Presidential hopeful Herman Cain speaks at Holy Land

ORLANDO, Fla.,None — One of the Republican Party frontrunners in the presidential race was in Orlando on Friday.  Herman Cain spoke at a rally at The Holy Land Experience late Friday afternoon.

He requested the type of security protection normally reserved for presidents, and he would not tell WFTV reporter Kathi Belich whether there were threats to his visit to Orlando or the religious theme park.

Cain spoke to 500 people at Holy Land, and afterward he told WFTV he is not concerned about the flak he takes over his gaffes.


"Let me tell you about the American people. They don't care about that stuff. They care about jobs, jobs, jobs, 9-9-9!" Cain replied to a group of reporters.

WFTV’s crew was stopped from entering the rally and fundraiser for the top-tier republican presidential candidate, and a security guard said Holy Land would not talk about it.

U.S. Secret Service officers joined Orlando police officers in a security sweep of the theme park before Cain's motorcade arrived.

His campaign workers put up signs along the entrance to Holy Land, and supporters told us why Cain is their man.

“I think we need someone who has the type of business experience he has. I don't think we've ever had that before, and look where 'politics as usual' has gotten us so far,” said Cain supporter, Pleasant Lewis.

Cain is for a flat 9 percent corporate and personal income and sales taxes.  He has been holding rallies in Florida this week, courting South Florida voters on Thursday.

“I am thankful to be here,” Cain told the South Florida crowd.

However, his recent gaffe over President Obama's handling of the situation in Libya made news headlines after stories about sexual harassment allegations against him from four women.

All this has not seemed to hurt Cain’s popularity, and might have helped his fundraising efforts.

Cain’s campaign manager told WFTV he chose The Holy Land Experience for his stop in Central Florida to connect with the religious outreach.  He said he believes Cain is being accused of harassment and being attacked for his gaffes because some people are unhappy that he is a rising star in the political scene.

WFTV