How Cain's Suspension Hurts Republicans (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Herman Cain has announced he is suspending his presidential campaign and has introduced a new website to continue his ideas, according to ABC News. As a political/business consultant, I see this as an attempt to try to slowly build more support for a run in the future. I see this as more damaging to the Republicans than if he had stayed in the race.

I believe Cain leaving the presidential race is good for Republicans in the short term as they are able to divide their support between the candidates who have a better chance of beating President Barack Obama. I also can see whichever candidate Cain supports gaining stronger numbers in the polls moving forward. This will help to strengthen the Republican Party as it will move the GOP closer to having a single candidate.

At the same time, note how Cain stated his "suspension" of the campaign. He did not say he was withdrawing or quitting. When you add in the fact of his future endorsement of a candidate, it means he is definitely out for the 2012 election. It does not mean he is out forever. My guess is he is eyeing a 2016 or 2020 bid for the White House.

During the interim, he will continue to try to build up support through his website and appearances around the U.S. I can't shake the idea of how Sarah Palin already tried to draw media attention to herself as she considered a run in the 2012 election. Instead of becoming a respected media personality, she became more of a reality star who could not be taken care of seriously. If Cain becomes the next Palin, I see negative results for the Republicans.

Can the GOP afford to have Cain become a reality character like Palin did? In the long run, can the Republicans afford to have another failed candidate gain celebrity status and become a mockery of what the party stands for? By continuing to stay in the eyes of the media, Cain continues to allow the media to scrutinize him and drag his name and his family through the mud. Eventually, I can hear a pundit asking of Cain, "Is this character the best the Republicans have to offer?"

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How Scandal Brought Down Cain's Campaign (ContributorNetwork)

In a Public Policy Polling poll released on Oct. 12, Herman Cain was atop the GOP presidential primary heap, leading former Gov. Mitt Romney by 30 percent to 22 percent. Then, beginning on Halloween, his campaign was rocked by scandal. In just one month, Cain came crashing back to earth. Five women made similar claims of sexually inappropriate behavior toward them, forcing Cain to suspend his campaign for president, according to The Ticket. The following timeline outlines the scandal from beginning to inglorious end:

Oct. 31: Politico reports that two women accused Cain of "sexually suggestive behavior" while working with him in the 1990s at the National Restaurant Association. Both women received financial settlements in exchange for leaving the association. The agreements included barring the two women from disclosing anything about the accusations in the future.

Nov. 2: Cain accuses the Gov. Rick Perry campaign of "orchestrating a smear campaign" against him. A Perry spokesman denies the charge.

Nov. 3: A third woman accuses Cain of "sexual suggestive remarks and gestures" during his time as head of the NRA. She chooses to remain anonymous.

Nov. 7: Sharon Bialek publicly accuses Cain of trying to get sexual favors from her in exchange for help finding a job. Bialek said that, while sitting in a car after she asked him for help, Cain tried to put his hand in her crotch, saying, "You want a job, right?"

Nov. 8: Karen Krushaar goes public as one of the women in the initial report after her name was leaked into the public sphere. In an interview with the New York Times, she explained why she initially stayed anonymous. "When you are being sexually harassed in the workplace, you are extremely vulnerable," Krushaar said. "You do whatever you can to quickly get yourself into a job some place safe and that is what I thought I had achieved when I left."

Nov. 14: Gloria Cain defends her husband on Fox News. "I know that's not the person he is. He totally respects women."

Nov. 28: Ginger White, in an exclusive interview with the Atlanta affiliate of Fox News, claims to have carried on a 13-year affair with Cain. She further claims to have telephone records backing up her statement.

Dec. 2: Cain's poll numbers among likely Republican voters in Iowa sink back into the single digits.

Dec. 3: After a few days to "reassess" his campaign, Cain announces he is suspending his campaign for the GOP Presidential nomination.

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Herman Cain’s Secret Service Protection Marks Turning Point (ContributorNetwork)

GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain became the first political figure among eight Republicans to get Secret Service protection for next year's election. Cain's office went through normal Department of Homeland Security protocols, including consulting with members of Congress. Cain is the only person without previous political experience running for president in 2012.

Here's a look at how and why the Secret Service protects candidates for president.

Robert F. Kennedy

The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968 precipitated Congress to pass Public Law 90-331 authorizing the Secret Service to protect major presidential candidates. The organization does not determine who is a "major" candidate but instead consults with congressional leaders such as the Speaker of the House, the Senate Majority Leader and members from both political parties.

Kennedy was assassinated at the end of a campaign stop June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles. Sirhan Sirhan was an armed gunmen who met Kennedy in the crowded ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel. Kennedy was pronounced dead 26 hours after he was shot. Although he had served as Attorney General before, Kennedy didn't have the Secret Service available for campaign stops.

Over-reaching Protection

The Washington Post reports candidates are allowed by law to seek protection 120 days before a general election. Those running for president may request protection earlier if certain fundraising and polling criteria are met. The Secret Service requested $113.4 million to protect the 2012 Republican nominee, up from $4 million in 2008.

Cain's request comes six weeks from the first presidential caucus in Iowa on Jan. 3. The earliest any candidate has ever been given Secret Service protection was then-Sen. Barack Obama, who came under the watch of the agency in May 2007.

The Secret Service has been busy with a seemingly unending political election cycle. In 2008, it had to protect candidates from nearly 4 million people wishing to see them at speeches, rallies and fundraisers. The Secret Service protects four former presidents, visiting dignitaries, the president and vice president, and it organizes law enforcement agencies for the national conventions of both political parties in the summer.

Cain's status as a front-running and "major" candidate has taken an important administrative leap forward. The news of a Secret Service detail comes just days after police outside a Cain campaign stop in Florida manhandled a journalist from CBS News trying to cover the story. Three of Cain's staffers apologized for the incident when a plainclothes police officer stuck his arm out to clothesline Lindsey Boerma after pushing her into the side of Cain's campaign bus.

William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics. Born in St. Louis, Browning is active in local politics and served as a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.

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