Weigel

And the 2012 race begins properly.

Fellow patriots, now more than ever, we must come together to take a stand for the future of America. I make this promise to you as I deliberate the ways in which I can do my part to restore and protect the American Dream: I would be the voice of the American People. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I ask you to do the same for me.

Cain, a former turnaround expert in the restaurant industry, ran for U.S. Senate in Georgia seven years ago, losing the GOP primary but performing well for a first-time candidate. Prior to that he'd written a series of books on leadership; since that he's become a popular conservative pundit, with his popularity surging since the rise of the Tea Party.