October 5, 2011 1:41 PM

Herman Cain to "Occupy Wall Street" protesters: Don't blame Wall St, blame yourself

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Campaign 2012

As the "Occupy Wall Street" protests enter their third week and spread to cities across the country, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is expressing skepticism about the demonstrations.

"What do they want?" Cain asked when asked about the protests in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. "I don't have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration."

"Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks," he continued. "If you don't have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself!"

Cain said the banks were in part to blame with the 2008 financial crisis, but he said, "We're not in 2008 -- we're in 2011!"

The demonstrations "come across more as anti-capitalism," he added.

The Occupy Wall Street protests,originally organized by the anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters, started on Sept. 17 with a few dozen demonstrators who tried to pitch tents in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, thousands across the country have joined.

The protesters say they demonstrating against corporate greed and the outsize influence Wall Street has in Washington. While they weren't started by pro-Obama groups, supporters of the president like labor unions are now joining the demonstrations.

Reinforcements to bolster Wall St. protests
Anti-Wall St. protest spawns others across U.S.

One motto that's spread through the demonstrations has been, "I'm the 99 percent" -- a reference to those who not among the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.

While Cain dismissed the protests, he stressed in his interview with the Wall Street Journal that he's more in touch with the middle class than the GOP frontrunner, Mitt Romney. In the latest CBS News poll, Cain is tied for first place with Romney.

Romney "has been a Wall Street executive, I have been a Main Street executive," Cain said, citing his experience in the restaurant industry. "I have been closer to the pulse and the heartbeat of medium and small businesses, operationally, more so than Mitt."

And while Cain has been successful in business, he told the Wall Street Journal's Alan Murray, "Don't spread this perception I'm a kajillionaire."

On Tuesday, Romney also decried the Occupy Wall Street protests. "I think it's dangerous, this class warfare," he said.


Add a Comment See all 456 Comments
by Roger_de_Coverly October 9, 2011 2:53 PM EDT
He's like Bill Cosby, only meaner.
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by mary-miami October 9, 2011 11:31 AM EDT
Herman Cain would completely destroy the working class and turn them into slaves. When he says that a person is poor because of his own mistakes, Cain neglects to say that his GOP/Teaparty doesn't want to enact a living wage. He also doesn't say that rich rightwing CEOs closed all the factories where workers labored their whole lives and sent the industry to China. China...where there are no workers rights, environmental protections or human rights for that matter. China...where speech, press, religion and internet are censored. Cain's party wants us to believe that industry is obsolete, well it's not. Industry was exported to China, and China's poverty was imported to the U.S. Cain also said in a interview that under his rule, if people couldn't afford to support themselves with a job, they should have two jobs. Is he crazy or just evil? He's talking about slave labor. Working poor have a right to family time. Working people also have a right to a living wage. The purpose of working is to support oneself and a minimum wage of $7 an hour with today's prices and rents, is not livable. Also, many of the unemployed are people who are middle aged and worked at the same job for many years, these folks are too young to retire, yet cannot compete with the younger generation in getting jobs. Back in the day, a high school diploma was all that was needed to work in a factory. Cain and his Teaparty has also said that people who rent their homes should not be allowed to vote. That effectively means that only the rich will have freedom to speak and enact laws. Perhaps the most astounding thing Cain has said is that he believes that human rights should be privileges that only the government would dole out to select people...the rich. His tax ideas would have the poor paying way more in taxes than the very wealthy CEOs. The typical worker just wants to support his household and live in peace and freedom. Cain and his Teaparty want to create a two class system of rich and poor. Rightwing hates the First Amendment because it gives all Americans free speech, press, religion, peaceful assembly, protest and petition. Rightwing wants slave labor. I believe in a free United States. I will vote to re-elect President Obama.
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by JusWondering October 10, 2011 5:10 PM EDT
Mary, sad thing is, everything you said is true... I too, will join you in re-electing President Obama.
by bushman1946 October 26, 2011 6:52 PM EDT
Its apparent that cain has been conditioned to the ways of the material hungry illusion. He'been conditioned from early on; but he's certainly not alone.Cain strove for the upward echolons of society and now he wants to use what he beleives his overcoming of adversity as proof tha anyone and everyone should aim for his idea of success. his opinion that anti-wallsteet protesters are victims of they're own doing is just another redherring devised from this same illusion. HE'S bathing in it. your not gonna change his view.His view is to be predicted.He is surrounded by those like him.His answer is that if one is overcome with poverty and one did not cling to ones job or save for ones future one deserves what one gets. How bigotted and unfeeling and cold can one be. We need a compasionate president not an arrogant self-righteous blockhead.
by vageorge October 9, 2011 9:44 AM EDT
Cain is losing votes on a daily basis with his higher than thou attitude. Many are poor because they cannot find jobs or having to accept low paying jobs. He is correct in it's not still 2008 but when someone is elderly and have been swindled out of their life savings due to wall street and obama, they just can't rebuild in this economy.
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by dougma October 9, 2011 9:21 AM EDT
If you are poor it means you had crummy parents.
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by furiousvermonter October 9, 2011 3:08 AM EDT
It is people like Cain that have ruined the United States and put this country in the outragous deficit we are in now. Yeah I'm going to blame myself for the job opportunities not being around. Ok get a clue! If the economy wasn't so bad then maybe the jobs would be available but still the unemployment rate is at a all time high that should tell this uneducated idiot something. Also why is it that wealthy Americans aren't paying higher income taxes than what they are? O'yeah thats right because some former republican president and his goverment party decided to put a cap on people who's income is 107,000 or above. Those are the people who should be paying higher taxes not getting the tax breaks that the get. If it wasn't for the low and middle class americans this country wouldn't be running at all. As RangerDan put it low to middle class are the backbone of this country yet we are the ones who get stomped on while the rich get to sit back drinking champange in their mansions reaping the benefits of our labors. WOW to sum it all up in a nutshell GOD help us if this SELF ABSORBED IDIOT BECOMES PRESIDENT!
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by Libertarian_76 October 8, 2011 8:57 PM EDT
Yea it's all my fault I can't find work. I was so lazy I wasted my time obtaining a college education and degree. Of course the fact that there aren't any jobs is my fault. The fact that I work two low-paying part-time jobs in lieu of a decent-paying full-time job is my fault. I was actually interested in Cain until he shot his mouth of with this garbage. Ron Paul looks better and better with each passing day. These butt clowns just don't get it. Let them eat cake indeed! How utterly insulting!
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by Marthastew October 7, 2011 11:34 PM EDT
"Let them eat cake!" Yeah, that went over real well, too.
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by manwithoutaparty October 7, 2011 4:55 PM EDT
The great Ronald Reagan said people were homeless because they choose to be that way.
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by RangerDan107107 October 7, 2011 3:25 PM EDT
It's getting so old to read the pitiful boasts of the wealthy that think they made it solely on their own hard work. That there has been no colusion from right wing politicians looking the other way while our shores are flooded with illegal immigrants looking to compete with the American working class for jobs, voting for so called "right to work" states that have undermined American workers rights, and created "right to make $8 an hour" states. If the working class in America had half the support from its own government that the freeloading rich have had, this country would be rocking. As it is everybody is standing around waiting and wondering why our economy is still waining. Get a clue America, every recession has been pulled out of the fire by America's working class. Except this time America's lack of support for its own backbone has left us with no one to pull us out of this tail spin this time. The working class is not coming to the rescue this time, they're broken, and guess who broke them!!!
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by jkelley76 October 7, 2011 3:13 PM EDT
Yea right, blame myself. I have played by the rules, educated, worked hard, family with 3 grown boys I am proud of. The only thing I did not learn was how to screw other people out of their money and bring down the world economy, causing the population to lose jobs, homes, health care, education and retirement. Oh, and I guess it's also my fault that I did not learn greed. Yes you made a great point about it being my fault. Next time round, I'll try to learn it the right way....NOT.
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