Media Roundup for “Rock Me Like A Herman Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally”

Today we celebrated an historic rally to bolster the presidential ambitions of a man who is bold enough not even to be running – Herman Cain. The media is weighing in on the “Rock Me Like A Herman Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally” held today at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.

Source: Reuters

The Daily Mail Online emphasizes that the rally drew more folks than any actual campaign events scheduled for, you know, the day before the primary:

Thousands have flocked to watch a fake presidential rally held by comedian Steve Colbert and one-time Republican presidential frontrunner Herman Cain in Charleston, South Carolina.

And in an interesting twist, the crowd, comprised mostly of students, was far larger audience than any at an actual rally during this year’s election cycle in the state.

Herman Cain, whose presidential campaign was plagued – and finished – by a string of accusations of sexual misconduct, appeared alongside Colbert for the satirist’s event The Rock Me Like a Herman Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally.

Full Article: The Daily Mail (emphasis in above quote mine)

A fabulous article by The Star highlights Mr. Cain’s desire to play along despite his crushing lack of self-awareness:

You know it’s not your day when 3,000 people are standing in front of you laughing hysterically and you’re the only one who doesn’t get the joke.

Or you should know, at least.

But not Herman Cain, bless his breathtakingly unironic soul.

There was Cain on Thursday, the former Republican front-runner who quit his bid for the presidency in December amid several too many allegations of sexual wrongdoing, not getting it to the very end.

Cain understood the blunt surface of it — he’s not running, but his name is still on the ballot for Saturday’s South Carolina primary. And TV comic Stephen Colbert wants to (tongue-in-cheek) “run,” but Colbert’s name is not on the ballot.

Therein lies the explanation for why Cain agreed to enter Colbert’s world as guest of honour at the “Rock You Like A Herman Cain” rally in Charleston. A bit of comic relief, a bit of TV face-time, show America you can “lighten up” and let the funnyman and his followers use your spot on the ballot.

So far, so good. Except nobody, apparently, sent Cain the satire memo informing him that Colbert is in the midst of what may well be the sharpest lampooning of the American political process this side of Mark Twain.

Full Article: The Star

Source: Reuters

ABC News saluted some of Stephen’s zingers at the event:

Colbert kicked off the “Rock You Like a Herman Cain” rally by singing the national anthem. The 1,000-plus crowd gave Colbert a rock-star welcome, chanting “Stephen” and “USA,” both signature chants of his Comedy Central show.

Colbert began with a “salute” to the other GOP candidates, poking fun at Mitt Romney’s changing positions on issues, Ron Paul’s looks and age, Newt Gingrich’s marital infidelity and Rick Santorum’s past comments on gay marriage.

Colbert introduced Cain, asking the crowd, mostly students, to vote for Herman Cain in Saturday’s first-in-in-the-South primary, “Because Herman Cain is me. We both refuse to play by Washington’s rules, we both flout convention when it comes to things like taxes and debt and how many ‘bekis’ they are in Uz beki beki beki stan stan.”

***

Mimicking Cain’s notorious rhyming prose, Colbert said, “I want to introduce to you the Her-Man with a plan, the plan so fine they named it 9-9-9, the Mad Max of the flat tax, the Indiana Jones of opportunity zones. The Her-Man, the Her-Myth, my brother from another mother, Mr. Herman Cain.”

The former GOP candidate walked out to tremendous applause with signs supporting a vote for Cain/Colbert waving in the air. Wearing his signature cowboy hat, Cain entered to the marching band’s playing Parliament’s “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk).”

Unlike his host, Cain asked the crowd not to vote for “Herman Cain.”

Cain said, “I don’t want you to waste your vote. I don’t want you to waste your vote because one of the things that a lot of people fail to appreciate is that every vote counts. Every vote counts and your vote still matters and you still matter. That’s been my message.”

Challenging his audience to stay informed, stay involved and stay inspired, Cain delivered one of his many classic lines, “Because stupid people are ruining America.”

With some urging, Cain recited a few lines from the “Pokemon” movie. “Since Stephen Colbert tried to show off his vocal ability,” clearing his throat, Cain broke into song, singing “Believe in Yourself.”

Full Article: ABC News

The Washington Post features a nice slideshow of the day:

Source: Grace Beahm – AP, courtesy The Washington Post

See Gallery: The Washington Post

Finally, the L.A. Times weighs in on the day’s events:

Reporting from Charleston, S.C.— It was perhaps inevitable that Stephen Colbert — fake conservative, cable TV personality, and the most famous Charlestonian since that guy from Hootie and the Blowfish — would return to South Carolina to make a little mischief before the state’s Republican primary.

More of a surprise was his recruitment of Herman Cain, the scandal-plagued former GOP presidential candidate. But there was Cain on Friday afternoon, on the campus of the College of Charleston at a pitch-perfect, Colbert-sponsored sendup of a political rally, sporting his signature broad-brimmed hat, singing gospel in his croony baritone and making corny references to his 9-9-9 tax plan.

You could have blinked and thought it was November.

Cain’s reception from the hundreds of college kids, many of them liberals, was exceedingly warm, except for a moment when Cain got serious and suggested, in earnest, that they join the tea party, triggering an awkward silence and scattered groans.

One sign in the crowd, alluding to the scandal currently plaguing Newt Gingrich, asked, “Will you have an open relationship with me, Herman Cain?”

Full Article: The L.A. Times