Cain on Race: 'This Many White People Can't Pretend That They Like Me

During an event at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. Monday, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain struck down the notion presented by reporters questioning if Cain believed his recent campaign success could be fueled by conservatives trying to prove that they are not racist.

"This many white people can't pretend that they like me," said Cain.

When asked if Cain thought frustration towards President Obama from many Americans had anything to do with the color of his skin, Cain said, "I don't think people being uncomfortable with this president has anything to do with race. It is bad policy."

Cain said that there has been more racial tension than in recent years past because of the president's rhetoric and policy, which Cain believes has ignited class warfare and divided the country.

Cain has not shied away from addressing issues of race in the past. Cain's Meet the Press interview earlier this month gained considerable media attention after Cain commented that he preferred the term "Black American" rather than African-American. The Washington Times notes that Cain has contrasted his black experience with that of President Obama, saying that after growing up in the racially segregated South, he's still connected with the trials and travails of the black community. Cain said in early October that the president "has never been a part of the black experience in America."