Herman Cain: Palin's Trump endorsement a 'game-gainer,' not changer

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Cain: Palin's Trump endorsement a 'game-gainer,' not changer

Former presidential candidate Herman Cain tells 'On the Record' that the cumulative effect of Sarah Palin's endorsement of Donald Trump and the Iowa governor's anti-endorsement of Ted Cruz may prove devastating for the Texas senator

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," January 19, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Will Governor Sarah Palin's endorsement of Donald Trump help give Trump a lock on evangelicals and conservatives in Iowa.

And viewers, now is your chance to vote at home on Twitter.

Will Governor Sarah Palin's endorsement help Donald Trump? Tweet, "yes" or "no," using #Greta. And we will show you your live Twitter votes throughout the show on the screen.

And right now, former GOP presidential candidate and author of the brand new book, out today, "The Right Problems."

Mr. Herman Cain goes ON THE RECORD. Good evening, sir.

HERMAN CAIN, 2012 GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, Greta. Thank you.

VAN SUSTEREN: And the big question for Donald Trump tonight is the evangelical vote in Iowa.

Governor Sarah Palin came in and gave that speech on behalf of the candidate, what do you think?

CAIN: I don't think it's a lock. And I don't think it's a game changer, but it will be a gain gainer. I think he is going to pick up some support because of Sarah Palin coming in, but I don't think it's going to be a game changer.

What I think potentially could be the biggest game changer is what Governor Terry Branstad when he was encouraging Iowans not to vote for Ted Cruz. So that might also help Trump and hurt Ted Cruz.

We're going to have to see how this plays out. Maybe the cumulative effect of Sarah Palin's endorsement, what Governor Branstad said, those two things combined, may change one, two, and three in the upcoming Iowa caucuses.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, it certainly seems that Governor Palin tapped into the same thing that Donald Trump always taps into, so the anti-GOP establishment.

CAIN: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: Basically, I'm madder than hell type group. The people who are mad at Washington and want to switch.

Is, you know, is that a significant -- I mean, did she do that? Number one, do you agree with me? And secondly, is that, you know, significant in the state of Iowa?

CAIN: I do agree with you, but I think that's going to have a bigger impact nationally than necessarily in Iowa. Because I think this anger that she talked about and Donald Trump has talked about is expressed more across the country, maybe so in Iowa.

And one other comment about this whole idea of him trying to appeal to the evangelical vote.

I believe there is some confusion about what group we are talking about. I'm a Christian. But then when they say evangelical, if you look at the poll, they define it a little differently. They say it's somebody who probably goes to church a couple of times a week. I don't go a couple of times a week. But my faith and my Christianity is very strong. So I think it is the faith they vote that he is trying to tap into. She is trying to tap into. But I think it's going to have a bigger impact across the country than just in Iowa.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. Big day today for you, sir, a new book out.

CAIN: "The Right Problems: What Every Candidate and Member of Congress Ought to be Working On." And the reasons are simple. They are not working on the right problems, so they're not giving us the right solutions. That's what this book is about. The right problems and the right solutions, such that the voters will know the right questions to ask of their representatives, their senators, and whoever is trying to get their vote.

That's why I wrote this book. And I was inspired by what I learned when I ran for president. And four years later, Congress, the president, they are still not working on the right problems. That's what inspired my new book.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, and what perfect timing, I might add for people to go out and buy it. Anyway, Mr. Herman Cain, thank you, sir.

CAIN: You are welcome, Greta. And they can find it at HermanCain.com.

VAN SUSTEREN: OK. Thank you, sir.