Perspective: Clarence Thomas Redux?

"To use Clarence Thomas as an example, I'm ready for the same high-tech lynching that he went through -- for the good of this country. I'm ready for the same high-tech lynching."

When Herman Cain uttered these words, few people could have predicted the ensuing parallels between the Republican presidential candidate and the controversial Supreme Court Justice. Both are black republicans. Both have ties to the flourishing Tea Party movement. Most explosively, both have been accused of sexually harassing female subordinates.

Cain vehemently denied accusations that he sexually harassed two female employees at the National Restaurant Association. The two women left after receiving undisclosed financial settlements. Cain has waffled on the details of the case, initially claiming that he was unaware of any financial settlement, then admitting that he did know about a settlement, just not the amount.

It was a strikingly similar set of circumstances that Cain should face these accusations at the same time his political star is rising. The same thing happened in the case of Clarence Thomas, whom he says he admires.

Thomas was also subject to harassment accusations himself during his 1991 confirmation hearings. The claims were made by his former subordinate, Anita Hill, who was called before the Senate to clarify her allegations. Hill's statements were dismissed and Thomas was subsequently confirmed. Thomas has since been criticized for his ties to blatantly conservative organizations and his wife's open relationship with the Tea Party.

Perhaps the most striking parallel in the Cain and Thomas cases is that both men asserted that any questioning of their moral character was tantamount to racism. Thomas famously described the accusations and subsequent investigations of him as a "high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves."

Cain paraphrased him in anticipating his opponents' attacks on his character, essentially claiming that being a black conservative made him a target. This comes from the same man that argued that he doesn't believe "racism in this country holds anybody back in a big way.'"

Whether the allegations against the two conservatives are true or not, their claims of racism as a motivation for the attacks contradict their assertions of racism no longer being a big deal. In fact, one could easily accuse them of "playing the race card."

After all, many accusations of racism made against blacks are oftentimes dismissed by conservatives as people making excuses for their own shortcomings. Herman Cain credits a part of his success with his refusal to see himself as a victim. Perhaps he ought to follow his own advice.

Matt Reaves is a junior broadcast journalism major from San Jose, California.