Raising Herman Cain

So why is Herman Cain resonating? There are a few factors at play here.

Herman Cain is not a politician. That helps him tremendously. In a political climate where the typical polished politician turns off voters, Cain is refreshing.

But beyond that, have you ever been in a room when Cain speaks? I have and he is captivating, one of the best orators out there in the political world. The crowd is locked in when he speaks.

Here’s another crucial point: Herman Cain is talking in very plain language. His “9-9-9 Plan” is a catchy phrase and very easy to digest.

With all due respect to Mitt Romney, his 59-point economic plan may be the right prescription for the country, but many people are probably tuning out and lost after Power Point slide number four.

Nobody can predict the future for Herman Cain. He has quite a few hurdles in front of him (read: foreign policy knowledge) before he can ever think about winning the GOP nomination. But Cain has put himself in a position where voters and conservative bigwigs are giving him a second look.

The big question for Cain is can he translate all of this success into campaign cash? Let’s face it: Money talks and hard cold cash means something in presidential politics.

That will be a huge barometer going forward. It’s one thing to win a few straw polls, even big ones like in Florida. It’s another for major donors to get behind you and cut you a check.