Herman Cain, who has already formed a presidential exploratory committee for the next election cycle, alleged "stupid people are ruining America" on Friday at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference.
"It's sad," he said in a speech at the annual event before going on to take aim at the left side of the political spectrum. "The objective of the liberals is to destroy this country. The objective of the liberals is to make America mediocre."
Cain also addressed the issue of race at the conservative gathering. The Hill reports:
"They call me racist too because I happen to disagree with the president," Cain said at the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday. "If you disagree about their liberal leader you must be a racist no matter what color you are."
Cain said his disagreement with Obama was based on policies, not race. "Some black people can think for themselves," he said.
He told the crowd: "You are not racist."
Joshua Green at the Atlantic caught up with Cain at the conference and asked him whether he thinks the president was born in the United States. Here's what Cain had to say about the matter:
I have no idea. The fact that it has become an issue, or a controversy, does raise a question that I can't say that I feel one way or the other because I have not reviewed all the various "proof" one way or another.
Just hours before his speech at CPAC, Cain told Hotline on Call that he wasn't entirely sure what he was going to say when he addressed the conservative crowd.
"I have some idea of what I'm going to say, of course," he said before the speech. "I like to get a feel for the audience and read their reaction to certain things, and based upon their reaction I'll decide where to go next."
The Atlanta Journal Constitution recently reported that Cain is on "hiatus" from his radio talk show as he mulls a campaign for the White House. According to the National Journal, the potential presidential contender plans to spend more time making appearances on television and at Tea Party events.
Via Right Wing Watch comes a clip of Cain's speech: