Florida supporters of Herman Cain are standing by as they anxiously await his campaign "reassessment."

The businessman said he would counsel with his family in Georgia this weekend and announce his future plans at a yet-to-be-determined time.

Multiple allegations of misconduct and a painful stumble over an editorial board question about Libya have rocked the campaign and raised questions about the candidate's viability -- personally and politically.

"The [sexual harassment] accusations, if true, are terrible. If they're true, he had no business running for president. But I don't know if they're true," said Sarah Rumpf, a Republican strategist and early Cain supporter.

Rumpf said the allegations did not jibe with her personal experience.

"Herman Cain was completely kind and classy every time I have observed him," she said.

But Rumpf wasn't nearly so complimentary of Cain's national campaign staff.

"If there's something in your past, you have to hash it all out in advance because it will all come out. The campaign's response was like they never saw it coming," she said.

Patricia Sullivan, a Cain backer and head of the statewide Tea Party Network, said, "I haven't met one Cain volunteer or fan who has left his side yet. We are sad at how ugly politics can be, but we are determined to take our candidate at his word."

State Rep. Scott Plakon, who jumped on the Cain bandwagon before the Georgian won Florida's Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando in September, said he was watching and waiting, along with Cain's 67 county chairmen.

Plakon said he remained skeptical of the unfolding and unsubstantiated claims of misconduct that began dogging Cain a month ago.

"People say, 'Where there's smoke, there's fire.' Well, sometimes fires are caused by arsonists," the Longwood Republican observed.

Sullivan called Cain "our champion."

"He's putting a lot on the line to save America from the status quo, which is killing us. There is no other champion, so I hope he presses forward.

"If the media are allowed to take out a candidate in this way, I can't imagine 'we the people' ever successfully running a candidate again. So sad. Yet, we fight on," the Lake County Republican said.

Rumpf said that for Cain to quit now would "send a signal" that the flimsiest of sexual allegations could derail future Republican candidacies.

But Rumpf, who now classifies herself as undecided in the GOP presidential contest, said Cain's national campaign team may be his worst enemy.

"Every time there's been a challenge, the campaign has not reacted well. It's been a confusing mess," Rumpf said, noting that Cain attorney Lin Wood "never actually denied the accusations."

Adding to the confusion, and the intrigue, Cain aired TV ads in Iowa on Thursday, indicating that he was staying in the race, at least for now.

Also Thursday, the campaign appealed for volunteers to travel to early primary states, including Florida, to provide ground support for Cain's faltering bid.

"We are encouraging people who believe in Herman Cain’s vision to get on board and take an active role in electing the next Republican president of the United States of America. To do this, we are reaching out to people who can travel to one or more of the early primary states and help in the state’s respective caucus or primary," the campaign email stated.

In Florida, Plakon said, "We're slowly moving forward, pending [Cain's] announcement," which the legislator predicted would come Monday.

 

Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or (772) 801-5341.