Greeted like a champion, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain basked in the glow of victory at the Midwest Tea Party Convention in Illinois on Saturday, emerging as the party favorite ahead of Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich.

Cain captured 77 percent of the vote at TeaCon 2011 in Schaumburg. Bachmann and Gingrich came in second and third place, respectively. Last week Cain won the Florida Conservative Political Action Conference Straw Poll, besting a number of GOP presidential candidates including Mitt Romney and Rick Perry.

Cain’s campaign has recently picked up steam thanks to his platform pushing tax reform, which imposes a 9 percent business flat tax, a 9 percent personal flat tax and a 9 percent national sales tax. Some have criticized Cain’s “999” plan, saying it would increase poverty rates.

However, it’s his comments that African-Americans have been “brainwashed” by Democrats that have really left people craning their necks. In response, the Rev. Jesse Jackson has called Cain’s comments insulting to Black voters. “Those are very strong words,” the veteran civil rights activist told Politico. “It’s both demeaning and insulting.”

Despite his critics, Cain argued on Saturday that, “This patriot movement is what's going to save this nation,” reports FOX Chicago. “I kind of like clinging to my guns and Bibles and I'm not going to let them go."