The Herman Cain Train

Although it's still very early in the nomination process, Herman Cain is now firmly ahead of the GOP pack creating the possibility of a presidential election involving two black men.

If a fiction writer just five years ago suggested this scenario for 2012, they probably would not have been taken seriously. Again, it's early, but how did this come about and does Cain actually stand a chance of winning the nomination?

Well, the Republicans have been moving toward more diverse candidates for some time now. First we had Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana who campaigned around the same time as Obama during the presidential nomination race. In 2010, we witnessed successful GOP candidates like Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, an Asian Indian American, and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a Cuban American.

Cain's political views also happen to not anger too severely either of the two main factions of the Republican Party, the mainstream and the Tea Party.

He is likeable and a good in-person campaigner. In fact, people first started taking note of him during straw polls when candidates angle for votes face-to-face with party activists.

He has also easily won most if not all the presidential debates.

Cain is not shy about courting the Tea Party either. In a recent YouTube video, Cain says that he was thinking like a Tea Party member long before the group even came into being.

Whether or not, the "Cain train" can continue to dominate the nomination race will depend on a number of factors. The most important one is probably whether or not the Tea Party will fully embrace the ex-Godfather's Pizza magnate.

Should be interesting, and entertaining, to watch events over the next several months.