This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 10, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The Obama administration continues to claim there is no easy fix when it comes to the skyrocketing price of gas. And now there is something else the White House should start worrying about besides not having any real solutions. The president is about to become one of Jimmy Carter's greatest achievements and surpass it.
Here is how. During the oil crisis in the 1970s, under the Carter administration, the price of gas increased a staggering 107 percent. And new numbers indicate that President Obama is not far behind. Now, under the current administration's watchful eye, Americans have been subjected to a 90.2 percent increase in the average retail price of gas.
So how is team Obama going to spin this one? I'm sure they will going to say, it's maybe not George W. Bush's fault. And joining me with reaction, former presidential candidate, the one and only, 9-9-9. How are you?
HERMAN CAIN, R-FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I feel alive.
HANNITY: Look, how many members now do you have of your new pack?
CAIN: About 420,000 people that are now members of Cain Solutions Revolution at Cainconnections.com or HermanCain.com.
HANNITY: Yes.
CAIN: There were 400,000 people because they want to see me and my team continue to promote 9-9-9. And I got to tell you, it's going great. We have a big event coming up on April the 15th and 16th.
HANNITY: It's going to be in D.C., right?
CAIN: It's going to be in D.C., Washington, D.C., Monday morning is going to be what we call a Patriots Summit. These are the people who are going to go to their representatives and say adopt 9-9-9. And then a big rally in the afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00, your buddy Boortz is going to be speaking, one of my headliners as I understand.
HANNITY: I want to come.
CAIN: I know, I know you have restrictions, but I got to tell you, and I just gave a speech at Columbia University. By the way, they told me to tell you that they love you.
HANNITY: Columbia?
CAIN: Columbia.
HANNITY: They did not say that.
CAIN: They did.
HANNITY: The school of journalism? They hate me.
CAIN: No, they have a Columbia college Republicans.
HANNITY: OK. There were seven people there, I'm sure.
CAIN: Three hundred students showed up. Are you kidding me? They said, make sure you give us a shout out on "Hannity." We love Hannity.
HANNITY: All right. Price of gas. I go to Armonk, New York, with my kids, with my family, on a weekend. I look at the price of gas. I have a hybrid Escalade. And I have to put premium in. Five dollars, and seven or nine cents a gallon. And so, I take a picture. I tweet it. They would only give me $100 worth of gas. It was only about three-quarters of the way full.
CAIN: Right.
HANNITY: And people see that and they're like reacting, they're angry. The average price is $4 a gallon. The president inherited $1.80 gas. You know?
CAIN: I hate to say this to people, but $4 is just the beginning of how high it's going to go. Because of what this president didn't do three years ago that he could have done. And things that he is doing now. He is actually discouraging the price of gas to go up through the price of oil.
For example, gasoline is almost $4 a gallon on average across this country. He wants to impose another tax on the oil companies. He is still trying to demagogue the oil companies when it is a function of decisions he could have made three years ago in terms of putting together a serious energy independence plan.
HANNITY: All right. Let me ask you. You ran for president. You had a good campaign. You had a good run. Rick Santorum bows out today. If you did win, what do you think the most effective way that you would develop strategy, tactics to defeat Obama? How would you do it?
CAIN: First, I would focus on three things primarily. And not allow the media or the Obama administration to get me distracted.
HANNITY: Not allow the media?
CAIN: Not allow the media.
HANNITY: Not allow the media.
CAIN: That's right, you know.
HANNITY: Good luck.
CAIN: Number one, you got to talk about how you're going to boost economy and grow jobs.
HANNITY: Right.
CAIN: Right now, it looks like Mitt Romney is going to be their nominee. The numbers are on his side. And I am going to give him the same advice. How are you going to grow the economy? With all due respect, Mitt, a 59-point plan isn't going to work.
Secondly, energy independence. If we have a serious energy independence strategy, it will cause speculators to stop speculating up. And it will also cause the people in the Middle East to stop gouging us in terms of reducing production when they want the price to go up. And then the third thing, National Security. As you know, Sean, I'm still out speaking to a lot of groups, Tea Party groups, colleges and universities. Those are the three hot buttons, those are the three things that people care about. Now, Governor Romney has not only has to do a good job of articulating the failure of the Obama administration, but he's also got to do a good job saying, what is he going to do specifically relative to each one of those things.
HANNITY: Are you confident this election is winnable? Are you confident?
CAIN: Yes.
HANNITY: You are?
CAIN: I'm confident that this election is winnable for the following ifs. If, Mitt Romney, if he gets the nomination, he is very articulate. But he's got to stay on message on those key things that people care most about.
HANNITY: How does he deal with being beaten up and demonized, wanting to throw granny over the cliff?
CAIN: That is going to happen.
HANNITY: You lived through this.
CAIN: I lived through this. But see, here is the thing. If they want to accuse Romney of being a flip-flopper, let's look at Obama. Every time they attack Romney on one of those things --
HANNITY: Show Obama in his own words.
CAIN: Exactly. Just show Obama in his own words.
HANNITY: And make him eat those words.
CAIN: Yes, that's right.
HANNITY: Over and over again.
CAIN: Over and over.
Now, here's the other reason that I believe that it is winnable. I am finding that the young people in this country on these college campuses, their enthusiasm is infectious. They get it. Let me tell you what Obama has done to turn them off the most. Because I talk to them.
HANNITY: No jobs.
CAIN: Hypocrisy.
HANNITY: Really?
CAIN: Hypocrisy. They see the hypocrisy in this administration and this president.
HANNITY: It's good to see you, Herman Cain.
CAIN: Great to be here, Sean.
HANNITY: Nine-nine-nine.
CAIN: Still alive.
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