Political Mayhem Thursday: Herman Cain!

Can I just say-- Herman Cain would be the worst President ever, but this ad totally wowed me. There is something wonderfully transgressive about the smoking at the end... and I am tired of timidity. Sure, I have no idea what the point is there-- maybe it's about freedom? That would be good.

Nearly anything worthwhile transgresses society's norms in some way. Transgression is a step on the way to reform of stale and outgrown parts of our culture; it can be the razor that splits habit from tradition.

Meanwhile, Herman Cain is otherwise a complete train wreck. His 9-9-9 plan would raise taxes for many or even most people (aren't Republicans supposed to be against raising taxes?). He mishandled and appeared to fudge answers related to old charges that he sexually harassed his employees. He accidentally said that the choice of abortion is up to the woman involved, before hearing the objections of horrified conservatives. He seems to be stumbling from one disaster to the next, dragging various conservative figures along like a drunk sorority girl leading a pack of besotted boys out of a bar. This week, it was all about race, with figures like Ann Coulter claiming that "our blacks are more impressive than their blacks," among other things.

What happens next to Herman Cain?