9-9-9 and karaoke

NEW YORK | Republican contenders are fighting to be the candidate that challenges President Barack Obama in 2012. Against all odds, former head of Godfather’s pizza chain and political neophyte Herman Cain is surging in the polls after Texas Governor Rick Perry saw his support collapse after his poor GOP debate performances. Right now Cain is essentially tied with Mitt Romney, unable to inspire the conservative base because of his somewhat liberal policies as governor of Massachusetts and his Mormon faith.

Cain firmly believes that his success will lay on his 9-9-9 tax plan, which would replace the current tax code with a 9 percent corporate income tax, 9 percent personal income tax and 9 percent national sales tax. He insists that “most people will pay less” although for most analysts the 9-9-9 formula is nothing but a delirium that would increase the taxes for lower income citizens. “Take Cain seriously is harder than it looks“, says famous political blogger Ana Marie Cox.

Some say he cribbed his 9-9-9 paradigm from the popular 90’s videogame Simcity, that simulates city government. He has categorically denied it. You can see here how he defended himself  during a 25-minute appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Moreover, the candidate, who casts himself as an outsider, has spent the last days explaining a controversial comment about building an electrified fence along the U.S. – Mexico border that he said could kill people trying to enter the country illegally. On Sunday, he said his comments were “a joke”.

But the most commented info about the ex pizza entrepreneur who has never held political office is probably related to his singing abilities. A 1991 video that is making the rounds of the Web shows him at the Omaha press club dedicating an ode to pizza to the tune of  John Lennon’s “Imagine”.

“Imagine there’s no pizza
I couldn’t if I tried
Eating only tacos
Or Kentucky Fried
Imagine only burgers
It’s frightening and sad…”