Cain Makes Economic Pitch To Voters

Herman Cain said on Thursday that he’s not a politician, but a problem-solver.

Cain spoke to a crowd of more than 100 supporters at in Lexington, explaining his new economic development plan and then answering questions on everything from national security to gay marriage to his health history.

On the economy, Cain said he would push for a flat 9 percent tax for businesses, individuals and sales tax. He also said that the private sector, not the government, created job growth, and touched on a hot topic in South Carolina.

“It is not the government’s business where Boeing builds a plant,” said Cain, referring to a fight between the huge corporation at the National Labor Relations Board over a Charleston plant.

Cain insisted that he still a serious competitor for the Republican nomination, despite his fifth-place finish during the Iowa Straw Poll and his relative lack of campaign money as compared to fellow Republicans, including Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. Michele Bachmann, who was also in the Midlands on Thursday.

His lack of political experience also didn’t concern him.

“All of the people I’m running against and all of the people in Washington, D.C., have held political office,” Cain said. “How’s that working out for you? … People all over this country are ready for a problem solver in the White House and not another politician.”

During the town hall portion of the event, Cain fielded questions from the crowd and provided specific answers to almost all of them.

Cain said he would reinstate the space shuttle program and listen to his military advisors about America’s war strategy if elected president. He also said he was pro-life in all circumstances and against gay marriage.

He said he hoped for a full repeal of Obamacare and when asked about his cancer battle, he said he would have died if the health care reform act had been in effect five years ago. Because he was able to choose his own doctors and see them right away, he said, he beat the odds and became a cancer survivor.

(See @SpringValyPatch for a tweet-by-tweet look at Cain's answers.)

The crowd in Lexington received Cain warmly and many stayed to take pictures and sign up to support him after the event.

“Everything [Cain] talked about was wonderful,” LaDorne Ann Borrego of Columbia said. “We need to get away from these career politicians. …. He may not know all of the little ins and outs but that’s okay. He will learn the ins and outs when he gets up [to Washington] and he gets them to do what the right thing is.”

Judi Trentham of Lexington agreed.

“He’s refreshing and straightforward and he’s not a politician,” Trentham said. “He’ll get there but in a cleaner and fresher sense of the word. … He didn’t leave out much. We need him desperately.”

Emory Roberts, a young man from Columbia, was pleased with Cain’s stance on the space shuttle program.

“The space exploration issue is very important to me,” Roberts said. “I believe deeply that American should remain the leader in space exploration.”

Based solely on the support of the Lexington crowd, Cain's odds of earning the Republican nomination wouldn't seem as slim as many predict.

“He doesn’t owe political favors and he’s up there to do what we need right now,” Mellie Torre of Columbia said.

“I believe in the fair tax and that seems to be one of his major goals: getting the country back economically. … If he can get that going for us then that’s the way we’ll succeed.”