Former presidential candidate, Herman Cain, proved that despite a load of God given talent, he was unable to be a serious contender for the highest office in the land.

One of the basic tenets of journalism is to verify, verify, and verify. Well, as part of the reading public, it’s kind of difficult to verify anonymous sources, integrate the motivation of an unknown source into our interpretation of the story and to trust reporters you don’t know.

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) have created a generally accepted code of ethics by which journalist are supposed to abide by. According to the SPJ, “The SPJ Code of Ethics is voluntarily embraced by thousands of writers, editors and other news professionals. The present version of the code was adopted by the 1996 SPJ National Convention, after months of study and debate among the Society’s members.” To read the entire code, go to: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.

According to SPJ’s preamble, “Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.”

Can these reporters honestly say that they “provided a fair and comprehensive account “of the Herman Cain allegations? How can a story that’s based on anonymous sources be “fair and comprehensive?”

Many black conservatives feel the assault on Cain is really a proxy battle for an ideological war for who can best articulate a case for the black community’s interests.

In 2010’s North Carolina’s Hall of Fame Banquet Fund Raiser, I was asked to introduce Mr. Cain from a prepared resume which after taking one glance at it, I set it aside and did it from my heart.

I appreciated that there were not six degrees of separation between us but paths of convergence including deep Georgia roots his and mine on the paternal side, an undergraduate Morehouse connection for him and my father involving Dr. Benjamin Elias Mays, a utilization of a hearse to deliver Godfather’s Pizzas and by my brother’s funeral parlor, as well as a Purdue University appreciation from one of my ex-loves and my nephew who is currently there.

For thirty minutes reaching deep into the depths of his experiences, without notes, Herman Cain’s baritone voice rendered a stirring and impassioned charge to the Republican Party building upon his humble beginnings as a poor boy whose father taught him well the need to be responsible for his own life and outcome even if it meant assuming three jobs as he had done.

As I prepare to write this, I reflect upon the year 2004. It was the first year I was eligible to vote. I specifically remember the state America was in. We were a nation at war with enemies foreign and abroad. Our nation’s national security was essentially the most imperative nature of interest at that time. I remember viewing George W. Bush as a man of courage and determination to protect the interest of the United States.

I eagerly and unapologetically casted my vote for the incumbent Republican candidate. Two years later, I found myself privileged and honored to be positioned in Washington, D.C. as a White House intern in the Bush Administration. I doubted if I would ever find myself having the same enthusiasm and excitement over a leader again as I did in George W. Bush. Well, little did I know what will occur in the year 2011.

Someone told me recently she liked reading my blog but it seemed like everything I wrote about was race. I guess I’m going to live up to that person’s perception today. Admittedly, I write from the perspective of a black woman, so I can’t help notice these type of stories. For the record the purpose of my blog is to educate people on politics, awaken black liberals to a new way of thinking and encourage people to vote based on issues not party.

I don’t intentionally sit down at the key board each week itching to write about the intersection of politics and race but it seems there is always a politically racial story staring and at times smacking me in the face. Like today, when the only black Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said it was “insulting” for Governor Rick Perry and his family to lease a hunting camp in Texas known as “Niggerhead.”

Republican presidential Herman Cain pays tribute to the fallen of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 as he sings, “God Bless America.”

Herman Cain says voters across the country should have the right to prevent Muslims from building mosques in their communities.

Karl Rove: “A Talk Radio Guy In Atlanta Won’t Be The Next Huckabee” asserts the former adviser to former president George W. Bush.

If the current crop of declared GOP presidential contenders is the party’s field of dreams for 2012, we’re in real trouble. Reviewing the line up thus far, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Tim Pawlenty, the group has the charisma factor of a ball of wax. Let’s face it charisma is more than 50% of presidential candidates appeal and for the most part this group is just plain dullsville when stacked up against Obama.

So far, Republicans’ quest for the White House in 2012 is looking more like a bad reality show at best, giving team Obama ample room for confidence the president will win a second term. Comb over, business titan Donald Trump’s flirtation with running for president was truly embarrassing. This week, just when we thought he couldn’t top his ridiculous press conference, taking credit for forcing Obama to reveal his birth certificate, Trump declared he wouldn\’t run for president but “I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and, ultimately , the general election.” Hardly, Americans won’t elect a birther as president.