Will Cain Get The Palin Treatment? You Betcha! (Updated)

The Hermanator desperately needs a Peter Schweizer
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In his appearance on "Fox News Sunday" this morning, Herman Cain tripped over the Right of Return. How much pain will he feel from the bad step? That depends on how much slack certain people are willing to cut him for the stumble, which apparently will be "not much."

We are reminded of the situation when Charles Gibson ambushed a freshly-minted GOP vice presidential candidate with the Bush Doctrine question in an ABC interview. The difference -- aside from the fact that she was just a presidential candidate's running mate at the time, while Cain is running for the top job -- is that she's been working on her foreign policy chops since then and recently took it to the next level with the hiring of Peter Schweizer as her foreign policy advisor.

Cain rather inexpicably told Chris Wallace that he wouldn't even start on a security plan until after he's elected. While we appreciate his candor, it was the Wrong Answer. Too Pelosi, as in "we won't know what's in the ObamaCare bill until it passes." Sure, the lamestream media will let Pelosi get away with that stuff, but they will eviscerate a conservative presidential candidate for it. Wrong Answer on the Right Of Return also. Cain said it was an issue for negotiation, but most Israelis (not just the Likud right) consider the matter non-negotiable.

Mr. Cain is where Gov. Palin was three years ago on foreign policy issues. Governors and businessmen were not expected to demonstrate expertise on foreign policy in the past, even when they were candidates for president, and certainly not when running for the next job down the pay grade scale. But those goalposts were moved in 2008. There's no Right of Return to the days of Harry S. Truman, when free passes on foreign policy knowledge were still being handed out to candidates for national office.

The Hermanator is a fine man and a great conservative, but that don't-ask-me-until-I'm-elected attitude will only serve to get him perceived as cabinet-level timber at best (think Commerce Secretary), not the stuff presidents are made of. Unless he ditches that particular non-response and gets serious about foreign policy, as Sarah Palin has done, the Obamunist media will shred him quicker than you can say, "In what respect, Charlie?"

To our friends who are enthusiastic Cain supporters, we can only echo Bruce Willis' "Die Hard" character with, "Welcome to the party, pal." As Palin supporters, we have been there and seen that. This much is indisputable: Sarah Palin is the most vetted candidate in political history. She's come a long, long way in the past three years, and she's posted numerous op-eds dealing with foreign policy issues on her Facebook Notes page and in such publications as National Review. These writings reveal how hard she's studied these critical issues and how well all that work is paying off for her. Herman Cain, God bless and protect him, is just now starting down that long hard road.

Update: According to Stacy McCain, Herman Cain has issued a clarification.

- JP