I am sick of professional politicians. I like Sarah because she was conservative and was true to who she was. I like Dr Carson for the same reasons.
I know that he will have a learning curve to contend with, but if he is good at reading character, and is able to choose qualified conservative people who are experienced in the various fields needed to run his administration (i.e. military, economic, foreign policy) - then I am willing to give him a chance. The “vetting” process is the primaries - the media has already, or will turn all their guns on Dr Carson the second they think he is an actual viable candidate.
If he cannot handle it, it will become apparent fairly quickly. But, as of right now, I like him. He seems honest, conservative, intelligent, has guts, and appears willing to stay true to his beliefs.
As to experience at running something in the real world, I don’t know what his responsibilities are as the Division Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins - but it sounds like he must not be a total idiot to have gotten where he is.
Me too!
I would like to see our political office holders on both the federal and state and local levels go back to being part-time citizen statesmen. Congress and state legislatures and local political bodies should only meet for one or at most two months out the year (or more, but only in the case of war or dire emergencies and only then in very limited session) during which time either during the normal session or emergency session, they would be granted only a modest stipend for very modest living, meal and travel expenses and nothing more. They would not become wealthy by serving and those who were already wealthy would not become even more so. There would be no cushy retirement plans or benefits or any other perks of office of any kind. And I’d like to see something like a 10 year ban before any former legislator could work as a lobbyist or hold another paid government job and visa versa including serving as a cabinet member or a SCOTUS – serve then go back into the “real world” and if you wanted to serve again, then do so but only after taking a break for 10 years and working for a living or running a business.
So when Congress or the legislature is not in session, they’d have to make an honest living like the rest of us slobs and be subject to, in their professional life, their businesses and personal lives, ALL the very same laws they had passed.
As to experience at running something in the real world, I don’t know what his responsibilities are as the Division Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at John Hopkins - but it sounds like he must not be a total idiot to have gotten where he is.
Being the Director of the Pediatric Neurosurgery center at John Hopkins is, I would presume, not a cushy sort of job. In that role, in addition to being a practicing neurosurgeon and also teaching professor, he would have to deal with other neurosurgeons, not exactly a “low maintenance group” even among doctors which tend to be rather “high maintenance” and in supervising their work and outcomes, but he’d have to deal with things like budgets and fighting for budget $ and in personnel issues, staffing requirements, equipment requisitions, and all other sorts of administrative duties and the politics of it all as would be the case in a big prestigious medical center and teaching hospital like Hopkins. He’d have to know and be adept at dealing with hospital administrators and sometimes smooshing with donors and potential donors and working with other neurosurgeons at other prestigious hospitals like he did when he led the 50+ person team that separated the German Siamese twins at Johns Hopkins in 1985 in a very risky but ultimately successful surgery utilizing techniques never used before in similar surgeries where he consulted with and worked with a multi-national team of surgeons.
No. One can’t be a “total idiot” and do what he has accomplished over his career.
FWIW, I did not meet him per se, I never had a personal conversation with Dr. Carson, but in 1997 my father underwent quadruple bypass surgery at Johns Hopkins.
While my brother, my SIL and I were sitting in the waiting room outside of the surgical ward, after some 4 hours of waiting for news about my father’s surgery, there was a young couple who had already been waiting for over 12 hours for news about their young child’s brain surgery when a man dressed in green scrubs came in to the waiting room to talk with these very anxious parents.
I immediately recognized the man in the green scrubs was the “famous and renowned” Dr. Carson. But I wasn’t about to eavesdrop on their very privavate and personal conversation or intrude but I just happened to be seated close enough to hear him talk to the parents.
My very first impression of him that day was that of a very humble and of a very human man, not at all a prima donna, a “famous” surgeon by then. He very quietly approached the parents and from what little I overheard (not trying to eavesdrop), he told them that their child’s surgery went well but that she and her parents had a very long and difficult road ahead. He was very positive but he was also very honest, very straightforward explaining the risks and difficulties that would be ahead, but also in his demeanor, he was very caring and compassionate person. I watched as he held the hands of this couple and hugged them and quietly prayed with them.
About an hour later my father came out of his surgery. His surgeon was also a great doctor and I am and was very grateful for his skill but when he came to talk to us about my father’ surgery, he might have as well been talking about replacing the carbonator in my father’s car – it was very cold and matter of fact and clinical, very much different from what I observed in Dr. Carson.
Now is that to say that these qualities would make him a successful POTUS? But in comparison to Teh One? Well we know were Carson was born, who is parents were, were he went to school, how he did in school, what his religious beliefs are and Carson’s autobiography is not a work of fiction.