually, one of 'em is going to offend you. But it takes a lot for me to believe that it's crossed the line from men being men, to men being jerks. I don't think Herman has crossed that line because that's not the gentleman I've seen him to be."

Pat Luhrs, 75, of Des Moines, also said allegations against Cain don't bother her. Instead, she said her support for Cain has only grown stronger.

"I like his 9-9-9 plan," Luhrs said, referring to Cain's plan to replace the current tax code with a 9 percent flat corporate income tax, a 9 percent flat personal income tax and 9 percent national sales tax. "I think he's being railroaded by the others. I don't like that. I really think a businessman is what this country needs."

But Mary and Eugene Weber of Urbandale, who identified themselves as in their 70s, are among those still undecided. The couple went to the Machine Shed hoping to learn more about Cain but didn't get the one-on-one time with him like they hoped.

"He was doing a commercial, so we really didn't have any opportunity to hear what his platform would be," Mary Weber said. "I think I'm looking for a change. I'm interested in someone who's interested in immigration, who's interested in jobs, jobs for a lot of young people, interested in the economy definitely, more those issues than I'd say the social issues."

Cain made stops Tuesday in Dubuque and Urbandale. He initially had scheduled a stop at his Urbandale headquarters. But his campaign moved the event after about 30 "Occupy Des Moines" protesters showed up there.

The Georgia businessman had also set a goal to finish in the top three at the Aug. 13 Ames Straw Poll. He placed fifth in that contest three months ago, although he drew the loudest and most enthusiastic applause during his speech in Hilton Coliseum in Ames.