# Herman Cain and Juan Williams (and beyond) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 14, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-cain-and-juan-williams-and-beyond/585477 "2011-06-14T19:59:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-cain-and-juan-williams-and-beyond/585477/1 "2011-06-14T19:59:38Z")
Inspired by **dbx820** in the [Elections thread on Bachmann](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13912373), where there was [some discussion](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=13914076#post13914076) of the Republican debate last night and Herman Cain, including > [@Bachmann announces she's running](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bachmann-announces-shes-running/585382/17): > > > [@Bachmann announces she's running](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bachmann-announces-shes-running/585382/12): > > > > Cain showed himself to be a racist buffoon. > > I missed the debate… how’d he do this? > [@Bachmann announces she's running](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bachmann-announces-shes-running/585382/18): > > He pretty much flubbed his response when asked to clarify why he said he would have an issue hiring a Muslim to his administration. > > Some quotes here: [Herman Cain Pressed on Muslim Loyalty Test in GOP Debate | Politics](http://www.christianpost.com/news/herman-cain-pressed-on-muslim-loyalty-test-in-gop-debate-51152/) > [@Bachmann announces she's running](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bachmann-announces-shes-running/585382/19): > > Cain clearly has some disturbing anti-Muslim prejudice. [A decent summary is here.](http://www.mediaite.com/tv/republicans-debate-muslim-loyalty-tests-and-sharia-courts-on-cnn/) I found him to come off very creepy indeed. > [@Bachmann announces she's running](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bachmann-announces-shes-running/585382/36): > > It’s pretty clear to me from that that Mr. Cain views Muslims with a much higher level of scrutiny with respect to their loyalty to their country than non-Muslims. Whether that is warranted or not is up to the viewer (obviously the crowd agreed with him - he received much applause). > [@Bachmann announces she's running](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bachmann-announces-shes-running/585382/37): > > I so do not want to hijack this thread, but: > > I really have to wonder what people like Herman Cain and Juan Williams are thinking when they openly and clearly state that they are prejudiced toward people because of their appearance, having themselves no doubt been heavily subject to that very same prejudice. > > There are two ways to respond to prejudice directed toward you: 1) reject such prejudice and appreciate that people have different backgrounds, upbringings and views of the world or 2) redirect that prejudice toward a weaker group. > > We know which course they chose. Is that it? What’s going on here? Is the response to minority-group members who say such things unfair in any way? (Here’s a [past Pit thread on Juan Williams](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=582737).) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-cain-and-juan-williams-and-beyond/585477/2 "2011-06-14T20:05:36Z")
Why does prejudice have to be “redirected” if you’re a minority? Aren’t they allowed to be prejudiced for the same reasons as anyone else? IOW, most everyone is prejudiced. Being the victim of prejudice should make you sensitive to that in your own thoughts about other people, but it’s no guarantee. In Juan William’s case, though, I think he was just explaining his own irrational fears, and saying that he knew they were irrational. He got a lot of flack for just admitting what a lot of people feel. He wasn’t saying he was right, just acknowledging what is common in our society. Cane, OTOH, was claiming he was right to be prejudiced. That is, if I understand enough about what he said. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/herman-cain-and-juan-williams-and-beyond/585477/3 "2011-06-15T00:11:46Z")
Well the concept that a group that is pushed down looks for someone lower than them to push down, is a longstanding one. It is often brought up as a major part of the reason that White sharecroppers in the 1890’s South were so virulently racist, for example. That said I don’t think it applies to Cain. I think he is either just Islamophobic for the same reason many others of the Far Right base are, or playing to that base, or both.