Herman Cain, the Atlanta businessman and Godfather's pizza magnate, officially announced his presidential candidacy to more than 10,000 supporters in Atlanta’s Centennial Park on Saturday, Politico reports.

Many had written Cain off as a long shot, which he acknowledged himself in his announcement. Cain is currently the least well-known candidate in the Republican field, according to recent Gallup polls. Jon Stewart, for one, said that Cain would always be "the pizza guy whose pizza chain is named after the head of the Mafia." But Cain is not to be deterred, and plans to turn things around by appealing to grassroots voters with a "fiery" critique of Obama's leadership. He's already looking beyond Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, and Florida.

It's as good a time as any to announce a candidacy. Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee have dropped out of the race. Newt Gingrich is having a dismal week. Sarah Palin continues to flounder. “Some people who may have had a favorite son are now looking for somebody else to support," said Cain adviser Mark Block. "I think for the vast majority of those people, Herman Cain is where they’re ending up.”

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