Posted on 03/28/2015 4:39:03 AM PDT by Kaslin
Although only one Republican has officially announced his candidacy for president so far, it looks like a formidable, diverse field of conservatives will be contending in the primaries. One prospect, however — and a popular one at that — has me utterly nonplussed, and questioning whether conservatives actually want to win the White House ever again. Allow me to paint a picture for you.
Ignoring a major conservative critique of candidate Barack Obama — his lack of experience requisite to the presidency — this would-be candidate believes that “political experience doesn’t seem to help a whole lot and perhaps may be hurtful.” (Coincidentally, he has no political experience.)
He thinks the Second Amendment should be applied, well, selectively, that owning certain types of guns should depend on where you live. He “would rather you not have” a semi-automatic weapon if you live in a city, for example. (And 5 million NRA members would rather you just stopped right there, please.)
His knowledge of Israeli politics, of particular importance to many Republicans and especially now, is so shallow that he recently suggested — to an actual Israeli person — that Israel’s current system of government sounds too complex, and so “why don’t they just adopt the system we have?”
He admits he only joined the Republican Party because he is planning to run for office. Inspiring stuff, right?
Nevertheless, Ben Carson is inexplicably a crowd favorite among many conservatives, finishing fourth (out of 17) in the 2015 CPAC straw poll. He also polled second to Gov. Scott Walker amongst Republican voters in a PPP poll from last month. And lest you think these polls are meaningless, he's turned them into hard cash and plenty of it. The Draft Carson Super PAC has raised over $13 million.
In case you’ve never heard of him — he’s also made news for defending Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens running back who punched his wife, and for regularly comparing Obamacare to slavery and America to Nazi Germany — Ben Carson is an actual medical doctor, and a gifted one at that. He is well known for performing the first successful separation of conjoined twins at the head.
At last year’s national prayer breakfast, Carson decided to embarrass the president, who was sitting mere feet away, with a rousing polemic against Obamacare. It was a stunt that, despite being pretty unseemly given the setting, conservatives went wild for. A star was born.
But instead of using his newfound fame to, I don’t know, raise money to cure pediatric cancer or even help draft better healthcare legislation, Carson decided he might like to be the next leader of the free world. And why not? He is a neurosurgeon, after all.
Carson will tell anyone who listens how smart and accomplished he is. In a recent profile in GQ he boasted about the high school in Detroit that’s named after him and acknowledged his own impressive background, which he’s just been waiting for the media to finally discover. But for someone so smart, it’s hard to imagine dumber stuff coming out of a doctor’s mouth than the nonsensical pap he’s recently uttered … out loud, to members of the media, who have a habit of writing stuff down and then sharing it with others.
He told Chris Cuomo on New Day that homosexuality must be a choice “because a lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight, and when they come out, they’re gay.”
What?
And in that GQ article, he says he can tell President Obama is a “psychopath,” because he is well dressed.
Carson’s hardly the only smart guy who thought he could solve complex social problems without really thinking hard about them. (Michael Bloomberg, after all, tried to end obesity by banning large sodas.) But I’m worried that my fellow conservatives don’t seem to care all that much that Carson is neither politically curious nor especially conservative. Is it really enough that he’s a black doctor who stuck it to the president? If so, that’s pretty sad.
His popularity is particularly vexing considering we have actual contenders — good candidates with real experience who don’t think they should be president just ’cuz. Ben Carson’s arrogance and ignorance are dangerous, and conservatives should be offended, not aroused, by his cavalier attitude toward the political problems that affect our daily lives. So let’s get serious, guys. We’re better than this.
Frankly, SE is behind the political times IMO. That’s what you get when you spend all your time writing, appearing on TV and talking to your peers when you should be out getting the real pulse.
I discounted Ben Carson quite a while back because of one or two of his articles on how we have to pull together behind establishment Republicanism to win elections. I remember a lot of people here getting ticked off because of it.
This was before the November elections which proved him wrong, frankly, and what his current positions are now I really don’t care. Moved on, been there done that, better and greener grass when it comes to conservative candidates.
SE, get your head out....and get out.
Amen bros - she's all of that, and so is Karl Rove, Charles Krauthammer, Brit Hume, almost all of the GOP consultants and strategists, the Wall Street Journal editorial board, Bret Baier - and on and on.....they're all right there...just as you said.
Please note it wasn't Dr Ben Carson's idea to run for president
agree, but the other night I heard Brit Hume say something to the effect that not to discount Cruz. He drew a parallel to Reagan. I believe I heard right.
The “process” is working just fine.
As more people hear from Carson, in his own words, the more support he loses.
That is the way it should be.
If the GOPe is unhappy with the quality of Conservative candidates they only have themselves to blame. They are the ones who destroyed anyone who posed a “threat” to their chosen ones. Yes, conservatives are going to keep on coming. Why? Because they want representation.
Carson should not be president, he is a brilliant guy who has spent his life out of the relevant loop. But he contributes to the conversation that must take place as people try to find a platform that works for them and not simply the jigsaw puzzle of backroom negotiated this and that written in focus group approved terms. The people want what is rightfully theirs, they want representation.
Ben Carson was a great surgeon......he’s a terrible politician and not a very good Republican. He’d be a much better Democrat.
LOL!!! Oh yes it was/is.
IMHO, Dr. Carson has EARNED a podium wherever he wants one.
He does NOT have to agree with each political position I have just to be allowed to speak.
I’d bet that the cash that is supporting these early attacks on Dr. Carson started its “work” at the White House.
Ted Cruz
I agree. I sometimes thing RINO bankrollers are behind him. Their goal? Flood the primary with conservatives and let the anointed RINO win.
“But instead of using his newfound fame to, I don’t know, raise money to...”
I’ll be glad when, like, the Millennials who, like, write this way, I don’t know, grow up.
I like Ben Carson but fear he would pull a Colin and Condi.
But I've got three Republicans: Cruz, Walker, Palin.
Palin isn't running. Walker isn't perfect. Cruz seems pretty darn good.
I don't expect perfection. I could expand my field, but it would take a lot. I could shrink my field, but it would take a lot. I'm pretty much set in my decision for 2016. I don't care what the media reports.
Cruz is the only Republican I might vote for.
Oh, yeah... S.E. Cupp, a so-called “conservative” who is pro-fag marriage, pro-dope, pro-amnesty, and is an atheist to boot. If Carson is annoying her, it speaks well of Carson. Cupp is a perfect example of why I no longer pay attention to ANY of the conservative punditry. I have little doubt the whole reasoning for her piece is her desire to silence GOP voices that don’t cowtow to the homo agenda.
No, Carson’s not my guy. He’s weak on some issues (2nd Amendment being foremost). But I’d rather have him in the arena and listen to what he has to say than the corrupt crowd of RINOs and their cretinous beltway operatives.
Why write a piece like this? We all know he has no chance of being the nominee.
REALLY? Brit said that. Maybe he got a reality dose somewhere.
Dr. Carson needs to stick to neurosurgery, something he is good at and stay out of politics. Unlike the current POTUS, being black does not qualify a person to become POTUS. I seriously doubt we will see another black president for some time to come and that is not a racist statement..
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