Latest Herman Cain accuser may be a "game changer." Gee, ya think? Update.

"Big Daddy" Cain in his totally innocent looking pimp hat.

Courtesy of the Des Moines Register:

Herman Cain’s candidacy has reached “a tipping point,” one Iowa conservative leader said Monday, as some Republicans here reacted with distaste to fresh allegations about inappropriate behavior — from a fourth accuser who isn’t anonymous. 

The Des Moines Register re-interviewed 15 conservative Iowans who participated in the Iowa Poll two weeks ago, and 11 of them said Sharon Bialek’s detailed allegations about Cain groping her in 1997 are troubling enough to at least make them question the retired restaurant executive’s fitness for the White House. 

Cain was 31-year-old Sioux City resident Joe Sandvick’s top choice in the Iowa Poll, but on Monday, Sandvick said the new claims draw the candidate’s character into question “dramatically.” 

“If there’s one allegation, that’s one thing. When there’s two, there’s smoke. And when there’s three or four, then you’ve got a full-blown fire,” said Sandvick, a tea party supporter. “Usually if you’ve got that many people coming forward, it’s got to be somewhat true somewhere along the line. They can’t all be in cahoots and say it’s a conspiracy.” 

Some of Cain’s Iowa backers, including Pottawattamie County GOP Chairman Jeff Jorgensen, immediately came to Cain’s defense. 

But other Iowa conservatives said the fact that Bialek identified herself and gave an on-the-record account of an alleged groping incident is a game-changer.

As predicted having Sharon Bialek now provided a face to go with the allegations against Cain, has made them cut much deeper into his support than they did previously. His chances of recovering from this are very unlikely in my opinion, but don't tell that to the Cain campaign, who have now decided to go after the accuser with both barrels:

In the email, his camp telegraphed the talking points it is likely to make during a previously scheduled 2:30 p.m. interview with ABC News and Yahoo! and a 5 p.m. press conference in Phoenix. 

“As Ms. Sharon Bialek has placed herself in the public spotlight through making patently false allegations against Herman Cain, it is only fair to compare her track record alongside Mr. Cain’s,” the campaign wrote in the email. “In stark contrast to Mr. Cain’s four decades spent climbing the corporate ladder rising to the level of CEO at multiple successful business enterprises, Ms. Bialek has taken a far different path. The fact is that Ms. Bialek has had a long and troubled history, from the courts to personal finances – which may help explain why she has come forward 14 years after an alleged incident with Mr. Cain, powered by celebrity attorney and long term Democrat donor Gloria Allred.” 

Like I said it is highly doubtful that "Herb" can recover from this, but if by some miracle he manages to stay in the race I think he has just sabotaged any hope he ever had of getting the female vote.

From my experience women do not like an accused sexual predator to attack the character of their victims. And you can bet big money that there are possibly millions of women who are identifying with Ms. Bialek, and hoping that Cain is humiliated and pilloried for what he is accused of doing.

And speaking of perceptions, I just don't think that Cain's new political slogan is doing him any favors either.

(H/T to Great Grey for the graphic.)

(Now I think I finally understand what is behind that creepy smile of his.)

Gee I can hardly wait to see this press conference at five o'clock. You may think he cannot dig himself in any deeper, but I believe that is underestimating Mr. Cain's abilities.

Update: With other women being named I don't think that Cain attempting to smear one of his accusers is going to do him any good whatsoever.