According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, former businessman and GOP presidential contender Herman Cain's favorability rating among Republicans has dropped by 9 points (from 66% to 57%) over the last week. Favorability is especially important to a candidate like Mr. Cain; a political novice who has never held any political office. With no record of accomplishments in government, his strong suit has been a perceived ability to get things done; to provide steady leadership through tough challenges. But, as this new poll shows, approximately 35 percent of Republicans surveyed believe the recent controversy has damaged that perception.

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While the facts surrounding three women's claims of inappropriate behavior by Mr. Cain are still murky and may never rise beyond the level of he said/they said, how the candidate handled his first real crisis is very clearly on the record. What started with a complete denial morphed into acknowledgment of bits and pieces of his hazy recollections then mingled with claims of victim hood. Next came unsubstantiated attempts to blame a political rival for leaking the story and then attacks on the media for reporting it.

Perhaps the decreased favorability rating has less to do with the decade-old sexual harassment allegations and more to do with how Herman Cain handles a difficult situation. As recently as last night at an appearance with fellow GOP presidential contender Newt Gingrich, Mr. Cain responded to a reporter's question about the controversy by questioning the journalist's ethics.

Over the past few days he has snapped at other reporters who dared to inquire about the latest developments in the story; culminating in the statement "We’re getting back on message, end of story," as if a public figure can dictate to a free press when a story will end.

We don't yet know if the story of Mr. Cain's behavior toward past female employees will have any real effect on his quest for the GOP presidential nomination. But this recent drop in favorability rating could mean that faith in his ability to lead the party and the nation is waning.