WASHINGTON, Calif., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain says he has more to offer U.S. voters than not being Mitt Romney.
Cain holds the lead in two recent polls and says he has been connecting with voters because of his ideas and not merely because he is a fallback choice for conservatives who have not yet warmed up to Romney.
"I don't think that's the driving force," Cain said on CBS's "Face the Nation. "The reaction in terms of how people have responded to my speeches -- talking about specific solutions relative to the economy, specific things that I would do differently as it relates to this president and this administration -- they are genuinely enthused about what I'm saying and how I'm saying it."
Cain said he had been cultivating political support for several months before he officially launched his campaign. "I have actually been connecting with people in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida for over a year, even before I made the decision to run," Cain said. "My message is connecting and and people are connecting with me and the specific solutions I'm putting on the table."
Cain conceded he still had work to do explaining the theory of his "9-9-9" tax plan, and that his new ad in which an aide smokes a cigarette doesn't mean he is promoting tobacco use. "It is not a cool thing to do, and that's not what it was trying to say," Cain said.
