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Herman Cain: African-Americans have been brainwashed into not being open-minded

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer spoke with Herman Cain today about 2012 politics and more. This interview aired during CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. A highlight from the interview is after the jump and a full transcript of the program will be posted at CNN.com.

Please credit all usage of the interview to CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

Highlight from Full Interview
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED

WOLF BLITZER, HOST:  You’re doing well in the polls right now.  But let me specifically ask you about the African-American community. Why is the Republican Party basically poison for so many African-Americans?

HERMAN CAIN (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE:  Because many African-Americans have been brainwashed into not being open-minded, not even considering a conservative point of view.  I have received some of that same vitriol simply because I am running for the Republican nomination as a conservative.

So it’s just brainwashing and people not being open-minded, pure and simple.

BLITZER:  That — that’s a strong word to talk about your fellow African-Americans, brainwashed?

CAIN:  For two thirds of them, Wolf, that is the case.  Now, the good news is I happen to believe that a third to 50 percent of the black Americans in this country, they are open-minded.  I meet them every day.  They stop me in the airport.

And so this whole notion that all black Americans are necessarily going to stay and vote Democrat and vote for Obama, that’s simply not true.

More and more black Americans are thinking for themselves.  And that’s a good thing.

BLITZER:  And you’ve suggested – correct me if I’m wrong — that if you were the Republican nominee, you think a third of African-Americans would vote for you?

CAIN:  I do believe a third would vote for me based upon my own anecdotal feedback.  Now, they won’t be voting for me because I’m black.  They’ll be voting for me because of my policies and because of what I’m offering to fix this economy, starting with, as you know, my 999 Plan.  That’s what they are responding to.

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