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      ATLANTA (AP) - Herman Cain is learning the hard way what it
means to face the glare of the national spotlight.


      After captivating Republicans hungry for an alternative to Mitt
Romney, the presidential hopeful has made a series of stumbles that
have left some questioning if he's ready for the White House. The
Georgia businessman has been on a media blitz since a rise in the
polls catapulted him into the top tier of the race for the
Republican party nomination.


      But Cain has sometimes appeared to be in over his head. In the
last week, he:


• Suggested a fence along the U.S. border with Mexico should be
electrified to kill illegal immigrants trying to pass into the
United States. Cain later called it a joke and apologized if anyone
was offended by the remarks.


• Said he would negotiate for the release of U.S. prisoners held
by terrorists, then reversed himself and said he had misunderstood
the question.


• Muddied the water on abortion, telling CNN that, while he
strongly opposes abortion, "the government shouldn't be trying to
tell people everything to do, especially when it comes to social
decisions that they need to make." He later issued a statement
reiterating his opposition to abortion.


• Amid criticism that his signature 9-9-9 tax overhaul would
force the majority of Americans to pay more to the government, he
reworked the plan to exclude the poorest Americans and to allow
some deductions. Backers of Cain's original plan had praised its
simplicity, and piling on loopholes could erode into that support.


      Through it all, Cain has appeared unflappable. He chalks up the
reversals to the breakneck pace of the race.


      "In a couple of instances ... I misspoke because of the pace of
the interview. I don't call it a flip-flop. I'd rather come back
and explain to people what I really meant," Cain said Friday after
an economic speech in Detroit. "It doesn't send mixed messages. It
just shows that I'm willing to correct myself ... if in fact I need
to correct myself for clarity. That's what I'm trying to achieve."


      For those in the GOP still in search of a candidate to back, his
rocky rollout on the national stage has reinforced the view that
Cain - he has never held elected office - is not ready for the big
leagues.


      "I'm looking for someone that's electable and right now I don't
think he fits into that category," said 60-year-old Gene Carkeet
of Memphis, Tenn., who attended a recent Cain rally there but
remains undecided.


      Gwen Ecklund, Republican chairwoman in Crawford County, Iowa,
said Cain "has had a bad week."


      "I do think it made some people take a second look," she said.


      Cain's stumbles come as the campaign of rival Rick Perry shows
some early signs of renewed vigor. Perry has plummeted in public
opinion polls as Cain has climbed. But the Texas governor turned in
a spirited and combative debate performance at a recent forum in
New Hampshire and plans to unveil his own tax reform proposal
relying on a flat tax under which everyone would pay the same
income tax rate.


      Cain and Perry are competing for support from tea party groups
and evangelical voters.


      Ralph Reed, a Republican strategist who founded the national
Christian Coalition and now heads the Faith and Freedom Coalition,
said Cain is going through the growing pains that come with sudden
national exposure.


      "It's a learning curve for any candidate who moves from the
back of the pack to front of the pack," Reed said. "You undergo
the political equivalent of a GI tract exam ... where every word is
weighed and chewed over and scrutinized."


      Reed said that after months of jumping on every media appearance
offered, Cain and his staff must now limit his exposure and hammer
home carefully honed talking points.


      That's a tall order for a man who has spent years as a
conservative radio talk-show host, saying what was on his mind and
scoring points for being provacative.


      Whether Cain's willingness to retool his 9-9-9 tax plan will be
seen as a strength or a weakness is an open question.


      "I guess we'll see what the polls say next week," said Grover
Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist had been
critical of Cain's original proposal.


      Not everyone is disheartened by Cain's missteps. Kay Godwin,
co-founder of Georgia Conservatives in Action, said she is still
solidly behind him.


      ""Look at Romney and Perry at the last debate. They can't even
be civil to each other on a stage in front of a national
audience," Godwin said. "At his core, Herman has the heart to
save this country."

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Herman Cain is learning the hard way what it
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