During the monologue of Friday's Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, host Maher referred to GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain as a "token black guy" as he asserted that establishment Republicans are "freaking out" because they never expected him to be competitive.
Alluding to the tendency of guest characters in Star Trek television episodes to be killed off, he cracked:
The Republican establishment is freaking out because their token black guy is in the league now. They never expec-, it's like an episode of Star Trek where the black guy beams down to the planet and lives.
Maher later went on to bet CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera a million dollars that Republicans will not nominate Cain, as he made his latest accusation that Republicans are racists:
A million to one, I will give you a million dollars. If you think that the Republicans are going to have an election with two black guys against each other, that they don't have a choice to vote for a white man in the general election, that will never happen.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Friday, October 14, Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO:
BILL MAHER: Big news, of course, in the Republican ranks. There is a new - I say this every week - but there is a new frontrunner: Herman Cain, Herman Cain. The Republican establishment is freaking out because their token black guy is in the league now. They never expec-, it's like an episode of Star Trek where the black guy beams down to the planet and lives.
...
MAHER: Let me just ask, before we move on, about Herman Cain because I don't hear any person who thinks that's going to last, even though he is the leader, except Herman Cain. I love Herman Cain keeps saying, "People who get on the Cain train don't leave." It sounds a little like, "Once you go black, you don't go back." (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) It does. I mean, it does. that's what, I think he should get a different slogan. But I don't know one person - do you? Is there anyone here? - who thinks Herman Cain in a month will not be down in the middle with Newt Gingrich and the rest of the also-rans?
MICHELLE CARUSO-CABRERA, CNBC: I don't count him out.
MAHER: Really.
CARUSO-CABRERA: No.
MAHER: Come on.
CARUSO-CABRERA: He has incredible likeability, likeability factor incredible, yeah.
MAHER: I would bet you a million dollars against one dollar-
(AUDIENCE APPLAUSE)
CARUSO-CABRERA: I don't have a million dollars to bet. I don't work on Wall Street.
MAHER: I do. I'm the one percent.
JOHN FUND, AMERICAN SPECTATOR: So you're one of those rich people.
MAHER: I am. I will put up a million dollars against one that he will not be the Republican nominee.
CARUSO-CABRERA: Okay.
MAHER: A million to one, I will give you a million dollars. (AUDIENCE APPLAUSE) If you think that the Republicans are going to have an election with two black guys against each other, that they don't have a choice to vote for a white man in the general election, that will never happen.
- Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center