The news from Herman Cain’s camp this past weekend shouldn’t have surprised anyone, at least not someone who has seen the way the media treats political figures.

Today’s news coverage, which is driven by ratings, has become a key component to a heavily-scrutinized industry. Cain and the supporters around him have found out how berating those organizations can be.

The ‘24-hour news cycle’ can put the spotlight on an issue for a once-unimaginable amount of time. Cain found that out the hard way. It was a lesson he should have known he was going to get.

The fact that John Edwards couldn’t get a haircut in 2007 without the public knowing should have been an obvious indicator of what he was getting himself into, but he didn’t hesitate.

At his peak, Cain was a major contender in the race to represent the Republican Party in next year’s Presidential election. Now he is, more than likely, backing out after allowing the accusations against him to pile high for all to see.

It’s nearly impossible for a publication with our limited size, and therefore  limited access to national sources, to gain any information that hasn’t already been made mainstream. However, if the sexual misconduct claims against him are true, then no one should question whether or not he should have ran. He shouldn’t have.

Cain claims that he is only “suspending” his bid for the nomination, but he should now know that he cannot resurrect this failed attempt. He would be foolish to even try.

There are two things that the media does especially well; one is that it informs the people of scandals involving anyone in the public spotlight. That ranges from political figures to reality television stars. The other strength is its ability to get that message into our homes with overwhelming force.

Cain should be seen by others contemplating their candidacy as the poster boy for what they can expect to face. They should have been paying attention to the missteps he’s made this year. The first of which, in hindsight, may have been his decision to run at all.

He must have known that something like this would happen. It’s the media’s self-imposed job, and some would argue duty, to find dirt on these candidates. They once again have shown that their consistency is unmatched.

It’s possible he thought he was an untouchable asset. He could have believed that the Republican Party would protect him from any onslaught against his moral and criminal record.

This wasn’t the best time for him to underestimate news media’s collective power.

His image will be forever tarnished. A formal resignation is nothing but an admittance of guilt in the public’s mind and the networks will help to reiterate that.

While it’s easy to point out the holes in our coverage of foreign affairs, the media has left no doubts that they are well-versed in domestic muckraking.

The question isn’t whether or not he should have run, but why did he think he could hide any information from the trained journalists who would be methodically probing into his past?

We can’t afford to have a person with that level of naiveté running our country.

For any prospective candidate with a messy past, let Herman Cain be a lesson that you cannot outrun any actions. You’re better off keeping your less-examined seat in Congress than destroying your image altogether.