Herman Cain Suspends Presidential Campaign, Finally

Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/5485849315/">Gage Skidmore</a>/Flickr

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So that happened.

Former restaurant industry lobbyist, talk-show host, motivational speaker, and Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain dropped out of the GOP presidential race at a rally in Atlanta on Saturday, citing “false” attacks on his character that prevented him from getting his message out. Cain, in a noticeably less caffeinated speech than has been his custom, alleged that “elites” and political reporters had conspired to take down his reputation. Cain’s not exiting politics, though; he’s moving on to what he repeatedly referred to as “Plan B”—a new website devoted to sharing his solutions for fixing America. 

The site, “Cain Solutions,” is currently empty.

In the end, despite demonstrating a total lack of interest in the rest of the world, the intricacies of politics, or basic Constitutional principles, Cain was undone not by ignorance or even a parade of sexual harassment complaints, but by alleged infidelity. For many, the main question wasn’t whether Cain would drop out today, but whether Gloria Cain would stand by her husband’s side when he did it—she did, taking the stage to chants of “Gloria! Gloria!” from the crowd.

After spending much of his address chiding the political establishment for not taking him seriously, Cain closed the speech with an extended quote from the theme song to the Pokemon movie: “Life can be a challenge. Life can seem impossible. It’s never easy when there’s so much on the line. But you and I can make a difference. There’s a mission just for you and me.” Sometimes you just can’t catch ’em all.

The dream is dead. But what a journey it’s been. Here’s a guide to some of Cain’s greatest (or not) hits:

Share your own memories in the comments.

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