Herman Cain grew up in Georgia with wonderful parents and little else. Cain's father worked three jobs because he wanted his family to have more opportunity. As a result of his dad's encouragement, Cain earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Morehouse College in 1967. He earned a master's degree from Purdue University while working as a mathematician for the Department of the Navy. Upon graduation, he worked as a business analyst for The Coca-Cola Company. In 1968, he married Gloria Etchison; they have two grown children and two grandchildren. In 1977, Cain joined The Pillsbury Company at age 31. Within three years, he rose to the position of Vice President of Corporate Systems and Services. He resigned his senior position in 1982 to begin work at Pillsbury's Burger King Division. Nine months later, he was managing 400 Burger King units in the Philadelphia region, the company's poorest performer. Within three years, his region ranked number one. In 1986, Cain was appointed president of then financially troubled Godfather's Pizza, Inc. chain. In 14 months, the chain regained profitability and in 1988, he led his executive team in a buyout of the company from Pillsbury. Cain was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in 1988. While serving as Chairman, he developed the organization into a pro-business voice through national debates and speeches concerning healthcare reform, employment policies and taxation. Following this experience, he was appointed to serve on the Economic Growth and Tax Reform Commission. He then became a senior advisor to the 1996 Dole/Kemp presidential campaign. While continuing as President and Chairman of Godfather's Pizza, Inc., Cain became a national keynote speaker. Using his powerful messages as the foundation, Cain created a leadership firm and he has authored three books on topics ranging from leadership to self-empowerment. In 2002, he became an Executive Lecturer for the Gallup Organization. In 1996, Cain was elected CEO and president of the NRA. Additionally, Cain is a former Chairman and Member of The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City from 1992 to 1996. Cain leveraged his restaurant experience with the technology market when he became CEO and president of RetailDNA, a software technology company, in 1999. Despite his global industry reach, Cain devotes time and energy to his family and indulges his passion for music and golf. Now former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Godfather's Pizza, he is still a member of the Board of Directors of various companies. Cain also serves as an associate minister of Antioch Baptist Church North in Atlanta. In 2003, Cain announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for United States Senate from Georgia to replace retiring Senator Zell Miller. Cain campaigned on replacing the federal income tax code with a national retail sales tax, restructuring the Social Security system, reducing the influence of government and the courts in the health care system and inspiring people to believe that they can change the status quo in Washington. Herman Cain is chief executive officer of THE New Voice, Inc. and New Voters Alliance, and host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show The Bottom Line with Herman Cain. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain http://media.townhall.com/TownHall/icons/TH-feed-icon-128x128.gif http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain TownHall.com, Where your opinion counts. 128 Copyright (c) 2008 Townhall.com, A Salem Communications Web. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED jim.dearras@townhall.com (Jim De Arras) Thu, 22 Nov 2007 18:52:57 GMT Thu, 22 Nov 2007 18:52:57 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ The American dream is alive and well, though you wouldn't know it from watching the network news. Liberal election rhetoric is counting on middle-class Americans believing someone is out to get them - and that... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/11/22/media_consider_american_businessmen_'bad_company' e1264fc0-1683-4118-af58-2dd562b711e5 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 18:52:57 GMT Don Imus's slip of the lip created a media and racial outrage. He immediately acknowledged his mistake and apologized in person to the Rutgers women basketball team members. They accepted his apology with dignity and... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/04/23/at_least_don_imus_didnt_call_black_republicans_moronic 906fb5a7-956e-48af-b0ae-8db897ea34c0 Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:07:51 GMT Former Senator Fred Thompson's recent disclosure that he has a form of cancer called lymphoma has people wondering if he should still run for president. The answer is yes for at least three reasons: 1) His cancer is non... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/04/18/fred_thompsons_revelation_cancer_is_not_a_death_sentence 7df257b9-7162-4663-a6f2-43d7d0f777b5 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:15:00 GMT If you're getting a tax refund this year, you're probably excited. How will you use the money? Save it for a rainy-day pizza party? Upgrade your basic cable TV? If you didn't get a refund, you'll especially want to read... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/04/12/how_high_can_you_stand_for_your_taxes_to_go f3e177ed-ad84-4a93-9953-4f3b3ef90a1e Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:41:01 GMT Spring is a refreshing time of the year when most of us know how to enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature and her splendor. It is also a good time to remind people of the beauty of this great nation, the United States of... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/04/10/america_is_beautiful 0bc9568d-4ef5-48e1-a9f2-b3305767bfe6 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:16:16 GMT An old and popular English proverb cautions us that a fool and his money are soon parted. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) is taking us all for fools with some of his recent statements and votes.... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/04/03/aprils_fools_one_born_every_minute 513bef69-5b8f-4e22-8d6d-a6556e2d6324 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 04:01:00 GMT A simple change in the antiquated tax code would create an avalanche of universal choice in health care, instead of current proposals that produce universal dependence on government. Namely, the U.S. should eliminate... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/03/26/universal_choice_can_fix_the_health_care_roof 986bd7ef-960f-48c1-89d2-d091f7639413 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:47:33 GMT A topic of conversation at nearly every event I have attended since the presidential rat race began is each political party's presidential candidates. Invariably, whenever someone mentions one of the current front... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/03/19/presidential_baggage_check fc8febb2-5945-4496-a1a6-1fea0cf413f7 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:38:11 GMT The caretakers of our three constitutional branches, plus their respective bureaucracies, go to great trouble to convince voters that this time they have stumbled upon the perfect government-mandated solutions for all... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/03/12/it's_not_about_health_care 3b189554-265d-4a84-b459-4b8abe77cc69 Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:14:59 GMT Politicians use words to inspire, cajole and convince people that their particular policy prescriptions are without fault and beneficial to both the least among us and the nation as a whole. Unfortunately, some politici http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/03/05/creative_rhetoric_masks_fiscal_reality 80277b32-4a36-434d-aeb0-0eb5c0972145 Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:49:26 GMT Since the race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination began, roughly, on Inauguration Day 2005, it is not too early to speculate on who might be the leading candidates for the eventual nominees' vice presidenti http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/02/26/let_the_veepstakes_begin a2d2be7b-dbcb-432b-b940-75e641ab6324 Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:45:41 GMT Last week I discussed the testimony delivered February 8 by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson before the Senate Budget Committee on President Bush's fiscal year 2008 budget proposals. When asked by Budget Committee... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/02/20/pandering_their_way_to_permanent_minority_status 82b718cd-6ad4-41f0-867c-f71dda683f8a Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:04:56 GMT Entitlement is a disease, much like cancer. I fought and won my personal war against cancer, but have thankfully never suffered from entitlement. If there is indeed a divide in our country, as liberals in both political... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/02/06/entitlement_is_a_disease 211f7168-d857-4846-a75c-80f9bbf2f677 Tue, 06 Feb 2007 13:43:35 GMT When The Pillsbury Company appointed me president of the then-troubled Godfather's Pizza chain in 1986, they were not looking for a black president because it was time for the first time in its history to have a black m http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/01/29/diversity_distraction 3346cac2-21dd-486f-972c-4871fdd35518 Mon, 29 Jan 2007 15:45:21 GMT The next president of the United States of America may not be what we need. We need a real leader who will bring real solutions to the challenges facing our economic infrastructure and national security. We will get the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/01/22/a_strange_way_to_seek_a_true_leader 61623a87-4546-4dfa-ad79-d4374bce23ff Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:42:17 GMT The American public is about to once again witness the liberals' total disdain for, and ignorance of, the dynamics of capitalism and our free market economic system. Liberals in the House have already passed legislation... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/01/15/dangerous_democrats_vs_the_free_market 13c6cdd4-c796-4d0e-803b-cad634f92cda Mon, 15 Jan 2007 20:36:23 GMT Democrats are celebrating their new majority status in Congress with lots of speeches about bipartisan cooperation and a less-than-inspiring agenda for their first 100 legislative hours. Time will tell if they keep... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/01/08/control_does_not_fill_the_leadership_void 716bd8c1-4421-4c8c-9f45-816828720838 Mon, 08 Jan 2007 17:09:09 GMT My eternal optimism for the New Year is with the American people. It is not with a newly controlled Congress or the battered leadership in the White House. Optimism has always been the soul and spirit of successful... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2007/01/02/optimism_for_the_new_year ef7348f6-92b5-4c0b-a6eb-ec2efe184653 Wed, 03 Jan 2007 02:45:21 GMT Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! Go ahead and call the politically correct police, I do not care. As a lifelong Christian with many Jewish friends, I do care about religious faith and traditions. The faith and... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/12/26/christmas_and_hanukkah_deal_with_it d4b4ef00-3a2a-4ddd-80f0-7629fe77dc24 Tue, 26 Dec 2006 16:56:52 GMT The current announced crop of 2008 Republican presidential contenders is about as inspiring as Saturday's leftovers for Monday's lunch. John McCain. We've seen that movie. Do we have to watch the sequel? Rudy Giuliani.... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/12/12/tiger_in_2016! 54e13eab-fe8a-4c4c-85e8-ee8f63026858 Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:55:59 GMT Future House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) "Six in '06" policy agenda includes just one health care provision - allowing the federal government to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. In truth, Pelosi and her... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/12/05/dem_health_care_plans_piecemeal_socialism e4f1acc9-64e9-40f4-84c2-937206e7d8f6 Tue, 05 Dec 2006 14:59:17 GMT In the 2006 election cycle, Democrats campaigned on the promise of "A New Direction," a platform that expectedly has no compass and little content. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) recently told Fox News that Democrats... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/11/29/read_between_the_lines 7673d113-43ac-4bcc-8486-d886cc626335 Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:35:31 GMT Thanksgiving in America is a time of traditions - turkey and dressing, gathering around the table, watching football and seeing schoolchildren dressed up as Pilgrims and Indians, reenacting the first Thanksgiving. One http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/11/24/an_american_thanksgiving_story 003e4ae2-dedd-4b80-822b-58fa3bbb67c3 Fri, 24 Nov 2006 19:07:38 GMT If you think Santa Claus came early this year by delivering liberal majorities in the House and Senate, you had better check your stocking again. Liberals and the political parties will continue to play us like the kid... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/11/14/no_political_santa_claus e8692aaf-09c3-40df-ac7b-74d0e2f194b8 Tue, 14 Nov 2006 20:45:19 GMT Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, likely new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and the media will portray Tuesday's takeover as a repudiation of President... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/11/08/compassionate_conservatism_lost 1d455acb-26a3-428e-9c74-ed28bdd988f1 Wed, 08 Nov 2006 19:16:20 GMT It's easy to give someone advice after the fact, and even then, there is no measure that the advice would have been a better decision. In sports, it's called being an armchair quarterback. The armchair... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/11/01/armchair_presidents 5e011476-3e25-4d7d-8860-834cb55509ae Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:09:30 GMT The Chicken Littles in the Democratic Party, liberal media outlets and liberal political action groups are attempting to convince voters that the sky is falling on America's economy, our national security and Republican... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/10/23/the_sky_is_not_falling d874904a-a398-43f8-9304-af9f51400a3e Tue, 24 Oct 2006 01:53:14 GMT The Hezbocrats, a roaming band of militant guerrillas seeking their party's 2008 nomination for president, have most recently lobbed their rhetorical bombs at Wal-Mart, that cruel capitalist occupying corporation. The... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/08/22/hezbocrats_attack_wal-mart 47a05522-3358-42a5-aadc-50a1e65e3104 Tue, 22 Aug 2006 21:00:55 GMT Three groups are waging a spectacularly unified propaganda war against the Israeli military, the U.S. military and the Bush administration. They are the liberal media outlets, liberals in the U.S. Congress and the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/08/02/the_propaganda_war 97ba1ea6-e504-49a3-8430-0ca3a1a010a0 Thu, 03 Aug 2006 02:34:25 GMT There are two dirty little secrets behind the debate over the illegal alien issue that even the advocates of securing the borders first have failed to discuss. The first secret is that the estimated twelve to twenty... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/07/19/illegal_dirty_little_secrets_about_social_security 50ddbfbf-afdf-4fa5-84b7-3f2c9f895287 Thu, 20 Jul 2006 02:18:49 GMT New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said of illegal aliens last week at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, "Although they broke the law by illegally crossing our borders.our city's economy would be a shell of... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/07/12/one_culture,_indivisible 52e75cac-a7ef-4691-98c3-6e289a9ff09f Thu, 13 Jul 2006 01:36:44 GMT It could cost more to get caught working in the world's oldest profession if a bill passed last week by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee becomes law. The Finance Committee approved legislation that would allow the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/07/05/misplaced_priorities_again_in_the_senate bb2c4de4-d1d3-4745-8866-611ac8ec3be3 Wed, 05 Jul 2006 16:07:57 GMT "That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." When our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, they envisioned a... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/06/29/we_need_a_new_independence 4f4ee013-d9dd-4be4-97c0-dadbeb138bbf Thu, 29 Jun 2006 04:01:00 GMT House and Senate Democratic leaders held a press conference on June 16 to announce their bold, new policy initiatives in a plan called New Direction. Their accompanying press statement promises, “Democrats are... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/06/21/democrats_new_direction_same_as_the_old_direction dec77da6-0fa8-41d2-a075-22d46e5d83bd Wed, 21 Jun 2006 04:04:00 GMT The death in Iraq of Muslim terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and the recent arrest of 17 Muslim would-be terrorists in Canada, reminds us that the war on terrorism is global and it will be fought forever. Too many... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/06/13/know_our_enemy 5c52fbe1-1e97-47e3-8b89-ea25147908a1 Tue, 13 Jun 2006 17:05:00 GMT The split in the majority party between conservatives and RINOs – Republicans in Name Only – first became apparent during last year’s debate over proposals to restructure the Social Security program.... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/06/07/its_time_to_go_rino_hunting f153c003-5441-4360-8dc5-c4c44dc31c6e Wed, 07 Jun 2006 16:05:00 GMT The ignorance strategy apparently worked so well last year to stifle any attempt to restructure the Social Security system that liberals – from both political parties – have extended this game plan to other... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/05/23/the_truth_is_alien_to_the_left 28e09250-1ecd-467c-b259-113ec2cec03b Tue, 23 May 2006 20:05:00 GMT The Social Security Trustees issued their annual report earlier this month, and the program’s fiscal outlook is even worse than estimated last year. Yet, as predictably as May brings rain showers from Heaven and... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/05/16/social_security_scam_keeps_on_ticking 291d1add-3eed-4913-85ad-f21065ada2a9 Wed, 17 May 2006 00:05:00 GMT Dear Illegal Alien, My ancestors were brought to this country in chains against their will, and sold and forced to work like common farm animals. They had to abide by the laws to stay alive. My ancestors endured abuse... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/05/09/a_letter_from_a_slave_to_an_illegal_alien 1e7593f3-655a-446a-8fda-e633045f770f Wed, 10 May 2006 00:05:00 GMT The recent National Football League draft provided each team and its fans optimism that this is the year they move one step closer to the championship by drafting the nation’s top collegiate talent. In November of... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/05/02/congress_needs_new_draft_picks 59ca42c6-247b-4f96-a5d4-8da361f98e46 Wed, 03 May 2006 00:05:00 GMT The recent sharp increase in retail gas prices has once again caused some members of Congress to blame President Bush and criticize oil companies for gouging and profiteering. The politicians are revealing their own... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/04/25/gas_prices_and_hot_air 57bc1dd5-06c8-4a88-b936-5623de5e3aeb Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:05:00 GMT The movement to grant amnesty and eventual U.S. citizenship to some 12 million illegal aliens has turned the issue from the sounds of silence to the sounds of entitlement. The entitlement mentality did not begin in... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/04/19/illegal_entitlement_is_not_an_option 00db562f-e4ec-47c8-a832-8cfaa7bccc14 Wed, 19 Apr 2006 04:05:00 GMT Once again this year the college basketball tournaments, often referred to as “March Madness,” provided thrills and excitement to basketball fans. The tournaments featured the drama of close games, overtime... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/04/13/april_madness_again 41be679b-e53c-45bc-b3f6-cb3e4d3bfa90 Fri, 14 Apr 2006 00:05:00 GMT Hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens and their supporters voluntarily stepped out of the shadows last week by waving the Mexican flag and marching in the streets. The blatant flaunting of their illegal status in... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/04/04/no_correlation_civil_rights_and_illegals_rights 52e640fe-0b4a-446f-94d9-3f2d53242678 Tue, 04 Apr 2006 04:05:00 GMT Every good liberal will tell you that low tax rates cause tax revenues to drop, hurt the economy, benefit only the wealthy and cause skyrocketing budget deficits. A Wall Street Journal article last week blew a hole in... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/03/29/stop_lying_about_tax_cuts 477c60ee-18e9-4c02-87f2-f7587406311e Wed, 29 Mar 2006 19:05:00 GMT Effective leadership in business and politics requires going to W.A.R. to achieve successful solutions: Working on the right problem. Asking the right questions. Removing barriers that impede progress toward the... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/03/02/leadership_is_war 6a0d60a4-fba9-44b6-a44f-fa399fae5e39 Thu, 02 Mar 2006 05:04:00 GMT The United States of America is drifting away from capitalism and its free-market foundations toward a gutless brand of socialism. Yet unlike the tyrannical dictators who ruled communist nations in the 20th Century,... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/02/21/liberal_goal_for_america_gutless_socialism 204fe4ca-932d-4e7e-aff7-93e8d0ad0333 Wed, 22 Feb 2006 01:05:00 GMT Former President Jimmy Carter said last week at Coretta Scott King’s funeral: “The struggle for equal rights is not over. We only have to recall the color of the faces of the people in Louisiana, Alabama and... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/02/14/opportunity_is_not_black_or_white 546080f3-c614-4bf7-b0d1-043a56e799e8 Tue, 14 Feb 2006 05:05:00 GMT The latest installment in the Democratic Party’s attempt to divide the country came this week when their favorite daughter, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D – NY), used the occasion of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/01/20/antebellum_democrats a1bc4727-5c0a-4472-8700-f6027908b82d Fri, 20 Jan 2006 14:05:00 GMT Flies at a picnic have no greater agenda than to disrupt our sunny day and try to spoil the potato salad. Fortunately, the annoying pests can be sent on their way with a little repellant. Congressional liberals,... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/HermanCain/2006/01/13/lies_and_flies 2911975d-c342-4683-a1e0-744d4a11b018 Fri, 13 Jan 2006 05:05:00 GMT