Cain He Do it? While Running A Thrifty Campaign Georgia Businessman Satisfied With Iowa Finish

Herman Cain runs his campaign like a business. In an interview with Candy Crowley on CNN's "State of the Union" in Iowa this morning, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza said he feels good about where he finished in yesterday's straw poll. In the middle of the pack:

The Cain camp feels they got a bang for their buck in Iowa's straw poll. Take into account that his campaign for the Republican nomination spent nothing on ads for TV and radio, and brought just four buses to bring people to the Iowa State Fair Saturday, you could see where he's coming from.

"I run a campaign like a business. In other words we don't allow the spending to get out ahead of the revenue. So we always stay right behind it, and we're still able to be very very effective. That's the difference. So we are not making-- huge, gambles on spending before we get the money. Secondly because of the grassroots nature of my campaign, and because of the way people are connecting with my message, it continues to gradually build."

The Georgia businessman ended up with 1,456 votes, or 9 percent of the votes. That was good enough for fifth place among 10 contenders. Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann won the poll with 29 percent.

Cain tells Crowley that his showing in Iowa is encouraging, and that his campaign's momentum is growing. He says he still believes he can win the nomination as well as the presidency. Cain emphasized on CNN that he is not dependent on moving his campaign forward with media, but rather message.

Decisiveness and fiscal restraint have been a hallmark of the Cain campaign, and the message that the Georgia businessman has brought into the political arena. In his straw poll speech in Ames yesterday afternoon, Cain bellowed to an energized crowd that "uncertainty is killing this economy," reports the Des Moines Register:

"'I don’t have to tell you about the problems this nation faces,' Cain said. 'So I’m going to spend a few minutes talking about how we solve this mess.'

From that point on, Cain outlined his 'common-sense solutions' for the economy, energy independence, foreign policy and immigration.

'Uncertainty is killing this economy, and as long as uncertainty is killing this economy, it is killing this nation,' Cain said."

"We have an entitlement spending problem. An entitlement spending crisis. We can no longer trim around the edges. We've got to restructure these programs, such that, this nation will go from being an entitlement society to an empowerment society! Lets empower people!"

The Cain campaign has a long and arduous road ahead of them to bypass 2012 frontrunners like Bachmann, Romney and Perry, and even a ways to go before passing Paul and Santorum. Whether or not Cain is able to make the ticket,the Georgia businessman's electric soundbites and thrifty campaign organization has left an impact on the 2012 Republican presidential primary.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.