Rejoice, Herman Cain Supporters, Rejoice! There Are TWO Herman Cains!

by Michael Matheron · November 11, 2011

On Tuesday this week, Herman Cain held a press conference featuring Herman Cain. Herman Cain scheduled the event to explain Herman Cain’s take on the allegations continually surfacing about Herman Cain’s past sexual harassment of at least four women. During the questioning, Herman Cain implied there is yet another Herman Cain running around town. The Herman Cain at the podium spoke (blue ink) numerous times for that other Herman Cain (red ink):

“I chose to address these accusations directly, rather than try to do it through a series of continuous statements or spokespeople because that’s the person Herman Cain is . . .”

“Well, a businessman by the name of Herman Cain stepped forward.”

“But you see, that’s one thing about Herman Cain that I think that a lot of the American people know, and that is, just because it’s tough, there’s no reason for me not to do what I feel like I have to do.”

“Well, I happen to think where it’s coming from is that some people don’t want to see Herman Cain get the Republican nomination, and some people don’t want Herman Cain to become president of the United States of America.”

“I can’t answer why the ones that have already made these – one anonymous – accusations and one that was, you know — you know, put their face on TV, started a media campaign to basically try and slander my integrity and my character, I can’t tell you what their motivation is, other than it’s to stop Herman Cain.”

As you can see, he (or “they”) continually skittered back and forth betwixt 1st and 3rd person. In one part of certain sentences he uses “I” and “my” and “me,” 1st person pronouns that one uses to refer directly to oneself. In other places Mr. Cain (if that really is his name), he (or “they”) refers, in 3rd person, to another Herman Cain, one who apparently couldn’t make it to the presser.

So, a man we’re quite familiar with stood at the podium, the man we’ve watched climb up in the GOP polls to a leadership position. However, the Herman Cain at the podium acted at times as a spokesperson for the other, missing, Herman Cain.

Referring to oneself in the 3rd person is familiar in politics, recall Bob Dole’s circa 1996 presidential campaign. Also, I’m old enough to remember this one, after Nixon lost the 1962 California gubernatorial election:

“As I leave you, I want you to know . . . just think how much you are going to be missing, you don’t have Nixon to kick around anymore because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.”

Fat chance.

Herman Cain. Serial Illeist? Or Is There More Here?

“Good evening, We are Herman Cain.”

This practice of referring to oneself in the third person, I learned today, is called “illesim,” from the Latin ille (“that man; he”) + -ism (modelled on egoism). I call it boorish, from (“boor” + “ish”). Is Herman Cain boorish? I mean, here’s a man whose business success is legendary. His charisma is noteworthy. His rise in the GOP presidential field is unprecedented. Is this man a man one would call boorish? Yes.

That aside, his boorishness (boor+ish+ness) is not the main issue here. In his scattered use of illeism during Tuesday’s press interrogation, he revealed a symptom that could trump his relatively benign illeisms. People with true illeistic (yes, “illeisitc”) personalities tend to remain in “voice” throughout.

In using the 3rd person only periodically, while reverting to 1st person at other times, Herman Cain may have uncovered a more serious problem, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), once called Multiple Personality Disorder. Here’s the relevant portion of the National Alliance on Mental Illness description of DID:

[a] disorder involving a disturbance of identity in which two or more separate and distinct personality states (or identities) control the individual’s behavior at different times. When under the control of one identity, the person is usually unable to remember some of the events that occurred while other personalities were in control. [for the complete article]

WebMD has this to say about the Cain-relevant symptoms:

Amnesia. This is the failure to recall significant personal information that is so extensive it cannot be blamed on ordinary forgetfulness. There can also be micro-amnesias where the discussion engaged in is not remembered, or the content of a meaningful conversation is forgotten from one second to the next. [italics added]

Identity confusion or identity alteration. Both of these involve a sense of confusion about who a person is. An example of identity confusion is when a person sometimes feels a thrill while engaged in an activity (such as reckless driving, DUI, alcohol or drug abuse) which at other times would be revolting. [italics added] [for the complete article]

Or, when a GOP presidential candidate gets caught consistently forgetting about various issues related to allegations of past sexual harassment settlements, agreements, peace treaties, and whether he actually sexually harassed anyone, anywhere, anytime, that’s an example too.

Certainly, he’s not simply lying.

P.S. Below, for educational purposes, is one of the National Political Mental Distortions Association’s DID first responder training video illustrating how DID can manifest, even in vehicular traffic.