Cain, Support Eroding, Weighs Dropping Bid

Source: NYT

The leading conservative voices who have come to Herman Cain’s defense began backing away on Tuesday as he acknowledged that he was reassessing his Republican presidential bid, uncertain that he could withstand a report of an extramarital affair after accusations of sexual harassment and stumbling foreign policy responses.

A day after a woman in Atlanta stepped forward to say that she and Mr. Cain had a 13-year relationship and presented cellphone bills to document their regular contact, he told campaign aides that he would make a decision about his future in the coming days. He denied having had a romantic relationship, but advisers said he wanted time to gauge the reaction of supporters and contributors, as well as to see whether his family preferred that he leave the race.

“It’s also taken a toll on my wife and my family, as you would imagine,” Mr. Cain told staff members and a few big supporters on a campaign conference call. “The public will have to decide whether they believe her or whether they believe me. That’s why we’re going to give it some time, to see what type of response we get from our supporters.”

Five weeks before the Iowa caucuses open the Republican nominating contest, several conservative activists said Mr. Cain had little chance to re-establish his credibility. One Republican rival, former Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. of Utah, suggested that Mr. Cain consider dropping out, while another candidate, Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, said the accusations raised urgent questions about his conservative convictions.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/us/politics/herman-cain-may-quit-after-affair-and-harassment-accusations.html?pagewanted=all