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Final Straw for Herman Cain?

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    Will extramarital affair allegation prove catastrophic for wilting Cain campaign?

  • Duration 6:52
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Start -- -- no one knows who is going to be the Republican nominee but tonight one candidate mr.

Herman Cain -- to hang on to his political future.

An Atlanta woman comes forward with a politically explosive accusation.

She says she had an affair with mr.

-- for almost fourteen years.

I'm not -- I didn't want to come out with this -- did not it was pretty simple.

-- and complicated.

And I was aware that he was married.

And I was also aware that I was involved in a very inappropriate.

Situation.

-- -- -- responded tonight -- -- part I spoken directly to the American people and have been at 100%.

Honest with them my plan is to continue to spread my vision and how I would renew America and keep her safe.

I will not fight false claims as it is not what America needs or wants.

So -- that do -- his response put the matter to rest -- -- this political dynamite ABC world news senior Washington editor Rick Klein joins us.

So political dynamite or -- this -- would put a lid on it.

This is not the end of this and unfortunately for Herman Cain Italy's first of all this is -- is the -- will be eight latest in the series of women have come out of the will work around mister -- that is difficult it's hard to.

Just talk all up to fabrications as he is is prone to do here.

I think more importantly -- this just keeps raising questions about him at it and the basics of his candidacy can he be trusted.

Can Republican voters know that they're gonna get a candidate that they can bring up against president of -- -- given all that's out there right now he's got real credibility issues here.

And I just think this is the latest in a series of stories that are just so difficult for candidacy that's been fading of the last couple weeks.

When there's say on the legal difference between.

The first allegations sexual harassment somewhere anonymous comment and this one with a woman has come forward this is not quote illegal but I guess when you're in the position of trying to draw that distinction of -- Just -- -- do you explain what the differences you're deep water that.

That's right in because he's -- everything so far it gets questions of credibility and I think we heard him tonight also outline for the first time a possible exit strategy from this campaign when he said.

What you think I don't wanna give in because that would previous did this whole political establishment winning here.

But if he gets to the point -- hurting my family then I'd have to consider this that's the first daylight.

That he's offered here and to me it suggests that as this all plays out -- we'll have to see how -- Stanley reacts to -- inject another element in his decision making.

I can tell everyone this country is look at the picture and video we put up and his wife Gloria.

Who we interviewed here and who is a very very sweet woman.

And he's got some explained to a -- -- it's true he certainly does end and if he's denying -- flat out the nets again one strategy and all this but that this woman has some documentation in terms of terms of contacts they've had with each other.

And I just don't I think this is the -- Herman Cain wants to be talking about pretty clearly right now I think this whole incident or the series of allegations that have come out there.

It all all they have done is be open them up to other charges and other scrutiny in the fact that we we start scrutinizing 999 and looking at his experience on foreign policy I think that answer Yemen Libya a couple weeks ago.

All of that becomes fair game because of the scrutiny he gets is a front runner.

This all gets mixed in for a lot of candidates who were making up their mind a lot of Republican voters haven't made up their mind yet this is another reason to have doubts I -- Iowa which has a large evangelical -- found this is not exactly the best topic to be paraded in front of them no end to look at -- -- by his side of the story which is that all of this is made up -- -- -- -- complete fabrications that's one thing but it gets harder and harder to do that you win you have so many women coming out there this is not just anonymous allegations these -- These are women who were putting their names to a -- their faces out there.

And you'd have to believe that all of them -- 100% lying for Herman cain's denials to be true.

So -- what Kenny -- is there any way out of this is there the light at the end of the tunnel for him besides an exit strategy I.

I think he he needs that he needs to explain that the nature of this relationship entirely find a way to discredit the people that are accusing him his cross court.

Well I think I think both -- happen I think he's got -- explain why contacts happen and also explain what the motivations behind why this why this person is making a lot.

And that I think he has to get off this topic again and he's got -- speeches this week -- -- be talking about his foreign policy if you're gonna do anything you have to do with policy specifics yet you can't be out there.

The preemptively denying charges that are of people they continue to come out of the woodwork.

Doesn't make a difference if we -- -- -- investigate -- let's say this woman has a rather tawdry background as she made a statement that chooses I'm not proud.

-- -- she was she knew it was marriage says -- -- name's Brian has negotiated know what she was up to.

If in fact this is even true -- does does her background let's suppose that says she's got a shady background does that have any political impact or is that not -- I think even if he goes to establishing that she made it all off the -- ends up being exactly that.

You -- -- I don't I don't think I don't think it's enough distance to question her motivations in this or to question her background she's out there sneaking a very specific allegation -- right it's not a criminal one it's not.

It's not on the same order -- sexual harassment certainly a consensual sexual relationship over a period of time all that all that may be said but again.

Herman Cain is saying it didn't happen is just not true a 100% -- you have to believe that this person -- that all of it.

Gibson mentioned the other Kenneth sort of just sit back now estimate is that LA -- bottom for this to the media is going after him -- he has said to resist so aggressively looking at -- that's right and the dynamics.

This race have changed around Herman -- Herman Cain is gone and they've done his thing you need 999 plan wrote in to this to this new level of of prominence and then of scrutiny.

And then did everything has changed and now Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are the ones jostling for the nomination.

Wee Herman Cain at the last debate really was a non entity a non factor and I think -- -- probably continue to see that play out and holes where.

More more voters decide they're gonna -- to -- elsewhere.

Okay in the -- though -- -- in the -- primary back in 1982.

Former President Clinton who was not there was then governor Clinton.

-- -- he had some allegations against -- -- some tapes yeah he's -- what's the difference I think.

I think the handling of it from one I mean Bill Clinton mishandled the masterfully he had a family at his side -- went out there and and and pushed back against these things.

And I think voters ultimately made a judgment didn't do it because they knew what was out there and they didn't really care about it Herman -- NASA hope for a similar dynamic and yes I hope for maybe some other missteps along the way for him to be able to -- Chart a path back.

And of course and because they get the nomination yet they also he also the advantage of having ross' throw and join us right there right candidate and a friend of President Bush 41 splitting the race yeah.

Sound advice and a tough night for McCain Sam went yeah and they're never good when you have to go out there before the fact the -- it was about to see something terrible about me and it's just not true.

And of course is Lauren catchers learn how to much with a statement that the war isn't it very well rarely like statement but not a very political statement -- -- statement and he is he actually 100% rebut the charges the lawyer says these are not things that a presidential -- -- -- -- answer period.

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