I don't think it's fair to say that Cain is the next Palin...
The man is gaining too much steam, and he isn't playing second fiddle to anyone....John McCain was a contender, and Sarah Palin got thrown into it as a complement to his campaign (and I think she inadvertantly scuttled it) and that package wasn't enough to grab the Independent/middle spectrum vote from Obama.
Herman Cain has already stated that he has no interest in being a VP to one of his competitors. He has a solid economic plan, which is the key ingredient to this election. I will call it now...if he wins the primaries, he will win the Presidency. Obama ending the wars will not be enough...he has to put people back to work, and he cannot accomplish it because of his arrogance and unwillingness to compromise. Obama's legacy will ride on the fact that Osama Bin Laden was killed while he was in office, and that's about where it will end.