His Name is Cain...

And he knows black people.

Goldman: Before you announced your campaign, you said that the liberal establishment is scared that “a real black man might run against Barack Obama.” Are you suggesting Obama isn’t really black?

Cain: A real black man is not timid about making the right decisions, that’s what I meant. Look, I’m not getting into this whole thing about President Obama. It is documented that his mother was white and his father was from Africa. If he wants to call himself black, fine. If he wants to call himself African-American, fine. I’m not going down this color road.

Goldman: But you’re saying he’s not really a black man.

Cain: Not in terms of a strong black man that I’m identifying with. I identify with a strong black man like Martin Luther King Jr., or my dad, Luther Cain Jr., who didn’t have a lot of formal education, but he had a Ph.D. in common sense.

For more, look here.

First of all, Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. got B.A. in sociology from Morehouse College (the Alma mater of both Herman Cain and myself) and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University. So the comparison to his dad seems incredibly awkward and misplaced. I'm not quite sure if he understands the difference between a Doctorate in Philosophy and whatever he's claiming of his father. It's just weird.

But that's not what I want to talk about.

I have a reasonably close member of my extended family who is conservative. It makes Thankgiving dinners quite interesting. Every time the conversation turns to politics (which seldom happens for obvious reasons) there is absolutely nothing on which we can agree. He's against women's rights, against gay rights, against Medicare for all, pro-corporation, anti-regulation, and against affirmative action (Which, I guarantee you, is the only reason he got his last job.). He has spent a lifetime promoting at the top of his lungs beliefs that I spend my life opposing at the top of mine. And he's 20 years older than me, so he's got a head start.

However, with all that, he's my family. He's a decent person who makes mistakes(!) and is trying to figure out this world just like the rest of us. He and his wife maintain a wonderful home and raise their children as well as they know how. He's a very loyal, charming, thoughtful, and assertive individual. I wouldn't categorize him as anything less that a upstanding and respectable guy. And no matter how energetic the political discussion may grow, I would never employ such a personal attack as what Herman Cain unleashed today.

Cain has political differences with Barack Obama. But Obama has grown up with a single parent, earned an unparalleled education, help build a gorgeous family, and inspired millions of people around the world with his historic accomplishments. By anyone's definition, at least anyone with some **** sense, would consider Obama to be a strong black man.

You better stick with the issues Cain. Obama's manhood is way out of your league.

peace.