POST
The Election 2012 Weekly Report: And then there were four
The Republican field continued to narrow this week with two once-promising candidates dropping out before this Saturday's pivotal South Carolina primary. Read More »
Barack Obama
Michele Bachmann
Herman Cain
Newt Gingrich
Jon Huntsman
Ron Paul
Rick Perry
Mitt Romney
Rick Santorum
Latest News
POST
A dictionary of American politics -- Part I (GOP Speak)
To understand what's going on in U.S. politics, the international observer really needs some kind of translation device, a U.S. politics to English dictionary, that will help reveal the real meaning obscured by the words. Read More »
Behind the Numbers
Newt's Numbers, Cain's Cuts
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has become a frontrunner in the race for the Republican nomination by consolidating support among key GOP groups, and while some have dismissed him as another Republican "flavor of the month," his longtime Washington ties may give him a key edge over other contenders: experience. Read More »
Feature
Crunching the Numbers on the GOP Candidates
Most Wednesdays, starting today, we will feature a special poll watcher analysis of American public opinion on foreign policy. The series will be cross-posted at the Behind the Numbers blog. Read More »
POST
And the surprise winner of the Republican national security debate is…
The Republican national security debate made me feel young again. First, there was the audience at Constitution Hall, typically diverse-old white guys, fat old white guys, really old white guys, prematurely aging middle-aged white guys and a few understandably unhappy looking women. But more importantly, there was the conversation. It reeked of 2004. All of a sudden I was 48 again. Read More »
Profile SnapshotView Full Profile
FP Credentials
Cain has no past experience in foreign policy. Trained as a mathematician, he began his career as a civilian ballistics analyst for the U.S. Navy.
Overview
Foreign policy has been seen as Cain's Achilles' heel as the former businessman and motivational speaker has emerged as a front-runner in the race. Cain has struggled with gaffes – expressing indifference to insignificant countries such as “Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan” and seeming unaware that China already possesses nuclear weapons – and he has struggled to articulate a coherent policy on Afghanistan, the war on terror, or Libya.
Cain has brushed aside concerns about his lack of foreign-policy knowledge by pointing out that when he took over the Godfather's Pizza chain, “I had never made a pizza, but I learned.”
Advisors
Cain’s senior foreign-policy advisor is J.D. Gordon, a former Pentagon spokesman and Navy commander. Mark Pfeifle, a former deputy assistant for strategic communications in George W. Bush’s National Security Council, and Roger Pardo-Maurer, a former deputy assistant defense secretary for the Western Hemisphere, are also advising the campaign.
