Politics: The Professional Has-Been

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Politics The Professional Has-Been Herman Cain is known best for his failure. Life has never been so good. By David Weigel Posted Tuesday, Apr 17, 2012, at 01:20 PM ET William Temple put on the classic militia outfit, grabbed the Gadsden flag, and headed to Herman Cain's Sunday night reception. He has 12 different get-ups to re-enact different military eras, but this one—tan sailcloth, black leather gaiters, tricorner hat—goes over the best at Tea Party events. Reporters love this. Temple is probably the most-photographed soldier of the Tea Party movement. Alas, it's Sunday night at a hotel in a particularly anonymous quadrant of the Washington, D.C. suburbs. Barely 150 people have shown up. So Temple grabs appetizers. There are four nearby tables piled high with grape leaves, various cheeses, pita bread tips, and charcuteries. "I'm here to support Mr. Cain in whatever he does," says Temple. "What the media did to force him out of the race—that was one of the worst things ever done in this country. I emailed [Fox News reporter] Carl Cameron on it, and said it was a high-tech lynching. He emailed back, and said 'I'm not an investigative reporter.' This was Fox News! Fox News carried this story with no proof." A waiter walks by, cradling a tray of crabcakes, each approximately the size of a gummy eraser. "Ah, yes!" says Temple, affecting his revolutionary-era accent. (Think of an extra from the John Adams mini-series.) "I'll have a full regiment." The waiter moves over to Judson Phillips, the founder of Tea Party Nation and mastermind of the February 2010 National Tea Party Convention. That event cost ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Why Are Secret Service Agents Always Touching Their Earpieces? A Nanny Explains Why Working Mothers Are Such Terrible Bosses Battle in Kansas: Should Toto Be the State Dog?	Advertisement
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