In a candid interview on Fox News’ On the Record that aired Monday night, Gloria Cain discussed the sexual harassment allegations that have roiled her husband’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination and 43 years of what she described as an imperfect marriage.

When the news first broke that the National Restaurant Association had made a financial payment to a female employee to settle harassment claims against Herman Cain, who headed the organization in the 1990s, it “rang a bell,” his wife said and she vaguely recalled their discussing the matter 15 years ago.

“And from that point on, we had never even said anything about it. So it was totally a shock and to think that I couldn’t understand, even with that, if a person is so hurt or traumatized because of something you allege happened to you, why would you wait 15 years to say something about it?” Cain said.

Cain said that she watched Sharon Bialek’s graphic news conference during which she alleged that Herman Cain had groped her in a car after they’d met in Washington to discuss job prospects. According to Cain, her husband is too “old school” to behave so disrespectfully toward any woman. In addition, she said that if any of the accusations were true, he would have come clean with her because “his conscience would bother him” so much that he wouldn’t be able to look her in the eye. And if they were true, Cain added, she would not publicly support him.

“I’ve always said, when I’ve seen stories like that, I will not be one of those people who will stand up on a stage with a smile and knowing that you were wrong. I’m not going to do that,” she said. “So you know not to do anything wrong because you will be there by yourself.”

Cain said that voters will have to “look within themselves” and rely on their instincts to determine whether they believe the women or the candidate, and that some people may never be “100 percent sure.” She also described walking around the neighborhood interacting with people who know the couple and feeling like they, too, are wondering whether the women’s claims are true, which has been very hurtful.

The Cains met when they were college students and married after dating for a year and a yearlong engagement. They have never separated during their 43-year union, but it hasn’t always been happy, Cain acknowledged.

“[When] people always say that I’ve been happily married for 43 years, I usuall tell them that’s not true. We have loved each other for 43 years. He’s happy sometimes. I’m happy sometimes,” she said, adding that there are times when they make each other angry.

Cain, who is a registered Democrat, said that Herman Cain would be a great president and that he is running for the office so that he can make a difference. On occasion, she said, she even allows herself to dream about living in the White House.

“But then I try to pull myself back in, in that I don’t want to start projecting too far in the future, because then I would worry more,” Cain said. “So I try to take one day at a time.”

(Photo: Courtesy Fox News)