Is Ben Carson the Right Candidate for President?

[Astronuc]

A CNN/ORC national poll of likely GOP primary voters released Thursday found Carson in second place in the Republican nomination race behind Trump and with a double-digit lead over rivals, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. According to the poll, 19 percent of Republicans are backing Carson — a 10-point surge since early August — compared to 30 percent for Trump and 9 percent for Bush.

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/ben-carson-is-relying-on-a-time-honored-iowa-128788818625.html

in Iowa, Carson has erased Trump’s edge. A slew of recent polls — including a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics survey — found the former surgeon narrowly trailing Trump among likely GOP caucus-goers. Another poll from Monmouth University released last week found Trump and Carson tied among Iowa Republicans.

 

[mheslep]

Republicans have become so frustrated that they're seemingly willing to let amateurs try their hand at something the professionals have immense difficulty doing.

In the 2008 democratic primary, which candidate had by far the least experience in federal office or state governorship?

 

[DavidSnider]

Republicans have become so frustrated that they're seemingly willing to let amateurs try their hand at something the professionals have immense difficulty doing.

In the 2008 democratic primary, which candidate had by far the least experience in federal office or state governorship?

The difference is that they didn't pick Obama out of frustration, but because he was better than people who have been doing this for decades.

 

[Czcibor]

But he is against same sex marriage (from your link).

I think that you approach here the problem too logically, while it contains somewhat high ideological content. Quite a few conservatives (seems from brought links that it maybe the case) are OK with granting homosexuals some quasi-marriage rights, as long as it is not called a marriage.

Realistically, Republican polls are probably best understood by the fact that 54% of Republicans prefer a candidate that has never held elective office before (http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/10/politics/donald-trump-ben-carson-cnn-poll/).

Unfortunately the problem seems more popular. In my country there is something like 20% of voters who you could only charm by showing how anti-establishment and not related to any politics are you. In last presidential election in Poland the no. 3 candidate with 20% of votes was a rock musician with no clear program (except of course being anti-establishment) and brain seriously damaged by alcohol.

The only good thing is that it prevents any dictatorship, as any politicians who actually hold an office becomes a part of this rotten establishment, thus should be outvoted...

 

[Evo]

I think that you approach here the problem too logically, while it contains somewhat high ideological content. Quite a few conservatives (seems from brought links that it maybe the case) are OK with granting homosexuals some quasi-marriage rights, as long as it is not called a marriage.

Unfortunately the problem seems more popular. In my country there is something like 20% of voters who you could only charm by showing how anti-establishment and not related to any politics are you. In last presidential election in Poland the no. 3 candidate with 20% of votes was a rock musician with no clear program (except of course being anti-establishment) and brain seriously damaged by alcohol.

The only good thing is that it prevents any dictatorship, as any politicians who actually hold an office becomes a part of this rotten establishment, thus should be outvoted...

That is the problem.

 

[StevieTNZ]

Funny political ad by Ben Carson campaign team -- https://www.facebook.com/FoxNews/videos/vb.15704546335/10153749167071336/?type=2&theater

 

[Astronuc]

Ben Carson’s stories of violence in his past questioned
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...s-stories-of-violence-in-his-past-questioned/

The Borowitz Report in the New Yorker, which reads like the Onion
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/boro...-in-polls-amid-reports-he-did-not-stab-anyone

New York Daily News is not too kind on Carson's story about a West Point scholarship
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...t-childhood-called-question-article-1.2425591

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...77e032-84b8-11e5-8ba6-cec48b74b2a7_story.html

http://fortune.com/2015/11/06/ben-carson-west-point/

Update: Politico has revised their 'hit' piece on Carson's West Point comments
http://www.breitbart.com/big-journa...carson-hit-piece-drops-claims-of-fabrication/

See editor's note -
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/ben-carson-west-point-215598

 

[BobG]

Typical liberal main stream media claiming a Republican candidate didn't try to kill anyone.

Actually, the entire Republican nomination campaign looks like something thought up by The Onion.

I will say this, though. The attack on Carson for his West Point comments is very thin. Why focus on a trivial misunderstanding about an event decades ago when Carson is routinely saying stupid things weekly right here in the present?

His knowledge of foreign policy rivals Sarah Palin's back in 2008. At least she was only running for Vice President.

 

[phinds]

Joe Scarborough, of "Morning Joe", said the other day that during the recent debate a couple of Carson's answers were "pure gibberish". I think Joe is being charitable. Only a couple?

 

[mheslep]

Joe Scarborough, of "Morning Joe", said the other day that during the recent debate a couple of Carson's answers were "pure gibberish". I think Joe is being charitable. Only a couple?

Talking Head Joe said? Well my cousin Fred said ...

 

[phinds]

Talking Head Joe said? Well my cousin Fred said ...

My point is that Joe is a Republican through and through and tends to be nice to them.

 

[mheslep]

My point is that Joe is a Republican through and through and tends to be nice to them.

Says Joe. I say Joe is RINO.

 

[phinds]

Says Joe. I say Joe is RINO.

Yeah, I guess he is by today's standards. He actually would like see things get done and he's not an ideological fanatic. That puts him out of step with the party these days.

 

[BobG]

Says Joe. I say Joe is RINO.

A large number of RINOs have (at least theoretically) left the party and now consider themselves independent. There is still a large number of RINOs left in the Republican Party.

"True Conservatives" may eventually succeed in pushing all RINOs out of the party, but are there enough "True Conservatives" to win general elections without the support of RINOs? Or is the hope that RINOs confronted between a choice of Clinton and Carson will decide on the lesser of two evils?

You might be pushing the envelope on Carson. In an election between Sanders and either Carson, Trump, or Cruz, I'd consider the Sanders the lesser of two evils (and that's about as close as you can get to "Can't vote for no matter what!").

 

[mheslep]

I feel the opposite; that any yahoo candidate is a far more rational choice than a real, honeymoon in the USSR, national socialist. Given the evidence of the actual socialist countries, Venuezuela, Cuba, N. Korea, I think an embrace of socialism is out there.

 

[lisab]

I feel the opposite; that any yahoo candidate is a far more rational choice than a real, honeymoon in the USSR, national socialist. Given the evidence of the actual socialist countries, Venuezuela, Cuba, N. Korea, I think an embrace of socialism is out there.

This is a non sequitur...or am I missing something? The discussion was about the silly (IMO) label "RINO", but now you bring up Sanders. I don't follow what you're getting at.

 

[mheslep]

This is a non sequitur...or am I missing something? The discussion was about the silly (IMO) label "RINO", but now you bring up Sanders. I don't follow what you're getting at.

Was responding to yesterday's BobG hypothetical, Sanders vs GOP candidates.

 

[BobG]

This is a non sequitur...or am I missing something? The discussion was about the silly (IMO) label "RINO", but now you bring up Sanders. I don't follow what you're getting at.

For people that see Sanders as a viable candidate, having people use him as the threshold between bad and horrible probably rubs them the wrong way.

But the point is that Trump and Carson are both probably already near their maximum support level. If the entire field were reduced to Carson and any other candidate (except Trump), could Carson reach 50% of the GOP? In the same situation, could Trump reach 50% of the GOP? I don't think so.

I think either one of those two candidates could go sub-30% in a general election no matter who the Democratic candidate is. This would be the easiest Presidential election for Democrats since Goldwater ran against Johnson. Neither Carson nor Trump comes anywhere close to possessing the qualifications necessary to run for President. (Cruz probably has qualifications, but I'm so far apart from his views that I couldn't see voting for him - not really the same situation as Carson and Trump.)

 

[gleem]

Carson promises a safe American. Some Americans likes his intentions but can he deliver? The Paris attacks have brought His promise up for closer scrutiny.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/could-the-paris-attacks-derail-ben-carsons-lead

Can he be a credible leader of this country. How might other world leaders, friend or foe, view him.

 

[Dotini]

Carson promises a safe American. Some Americans likes his intentions but can he deliver? The Paris attacks have brought His promise up for closer scrutiny.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/could-the-paris-attacks-derail-ben-carsons-lead

Can he be a credible leader of this country. How might other world leaders, friend or foe, view him.

As the NY Times and now your article suggest, Dr Carson knows very little about foreign policy and is cramming to catch up on the best expert, establishment thinking. Friends and foes, domestic and foreign, are likely to regard him as naive and malleable. But maybe Ben is gifted and lucky?

 

[phinds]

Without a doubt both Carson and Trump are benefiting from their hard line stance on that issue, but there is no subtlety to either of them. Their statements (Trump: "I'd just bomb the s*** out of them") play VERY well to their base but the concepts of Viet Nam, Iraq, Afganistan, etc, seemingly have no meaning for them.

I would LOVE to "just bomb the s*** out of them" if that really were the best solution but I'm very doubtful. I think it is going to take an international coalition, very much including the Arab countries, with lots of all our young men getting killed fighting the bastards on the ground there (and directing better-targeted air strikes) and even that doesn't solve the core problem of why the have been radicalized in the first place.

 

[Dotini]

ISIS wants to recruit alienated, disaffected youths. France is a very fertile ground for recruitment, having a large Muslim population that is ghettoized, marginalized and looked upon with increasing suspicion after each new incident of terrorism. And the Muslim community then will provide new legions of youth to ISIS. It's a perfect spiral path to Hell.

To break this spiral, a counterintuitive judo-like plan must be found.

 

[gleem]

To break this spiral, a counterintuitive judo-like plan must be found.

You just might have something. Those who have not learned the lessons of history (Ben Carson does not seem to know his history) will repeat the mistakes that have been made as we are told.

I think it is going to take an international coalition, very much including the Arab countries, with lots of all our young men getting killed fighting the bastards on the ground there (and directing better-targeted air strikes) and even that doesn't solve the core problem of why the have been radicalized in the first place.

Even if the source of the radicalization (attempted liberalization of Islam?) were corrected instantaneously IS would still have momentum to continue to establish a caliphate. It has a mob mentality with the rank and file inspired by its founders and leaders. As long as they feel successful they will not be denied. And yes we will have to suck it up and send in ground troops, air power has been shown to have limited effectiveness since Vietnam when you are fighting a conflict in which the enemy can hide among noncombatants sympathetic or otherwise.

 

[Astronuc]

Carson backs off claims of American Muslims cheering 9/11
http://news.yahoo.com/carson-wants-mosques-schools-supermarkets-watched-closely-204646323--election.html

Backing away? Retracting a false statement? Faulty memory or vivid imagination?

 

[mheslep]

Carson backs off claims of American Muslims cheering 9/11
http://news.yahoo.com/carson-wants-mosques-schools-supermarkets-watched-closely-204646323--election.html

Backing away? Retracting a false statement? Faulty memory or vivid imagination?

Carson has a habit in press conferences of letting reporters put words in his mouth and then acknowledging them.

Reporter: "Were American Muslims in NJ cheering on 911 when the towers fell. Did you here about that or see that?"
Carson: "Yes."
Reporter: "Yes, can you expand on that ..."

https://amp.twimg.com/v/388a0057-5c7b-4da9-9b56-665c5053aa63

 

[Derek Francis]

In his last few debate performances, Carson looked very sedated and tired. It looks like he wasn't able to handle pressures of running for president, and therefore, he wasn't able to handle the pressure of being president. I did see a 2013 speech on Youtube that was excellent. He was full of life, energy and inspiration and I can see why many conservatives wanted him to be president. I love how he emphasized education, worked hard, had positive moral values and escaped poverty.

Carson was scant of administrative experience and dense on policy, so I never took him seriously as a candidate. However, I do think he has some political career ahead of him. He has a lot of good things to offer whatever job he goes into. Just not president. I think our society today is short on role models. While I don't agree with him politically, I admire him as a person.

 

[Evo]

In his last few debate performances, Carson looked very sedated and tired. It looks like he wasn't able to handle pressures of running for president, and therefore, he wasn't able to handle the pressure of being president. I did see a 2013 speech on Youtube that was excellent. He was full of life, energy and inspiration and I can see why many conservatives wanted him to be president. I love how he emphasized education, worked hard, had positive moral values and escaped poverty.

Carson was scant of administrative experience and dense on policy, so I never took him seriously as a candidate. However, I do think he has some political career ahead of him. He has a lot of good things to offer whatever job he goes into. Just not president. I think our society today is short on role models. While I don't agree with him politically, I admire him as a person.

You don't think that his (what many would consider insane) ideas and beliefs on the bible as truth, the pyramids as grain silos. I'm out of time so here http://www.salon.com/2015/11/08/you...uss_the_craziest_things_he_actually_believes/

 

[Derek Francis]

I think lots of great inspiring people turn into nutcases when it comes to politics. It doesn't mean that I respect Ben Carson's upbringing and work ethic any less.