MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow has formulated a convincing theory about nut-job/political frontrunner Herman Cain’s candidacy, and she’s kicking herself for not figuring it out sooner.

Here it is: he’s a performance artist.

The candidate is insanely unqualified for our nation’s highest office (Sarah Palin is more qualified than this man!), makes crazy and stupid ad campaigns and gets accused of sexual harassment. What gives? How is this man still in the race?

He’s a satire of American politics. Maddow is serious; she thinks that we all have been punk’d on a huge scale. She thinks that Cain is too stupid and too politically incompetent to be an actual candidate. Instead, Cain is an artist—the “artist formerly known as Herman Cain,” says Maddow—critiquing the political games to which we have become accustomed.

But liberals aren’t getting it, and conservatives are giving Cain money.

Here are Maddow’s dead giveaways to Cain’s performance artist self:

--During the Ames Straw Poll debate, Cain was given opportunity to close the debate with a quote of his choice. He said this: “A poet once said: life can be a challenge, life can seem impossible, but it’s never easy when there’s so much on the line.” It’s a blandly inspiring quote, but guess where it came from? The Pokemon 2000 movie theme song. This, says Maddow, is where we should have guessed.

--His 999 plan—this is the one on which he refused to reveal his advisors—is also part of the computer game program SimCity. Herman Cain denied that he got his idea for the plan from the game.

--Cain is obsessed with the number 9. In chapter nine of his book, This is Herman Cain!, Cain speaks for an entire chapter about the good fortune he’s gleaned from his lucky number, 45 (4+5=9). The date of his sexual harassment settlement? 9/99.

--In response to claims that he’s only the Republican flavor of the month, Cain declares that he is “if you’re Häagen-Dazs black walnut, you don’t go away.” Häagen-Dazs black walnut no longer exists.

--Cain broke into the National Anthem at the National Press Club after being questioned about allegations of sexual harassment.  

Maddow doesn’t delve into exactly who is paying Herman Cain to ruin his reputation as a fake presidential candidate, nor does she say if she thinks Cain himself is the mastermind behind this extremely ridiculous campaign. As Jezebel points out, does Herman Cain even know that he’s the political satirist that Maddow alleges him to be?

What do you think? Is Herman Cain a performance artist satirizing the inanity of political elections? Is he even in the joke? Or, is Maddow herself pulling a gag?

Watch Maddow's segment for yourself: