Cain struggles to overcome allegations controversy

In one of his interviews during the day, Cain told the conservative Daily Caller it can be disorienting campaigning in the nation's capital.

"The way questions are asked, when I'm speaking to a group here in D.C. is coming from a totally different perspective than when I'm being asked questions from the real people. The real people come at it, here's the problem, what do you think the solution is?

"Inside D.C., inside the bubble as you call it, they're coming at the perspective of skepticism. ... You can't get it done. You're going to get knocked down. And you can just feel it in the way they ask the question and the way they respond."

Apart from seeking to burnish his credentials as a political outsider, Cain and his allies have also claimed that as a black conservative, he is subject to harshness because of his race. After listening to Hannity play recordings of vociferous critics, Cain said, "I'm a black conservative, and it is causing their heads to explode."

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Associated Press writers Steven Ohlemacher, Brett Blackledge and Laurie Kellman contributed to this story.