Despite recent accusations of sexual harassment, Herman Cain is tied at 21% for support with Mitt Romney according to a recent USA/Gallup Poll. Herman Cain addressed the claims made by four women who came forward on Tuesday during a press conference in Phoenix on Tuesday.

Sharon Bialek was the first woman to speak publicly about her confrontation with Mr. Cain during a meeting for a job with the National Restaurant Association more than 10 years ago. On Monday she stated that Herman Cain had sexually harassed her during a car ride.

Cain has denied all accusations and held a press conference in Phoenix on Tuesday to address this issue. A confident Cain stated, “With respect to the most recent accusation, I have never acted inappropriate with anyone, period. I saw Ms. Bailak in that news conference for the very first time.” He said he did not know who the woman was nor did he recognize her name.

Ms Bialek is the fourth woman to put forward accusations about Cain’s inappropriate sexual advancements and the first to speak on record about the alleged assault. Her graphic description of the course of events a decade ago have led many to question both sides of the story. The other woman have not publicly come forward yet about their experience with Cain.

In an effort to put the rumors to an end, Cain said he would take a lie detector test, and that these accusations have not given him any reason to back down from running for president and would not prevent him to continue his campaign. He stated, “I will not allow false accusations to compromise or shed badly on my character and my integrity.”

As for support, Cain said he expects people will be turned off by the accusations and public opinion, but he has said that most of his supporters have expressed that they do not believe the claims. He thinks that rebuilding trust upon candidates will be a challenge but hopes to continue to represent his supporters.

So why exactly would these random women come forward against Cain? Cain addressed this by saying he did not know their motive but thinks it is because they do not want to see him become president. He said they do not have factual proof, that it is a conspiracy theory, and some coincidences indicate that somebody is behind the women coming forward.

As far as his competition goes, Romney could use this opportunity to take the lead. Romney has responded to the claims as “disturbing.” Cain agreed with Romney saying that he thought the accusations were “disturbing” as well.

According to a USA Today poll, 47% of people interviewed believed the accusations were false, while 33% believed they were true. After the press conference on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if Cain can maintain his thus far unshaken support.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/

Share This

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

About the author

Samantha Steinberg
A Junior at Rutgers University studying political science and communication. Interests include writing, international affairs, and travel. I hope to make a difference in the world and raise awareness through my writing.