“That Ben Carson sure seems like a nice fella, honey.”
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
“And take extra care with strangers,
Even flowers have their dangers.
And though scary is exciting,
Nice is different than good.” –Into the Woods
Too many folks agree with Carson. And then there’s that GOP’s-own-black-President-so-we’re-not-racist aura.
Waiting for the photo-op of Carson in front of a Confederate flag holding an AR-15.
In words, the photo has already been taken.
Figured.
I would venture to say that only a very small percentage of the population has any idea what Ben Carson is saying. So no, they aren’t listening to him. I’m not reading anything particularly into this.
Yep. He’s coasting off his reputation as a medical practitioner, even among those who are aware of him.
I don’t even know what to make of Ben Carson, because for a trained, educated medical professional, he sounds like a moron. If you read his quotes on a variety of topics, he comes across as being nuttier than a squirrel turd.
From his statements about gun control and the recent shootings in Oregon to his comments about Obamacare, he is certifiable, which of course makes him a poster child for the Republicans.
How far will he go? I hope it’s just to the end of his tether.
The only GOP stickers I’ve seen in this very red very southern state is for Carson and in both instances the driver of the car sporting the sticker was a white male. Go figure.
I actually do not think that Carson is at all bright. Seriously, he’s not.He has standing in the clown car specifically because he is an African-American and is ostensibly educated and a renowned surgeon. Like the guy aspiring to replace Boehner, he frequently has a hard time with making verbal sense.
Carson’s political role model must be Harvard PhD Alan Keyes. They, along with Clarence Thomas, are from that slice of early Boomers that came to believe that meritocracy accounts for why they were admitted to the powerful and wealthy white man’s club and it’s that club that they self-identify with. Sad really because they end up looking like and demonstrating the cognitive skills of GWB when they originally possessed better minds. Not brilliant but better.
Never underestimate the allure of a racist white person voting for a black man or woman who supports the policies that maintain white privilege.
A lot of conservatives (including some conservative dems) are very, very defensive about this stuff and he offers them redemption. I truly believe this could be a huge motivator in the election – Ben Carson is their “guy” who validates every dismal thought they’ve ever had.
Since this is a casual thread, HRC came out against TPP. That is great. Even if she’s just doing it to get points and she thinks it will pass so it’s a freebie, it will immediately become harder to pass. Moreover it means she’s worried about economic issues hurting her enough to cross Obama and that’s good for Sanders AND good for moving the needle on the issue more generally.
A good move all around.
What this move on her part principally does is box Biden in if he enters the race as the third Obama term. There simply aren’t enough Democrats and Independents that favor it for Biden to draw in.
The GOP base may be similarly divided. Albeit for possibly different reasons. They’re so locked into “if Obama is for it, they’re against it” that corporate GOP candidates are walking a tightrope on this. Trump is scooping up Republicans against it with full knowledge that if he gets the nomination, Republicans in favor of it aren’t going to abandon him for a Biden opponent.
In a Clinton v. Trump general election it will come down to who anti-TPP voters believe more.
I’m guessing that unlike those of us who pay attention to politics on a daily basis, most people hear that Ben Carson is a pediatric brain surgeon, and stop paying attention right after they hear that phrase.
The Hill: Trump defends Carson on guns
Savvy political move on Trump’s part because he does need Carson to remain in the race to bleed off the non-racist “fundie” vote. Without Carson in the race at this stage, that vote would go somewhere and it wouldn’t be to Trump.
Marie, I think you’ve hit a very important nail on the head.
In races like this with umpity-squat numbers of people running, it is usually the favourite SECOND choice who makes the grade.
ie: San Francisco city council runs (or used to) on a multi-vote format. Any one who wants to can run for city council (my fav was the nut who legally changed his name to Sexy Baby). You are allowed to vote for some number greater than 1 (when I was there I think it was for 3) and the total number of votes you garnered were counted.
If you have 5 people running (a,b,c,d,e). a,b,c are mutually exclusive (no one voting for a would vote for b or c) AND a,b,c are more or less equal, then it will be D and E who win.
This situation describes the current clown car. Followers of Trump, Carson, Fiorina will not vote for the other leader … if they would have, they already would have (especially in Fiorina’s case). Whose left?
Jeb! and Cruz.
My $$$ is on one of these two.
Had a different equation in mind for the contest Trump is in. Recall that in 2008, the top two in Iowa were Santorum and Mitt with 25% each and the other five had to split the remaining 50%.
Recent polling puts Trump at 25% and Carson at 20% with the remaining 55% divvied up among ten other candidates, ranging between 4% and 10%. Without Carson, that 20% could move almost exclusively to one of the others and that person would then be ahead of Trump. Carson stays in, he’ll hold onto most of that 20% and 20% is close to his natural ceiling. There’s limited crossover appeal among the remaining candidates and should any of them drop out, odds are better that their supporters split up and move to several different candidates. Some of that will happen at caucus time as voters choose to go with their second choice instead of remaining with their hopeless candidate.
iirc the polls are indicating that the second choice leaders in Iowa are Trump, Carson, and Rubio. That suggests that I’m wrong in setting Carson’s ceiling at 20%. However, this is the GOP and not the DEM caucus, and therefore, there’s less movement away from second and third tier candidates. So, it’s the shifts from dropouts and obvious flounderers that are more important.
So far, Fiorina Fever has only bit into Trump and Carson in Iowa and NH. The fever will break before election day, but who gains? The hint from the PPP poll is Christie and Rubio.
That poll also suggests that Cruz and Trump supporters don’t like any of the other candidates and Carson supporters like all of the other candidates except Santorum. Interpret cautiously as Walker folks didn’t shift to their most favorable other candidate, but their next three favorites, Christie, Fiorina, and Jindal, did get a bounce.
Bush is currently trying to take big bites out of Rubio. Not an irrational move, but riskier than cozying up to the Catholic and the traditional GOP vote that would be effective in locking out additional support for Rubio taken from third tier candidates.
Overall, Trump does best if Carson stays in the race and at least four others also remain in the car.
Kai Risdall interviewed Carson on his Marketplace program yesterday (10/7).
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/elections/big-book/dr-ben-carson-economy-taxes-and-debt
Risdall focused on the economy and was mainly asking Carson what he would do as Pres if faced with the same situation now in Congress – whether to raise the debt ceiling, etc.
Carson blathered about reducing ALL govt spending by 4%, and his “solution” was to force every govt dept to make at least 4% in cuts STAT, once Carson is da Pres.
Risdall did try to press him about what, exactly, Carson would DO, though, given that the USA has current outstanding debts… what is the solution.
Carson’s answer was basically: argle bargle CUTS!
Carson sounds moronic to me. Someone above made a salient comment about Boomer Blacks who’ve made it in White Man’s world and have lost touch with the reality of most citizen’s lives, especially minorities (but really, nearly all of us).
In field of horrible candidates, he doesn’t particularly stand out. But what he said on Marketplace yesterday was basically worthless twaddle that is no way ever going to happen. Ba da boom, ba da bing.
I guess he didn’t sound – at least in that one brief interview – like a total stark raving white supremacist lunatic. It was more a garden-variety bullshit lie session.
Hey-Oh.