Time & Perspective Quote by Herman Cain

Cain’s genius here is his choice of verb: “sucking.” It’s not just that the media persuades or pressures; it’s predatory, grotesquely physical, a vacuum cleaner with a press badge. In one move he recasts political ambition as something reluctant and almost violated, turning Christie’s denials into evidence of authenticity rather than hedging. If you don’t want to run, you must be “sucked” in; if you do want to run, you’re exactly the kind of careerist Cain’s brand was built to mock.

The repetition is the point. “Sucking Chris Christie into race” and “sucking Rick Perry into the race” isn’t elegant, it’s incantatory: a simple pattern that trains the listener to see a machine at work. Cain isn’t arguing about Christie’s poll numbers or Perry’s résumé; he’s building a meta-narrative where the press manufactures candidates the way reality TV manufactures villains. That’s classic outsider politics from a businessman-turned-populist: shift the focus from your movement’s internal competition to a shared enemy with institutional power.

Context matters. Cain is speaking in an era when “media narrative” became its own political boogeyman and when “draft” fantasies (especially around governors like Christie) were catnip for cable news. Invoking Rick Perry is a cautionary tale: the media “made a story,” then watched the candidate struggle under the spotlight. Subtext: don’t fall for the hype, don’t reward the press with attention, and don’t let them pick the field. It’s a defensive move that doubles as a fundraising-friendly grievance.