On the surface, there isn’t anything shocking about Herman Cain’s affair with Ginger White.  Yes, anyone courting the Conservative vote has to be careful not to offend the “family values” sensitivity of the social right, but a prolonged affair?  Where on the scale of politically damaging does that rate?

Apparently much higher than sexual harassing or assaulting women, as it turns out.  But the real question is, why?

Ginger White claims that she and Cain carried on their affair for 13 years.  During those years, Ms. White struggled financially to raise her children, to keep a roof over their heads.  And Herman Cain and his wife of 43 years lived in comfort and stability, even luxury.  White came forward with her story because she felt for the women who had accused Cain of sexual misconduct.

“It bothered me that they were being demonized, sort of, they were treated as if they were automatically lying, and the burden of proof was on them,” said White.  Which sounds like she understands the nature of their pain- of Herman Cain’s sexual misdeeds.

So then, I must ask… what WAS the real nature of the Cain/White relationship?  The above facts describe to me a woman dependent on a man who uses her, sexually, in exchange for routine assistance for herself and he family.  Of course, that’s speculation.  But for this to be so frightening for Cain as to actually make him reconsider his bid entirely, one must ask… what else is being hidden in this story?  How much of the subtext incriminates Cain further?  How deep does his abuse of power, and especially his abuse of women under his power, go?