Cain to decide whether to quit race
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Xinhua, December 1, 2011
Embattled Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said he would assess whether to drop out of the race by Wednesday next week as a welter of sex allegations took a heavy toll on his family and supporters, according to media reports on Thursday.
Cain, the former pizza company executive, who led the Republican race barely more than a month ago, has nosedived in polls after a series of sexual harassment charges.
His campaign suffered another blow on Monday when an Atlanta businesswoman, Ginger White, gave a television interview claiming she had a 13-year affair with him which began in the mid-1990s.
Cain, 65, denied the allegation and said she was his friend and he was simply giving her financial assistance.
White told ABC's "Good Morning America" program that she remained in contact with Cain until last week.
"I've received gifts and money for the last 2-1/2 years, consistently," White said, adding Cain also took her on several trips. But she said he sought nothing in return. "This was not sex for cash."
Cain acknowledged he was re-assessing and re-evaluating in light of the woman's account. In an interview with Fox News, he said the controversy was taking an emotional toll on his wife and family. "I've got to think about my family first, especially my wife," Cain said. "This is why we are reassessing."
He said he would exit the race if the price proved too high and he would make a decision within "several days" whether to stay in the race to be the Republican challenger to President Barack Obama in 2012.
On an campaign trip to Ohio, Cain told the crowd: "They're attacking my character, my reputation and my name in order to try to bring me down. But, you see, I don't believe that America is going to let that happen."
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Cain's departure would do little to change the race, with his depleted support carved up among the field. Top rivals Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich would gain the most, with bumps of about 3 percentage points each, while other contenders would pick up slightly less.
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