Who here thinks Cain is just a salesman who was hired by the Koches to sell the idea of a flat tax?

[applegrove]

This may mean that even if this libya non answer finally ends his chances he'll continue in the race. A nomination race is not bad value as year long advertisement to take some "new" idea mainstream. And the best part is the Koches can get other people to help pay for the advertisement.

[vixengrl]

1. Pretty much been my working theory.

He's a front man--a lobbyist. He's running to make some ideas plausible. But hopefully, if he's implausible enough (vide, the Libya response), maybe this was money....wasted.

[PETRUS]

2. I think he and the Kochs are using one another.

He's a salesman all right, and not that we wouldn't take the office if it went that way but he's basically just playing Kardashian and building up name recognition so he can sell books, get on the lecture circuit, get a job on TV, whatever. He's useful to the Kochs and their money is useful to him.

[wordpix]

3. one of you is right, I think they're both plausible theories

[applegrove]

4. Oh for sure Cain gets name recognition out of it. And more $$$$ in the future.

[PETRUS]

5. To be clear, I'm not disputing your theory at all.

Just expanding on it. What we call a "friendly amendment" at Occupy GAs. :)

[applegrove]

8. I got you. I just wanted to be clear myself.

[Imajika]

6. Cain does not support a flat tax..

..he pushes his dopey 999 plan. There are big differences between 999, a flat tax and a fair tax. None are good, but Cain is definitely not advocating a flat tax.

Cain is a motivational speaker who had a book to sell, that is why he is in the race. The fact that he is/was leading the field just speaks to how bad the Republican candidates really are. Perry was the only realistic competition to Romney, and now that Perry has imploded Mitt will be the nominee. I am guessing Romney/Rubio.

[applegrove]

9. The 9% tax on income is a flat tax.

[Imajika]

10. Yeah, but 999 is still not a flat tax....

Cain's plan introduces a national sales tax, and the income tax part isn't really flat anyway because the rate will change depending on where you live (909 in poor areas supposedly).

That cretin Forbes pushes the flat tax, and has backed Perry's version of it.

Not saying Cain isn't a tool of the Koch brothers, just saying his silly 999 plan is not a flat tax.

[unblock]

7. nah, he's a p.r. guy for clarence thomas sent to minimize HIS sexual harassment

[tularetom]

11. If that's the case they got seriously hosed

Because any "message" he may have been hired to promote got lost in the controversy over his past adventures, his utter stupidity when it comes to foreign policy and his inability to articulate his silly ass tax plan.

If they hired this ignorant buffoon to sell anything at all they can't be the evil geniuses they are portrayed as.

[aletier_v]

12. I think Cain Dreamed up 999 To Attract Corporate Donations

It's a carefully crafted mixed-message pattern.

At one level (corporations), it says "MORE TAX CUTS!"

At consumer level, it appears to be something else to disguise the truth from voters.

He's a motivational speaker.

9-9-9 is deliberately crafted to send two different messages to two different audiences.