But John J. "Jack" Pitney Jr., a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California, said Cain has handled the crisis poorly from the start.
"His initial response was confused and suggested that he hadn't really thought about it," Pitney said. "So he flunked the first test of crisis communication, which is to get your story straight. Now, the approach of going after the accuser isn't going to sit well with a lot of people."
Cain also runs the risk of diminishing himself by personally going after Bialek. "Instead of talking about high-level issues, he's impugning the integrity of a previously obscure person from Chicago," Pitney said.
Read more:
Cain: 'I have never acted inappropriately with anyone'
Sharon Bialek, the fourth woman to allege that Herman Cain sexually harassed her--and the first to do so live on television--spoke to the news media on Monday. Bialek's press conference appears to have cut Herman Cain's chances of winning the Republican presidential nomination almost in half.
Just before it was announced that a woman and her attorney, Gloria Allred, would be holding a press conference Monday, the prediction markets gave Cain a 6.8 percent chance of becoming the Republican Party's presidential nominee. By the time the press conference ended, Cain's chances in the prediction markets had dropped to 3.8 percent.
Accuser
According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, Cain and Bialek were seen speaking at a Tea Party event last month. The report claims that the two "hugged each other backstage in a full embrace like old friends" before "She grabbed his arm and whispered in his left ear."
"She kept talking as he bent to listen, and he kept saying "Uh, huh. Uh, huh," the report says.
Herman Cain: "I don't even remember" Sharon Bialek - Political Hotsheet - CBS News
On whether he anticipates additional charges of sexual harassment could arise on top of the handful that came to light over the past week, Cain said on Tuesday, "
There will probably be others" because there's "a machine" working to keep "a businessman out of the White House." He added that if more accusations continue to surface, he "will continue to respond."
Herman Cain Press Conference: Sharon Bialek Allegations Addressed By Candidate
Covering his butt. I bet there will be others, but not for the reasons he has stated.
