Over the last several weeks, conservatives have been raising Cain. Herman Cain’s rise in the polls has been steep and sudden. It wasn’t that long ago that most conservatives were only vaguely aware of Cain and knew him best as the former CEO of Godfathers Pizza.

That started to change when Cain announced, several months ago, that he was a Presidential candidate for 2012. After a couple of debates, Cain started to gain some traction but it wasn’t until he started talking about his 9-9-9 tax plan that his numbers really started taking off.

Now, as more people start analyzing the 9-9-9 plan, it has started to look a little tarnished. For some, though Cain denies it, it seems to raise their taxes. It’s simple and that’s what caught attention but, when it’s put to specific questions, it may well be too simple and in some ways, unworkable.

Cain, last week in response to criticism, tweaked the plan. Cain would exempt all people who are at or below the federal poverty line (about $22,000 for a family of four) from the tax on income.

Wouldn’t that make it the 9-9-(9*) plan?

That is strike one against Herman Cain.

Then came Cain’s statements regarding abortion.

In 2003, Herman Cain said he supported a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion.

Okay.

A few nights ago, regarding an abortion question on CNN, Cain said, “It comes down to, it’s not the government’s role or anybody’s role to make that decision. Secondly, if you look at the statistical incidents, you’re not talking about that number. What I’m saying is it ultimately gets down to a choice that the family or that mother has to make. Not me as president, not some politician, not a bureaucrat. It gets down to that family. And whatever they decide. I shouldn’t have to tell them what decision to make for such a sensitive issue.”

The two positions seem at odds with one another.

Last week he was on Fox Business News and said… telling “abortion should not be legal.”

Well, which IS it then?

Cain has offered a clarification.

“Yesterday in an interview with Piers Morgan on CNN, I was asked questions about abortion policy and the role of the President.

I understood the thrust of the question to ask whether that I, as president, would simply “order” people to not seek an abortion. My answer was focused on the role of the President. The President has no constitutional authority to order any such action by anyone. That was the point I was trying to convey.

As to my political policy view on abortion, I am 100% pro-life. End of story.

I will appoint judges who understand the original intent of the Constitution. Judges who are committed to the rule of law know that the Constitution contains no right to take the life of unborn children.

I will oppose government funding of abortion. I will veto any legislation that contains funds for Planned Parenthood. I will do everything that a President can do, consistent with his constitutional role, to advance the culture of life.”

Ummm…okay…so…Herman Cain wants to overturn Roe v Wade and return the abortion to the states?

I admit, it’s a little tough to figure out what exactly Cain’s position on this is and given the fact that Cain is unaccustomed to the sort of media whirlwind he now finds himself within, I’m not sure he knows how to handle himself.

Remember, back when Herman Cain first announced and he stated he would never have, as part of his administration, Muslims before, just days later, he backed away from THAT statement?

Is Herman Cain flip flopping, pandering or just not thinking before speaking? Honestly, none of those 3 possibilities are good and none bode well for Cain now that he’s out in front of the GOP field.

Strike 2 Mr. Cain.

Finally, in a statement which frankly isn’t getting a whole lot of play…we have what I consider to be STARTLING!!!

Herman Cain was again on CNN, this time with Blitzer when he was asked a question based on Israel’s swap of more than 1000 prisoners for 1 Israeli soldier.

BLITZER: “Imagine if you were President – we’re almost out of time – uh, and there were one American soldier who’d been held for years, and the demand was, al Qaeda or some other terrorist group, you– ya gotta free everybody at Guantanamo Bay– several hundred prisoners at Guantanamo– could you see yourself as President authorizing that kind of transfer?”

Cain’s response was short…to the point and…stunning.

CAIN: “I could see myself authorizing that kind of transfer.”

What?

As president, Herman Cain could see himself authorizing the release of every single prisoner, terrorist, combatant, whatever…from Gitmo for the return of a single U.S. Soldier???

We don’t negotiate with terrorists Mr. Cain.

Our soldiers, every one of them, are volunteers and they know the risks and the stakes. I don’t know of any U.S. soldier who would advocate turning loose every detainee in Gitmo to continue their quest to kill Americans, for their own life.

Strike 3?

Will Cain walk back his Gitmo statement as he has his abortion and Muslim statements?

Under the glare of the front runner spotlight will he continue to utter things he will later have to “clarify” by claiming he meant something completely different?

Here’s the problem.

Should Cain become the nominee, it’s exactly these types of statements and their “clarifications” which will come back to haunt him and the fact that he is relatively unaccustomed to the need to make statements clearly the FIRST time on the national stage leaves him vulnerable against the Obama/liberal machine.

Herman Cain needs to realize that conservative voters are the home plate umpires and the strike zone is large. Right now, Cain is in the race for the pennant and as we come down to the wire, his batting average isn’t looking too good.