A Quick Fact Sheet of the Cruz-Carson Controversy

THE FIVE PILGRIMS ^ | February 3, 2016 | Steven Woodworth

[Controlling Legal Authority]

For those of you who haven’t had time to research the details of the recent brouhaha between Ben Carson and Ted Cruz, here’s a quick rundown of the facts.

Monday, February 1 – Carson’s campaign announced that he would be delivering his post-caucus speech before the caucus results came in and then would immediately fly not to New Hampshire but rather to his home in Florida. This is how campaigns usually signal their candidate is about to drop out of the race. Monday, February 1, 6:29 p.m. – Marco Rubio supporter Conrad Close tweeted, “Rubio campaign pushing the narrative hard that Carson is dropping out. Obviously looking to pick up votes from Carson.”

[SoConPubbie]

Here is the complete article:

For those of you who haven’t had time to research the details of the recent brouhaha between Ben Carson and Ted Cruz, here’s a quick rundown of the facts.

• Monday, February 1 – Carson’s campaign announced that he would be delivering his post-caucus speech before the caucus results came in and then would immediately fly not to New Hampshire but rather to his home in Florida. This is how campaigns usually signal their candidate is about to drop out of the race.
• Monday, February 1, 6:29 p.m. – Marco Rubio supporter Conrad Close tweeted, “Rubio campaign pushing the narrative hard that Carson is dropping out. Obviously looking to pick up votes from Carson.”
• Monday, February 1, 6:43 to 44 p.m. – CNN went on the air with the report Carson was flying to Florida immediately after the caucuses and thereafter would not be going to New Hampshire or South Carolina to campaign but rather would be attending the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, February 4.
• Monday, February 1, 6:43 p.m. – Simultaneously with the start of CNN’s broadcast announcement that Carson was going home, CNN reporter Chris Moody tweeted Carson’s campaign was now stating he would remain in the race after the caucuses.
• Monday, February 1, 6:44 to 6:57 p.m. – Carson became “furious” at the report he was dropping out of the race and talked to his business manager Armstrong Williams and possibly other staffers, ordering them to quash the rumor. He retweeted a staffer’s tweets stating he was staying in the race.
• Monday, February 1, 6:57 p.m. – Time reporter Tessa Berenson tweeted, “Im with Carson now, “I’m going home to get some fresh clothes,” he says.”
• Monday, February 1, 6:58 p.m. – PBS reporter Lisa Desjardin tweeted Carson was not dropping out of the race but returning to Florida “to get more clothes.”
• Monday, February 1, 6:59 p.m. – Washington Post reporter Bob Costa tweeted he had just received a call from Armstrong Williams notifying him Carson was not dropping out.
• Monday, February 1, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – During the course of speeches as part of the caucus procedure, one or more Cruz precinct captains may have stated Carson was going home after the caucuses and possibly also that he might be about to drop out of the race. The details are disputed.
• Monday, February 1, 7:20 – While the caucuses were in session, Cruz supporter Iowa Congressman Steve King tweeted, “Carson looks like he is out. Iowans need to know before they vote.”
• Monday, February 1, 8:28 p.m. – While the caucuses continued, MSNBC reporter Benjy Sarlin tweeted an official statement from Carson’s communications director stating Carson was not dropping out of the race but rather returning to Florida to “get a fresh set of clothes.”
• Monday, February 1, 8:49 p.m. – Tessa Berenson tweeted that Ben Carson was accusing Cruz’s campaign of dirty tricks for stating it looked as if Carson might be leaving the race.
• Tuesday, February 2 – Ted Cruz apologized to Carson for the mistake, adding, “Last night when our political team saw the CNN post saying that Dr. Carson was not carrying on to New Hampshire and South Carolina, our campaign updated grassroots leaders just as we would with any breaking news story. That’s fair game. What the team then should have done was send around the follow-up statement from the Carson campaign clarifying that he was indeed staying in the race when that came out.”
• Tuesday, February 2 – Carson responded to Cruz’s apology by stating, “As a Christian I will accept the apology.” However, as a presidential candidate he apparently did not accept it, for he went on to repeat his demand that one or more Cruz staffers be fired.
• February 1-3 – News organizations continued to express amazement at Carson’s decision to take a break from the campaign in order to go home and get more clothes, something that is unprecedented among presidential candidates during active campaigns.

Summary: Whether deliberately or by mistake Carson’s campaign released a statement that would normally be taken as indicating he would soon be withdrawing from the race. The timing of the statement was such that it appeared in broadcast news minutes before the start of the caucuses. After hearing the report on CNN, Carson ordered his campaign to correct it, creating two hours of confusion during which contradictory tweets flew in all directions. This confusion coincided with the time the Iowa caucuses were in session.  Afterward, in frustration at his own campaign’s mistake, Carson accused Cruz of dirty tricks. Cruz generously apologized for the misunderstanding. Carson less generously continued to demand the firing of Cruz staffers.

[taxcontrol]

Mountain out of a mole hill.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Does anyone seriously give a crap?

Has there ever been a clearer indication that the media simply wants to twist your freaking head around, Exorcist style, over nothing?

[conservativejoy]

This is the best comprehensive timeline of the facts I have seen.

Carson is a lousy campaigner and he should stop blaming his missteps on others. Go Home Ben.

[justlittleoleme]

Saw Posted on facebook:

[SeekAndFind]

Before the Iowa Caucuses, Carson was at 7.7% in the RealClearPolitics average of Iowa polls.

Trump was leading Cruz by nearly 10 points.

Iowa result:

Ben Carson 9%, Trump 24%

Carson did BETTER in Iowa than polled, Trump did worse.

Therefore, guess who’s demanding a recount? Not Carson.

[the_boy_who_got_lost]

Ben Carson has made several significant strategical errors during his campaign. His latest strategical error is going after Cruz claiming he cheated him out of votes.

This is a huge strategic error on several levels.

Carson received 9.3% of the vote and did much better than the expected 7.7% to 8.5%.

Instead of proclaiming victory and proclaiming that he did better than expected he began complaining portraying himself as a sore loser.

Secondly he is alienating Cruz’s supporters. A group of supporters who he would do well to try to appeal to if he is really in this to win it.

Thirdly he showed his lack of communication with his supporters in Iowa. There should have been no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was staying in the race.

Carson was expected to come in 4th place, which he did, and he did better than expected. There was little to no chance he would come in 3rd.

This error dampens his chances for the nomination.

[Zarro]

...and then would immediately fly not to New Hampshire but rather to his home in Florida.This is how campaigns usually signal their candidate is about to drop out of the race.

Really?? I thought that campaigns signaled it by issuing a press release that said "our candidate is exiting the race." Or is that too simplistic for our nuanced MSM?

[SeekAndFind]

Strange, Carson took CNN to task in that letter, but no mention of Cruz at all.

[Slyfox]

I had wondered who tipped off CNN. Now we know it was a Rubio staffer.

And how many people did the Rubio people convince to vote for Rubio?

[erkelly]

Hey, Bush isn’t dropping out, yet he did not stick around after the caucus either! So why didn’t the Cruz campaign decide to announce that Bush was dropping out and that Bush supporters should caucus with them. Perhaps they just did not dare do that! The Cruz campaign did something I think was quite dishonest, indeed very much the creepy kind of thing the Romney campaign was known for. (That could even earn the dreaded label of “racist.”) The fact is, Cruz is just another politician, rather dishonest and disingenuous at that, so let’s be honest about this. Furthermore, I like the fact that The Donald is not going to this sort of thing lying down. I am sick and tired of “gentlemanly” behavior by the Republicans who are just too dang refined to stop corruption, dishonesty, and selling our country down the river. If Donald Trump decides that he is not going to tolerate lies, corruption, and fraud in this campaign, good for him, it is a breath of fresh air, and you should be glad of it, even if you support another candidate. Personally, I suspect that the dishonesty of the Cruz campaign is not the only fraud perpetuated in Iowa!

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Really?? I thought that campaigns signaled it by issuing a press release that said “our candidate is exiting the race.”

Carson is as of this writing, STILL NOWHERE TO BE FOUND in New Hampshire.

[Qwackertoo]

So much of the news leaves 95% of the details out and just hit on Cruz . . . never laying a single word on Rubio or CNN who certainly played a major part of this molehill.

Thanks for the detailed list.

[RasterMaster]

Add to that timeline the MASSIVE exodus of Carson’s staff in December and January. He has been losing steam and never recovered after Trump’s personal attacks and smears.

[McGruff]

Ted Cruz will always be know as the guy who won a tainted victory in Iowa then disappeared.

[SoConPubbie]

Really?? I thought that campaigns signaled it by issuing a press release that said "our candidate is exiting the race." Or is that too simplistic for our nuanced MSM?

I said signal, not state.

If you are about to drop out of a race, usually the pattern is to start canceling appearances, especially this close to two very important primaries.

It was a completely plausible assumption on the parts of CNN, the Rubio campaign, and the Cruz campaign.

[Responsibility2nd]

Indeed. If these were AM times, then maybe there would have been some influence.

But come on! This was after the fact. After most Iowans had voted.

[SoConPubbie]

Ted Cruz will always be know as the guy who won a tainted victory in Iowa then disappeared.

Only in the muddled minds of TRUMP (PRAISE BE TO HIS NAME!) fan-bois.

[ironman]

I stopped reading because the title of this article is dishonest. This supposed “fact sheet” is laced with opinion.