challenges. we had these sort of whimsical, rather fluffy distractions which were never actually going to get herman cain into the white house. he was never really going to be a serious candidate. even those who supported him didn't actually think he was ever going to be president of the united states. and he hado leave the race, really, as i -- i mean, it was thellegations of an affair that pushed him out. but he was never actually going to be the candidate or the presint of the united states. >> mark halperin, we're talking aboutajor moments of the week. and why they mattered. why does this matter? >> it matters because mitt romney is gog to be the republican nominee, unless someone consolidates the conservative wing, the anti-romney wing of the rty, against him. and herman cain, maybe might have been the nominee, i think, but he certainly has some supporters arounthe country. he's got grassroots energy. in iowa. in other places. in south carolina. in florida. and now, newt gingrich has a chance, likely, to t cain's endorsement, to scoop that up, and to be the one person who can consolidate all that anti-romney sentiment in a way that could stop romney from being the