WAKE FOREST -- Former presidential candidate Herman Cain rallied a crowd of Republicans behind congressional candidate Bill Randall today, while defending his own suspended political campaign.

Cain was rueful about dropping out of the race, and he continued to advance his "999" tax plan and attack President Obama. He ticked off a familiar list of key issues he said plagued the country, including the economy, energy, illegal immigration and immorality, saying they could be blamed on a lack of leadership. He lamented that there is an "enthusiasm gap" among conservatives right now.

As for the direction of the Republican Party and his own potential role in it, Cain noted that if none of the current candidates lock up enough delegates for the first ballot at the convention in Florida in August, then a second ballot could leave the field wide open.

"Every American can be nominated. It starts all over," he said. "You could have someone you've never heard of be the nominee. Or you could have somebody who may have dropped out of the race who would be the nominee."

That remark brought hearty applause from the nearly 300 gathered at a downtown restaurant for the lunch event. "I'm just explaining the process," Cain said with a mischievous smile.

Later, in response to a question from a reporter, Cain said if he were still in the race "I probably would have wrapped up the nomination" by now.

In his speech and talking to reporters afterward, Cain said he has known Randall for years, and that Randall contacted him to say he wanted to include the "999" plan in his platform. Cain said more than 30 candidates running for Congress have adopted the plan.

"We share the same values and we are on the same mission," Cain said of Randall. "And the mission to beat Barack Obama is also in addition to the mission of getting America back on track because we're headed off of a cliff."

Randall is running for the GOP nomination for the 13th congressional district against former U.S. Attorney George Holding and Wake County Commissioner Paul Coble. Randall was the Republican nominee for the seat held by Rep. Brad Miller in 2010.

Cain is in North Carolina today at the behest of the Wake County Republican Party, which invited him to be the keynote speaker at its convention tonight at the State Fairgrounds.

Cain is also scheduled to speak to campus Republicans at UNC-Chapel Hill in the afternoon. ("The belly of the beast," he told the appreciative crowd in Wake Forest.)

Cain had a surge of popularity in early presidential polls last year, but he suspended his campaign in reaction to accusations of sexual misconduct, which he denied. Cain then endorsed Newt Gingrich in the presidential campaign.