So tell me about Ben Carson...

Somebody asked me this past weekend about Ben Carson. I had never heard of him. I apparently don’t watch enough Fox News. So this morning I read today’s CNN article about him: http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/02/politics/ben-carson-gop-poll/ So tell me why he would be horrible for America as president or great for America as president other than he’s a republican…yada yada yada.

I know:

African American
Child of a single mother
Poor childhood in Detroit
Yale undergrad
Michigan medical school
Pediatric neuro-surgeon
Conservative
No political background
Rose to public prominence as a speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013
Fox News paid contributor
Recently aligned with GOP after being an independent
Pondering a presidential candidacy

Fill me in on what I don’t know.

POTUS is overkill. He should run for Congress if he wants to hold public office.

Ben Carson strikes me as a man of obvious accomplishment who has spent most of his professional life focused on the complex field of pediatric neuro-surgery. I am not qualified to judge his medical career, but I’ll take it at face value he is a leader in this field.

Then I see him say things like this, in commenting on the riots in the wake of the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case:

I think he believes this is an original thought, one that hasn’t been beaten into the ground by countless conservative bigots and anti-feminists, and absolutely laughable as a parochial response to the complicated social problems exposed by the incident.

It’s of course lapped up like crack to the Fox News base–and his race gives them a free pass to excuse their own potentially racist opinions on the subject. To me, it reveals a mind that hasn’t really thought much about these issues–on balance that’s fine, he’s devoted his mental energies to the far more laudable goal of saving children. But president? If so, there are a few loudmouths at the local tavern (and the talk radio circuit–much the same thing these days) who are equally qualified.

Obama used up all the novelty of “black president.” America may have voted for 8 years of a black presidency but it unfortunately will not want 12 or 16.

So being black is a novelty? Can another catholic be elected or did JFK use up all that novelty as well?

Catholicism isn’t as obvious / overt a historical first as electing the first African-American president was.

I’d be kind of concerned about the lack of a political background. It sounds like he’d make a better Surgeon General than President. I hear the position’s open…

Were you around in 1960? It was a huge deal.

So we’ve done a black president. Now we can go back to normal presidents.

And the Republican party scratches its collective head and wonders why it can’t attract black voters.

I’d say it’s more like we’re once again done with electing an ill-equipped candidate based on what he is rather than who he is (ala Jimmy Carter) and now perhaps we can go back to electing candidates who are qualified by experience and performance to hold the office.

That’s not *my *personal view. But I’m sure that’s probably what many *voters *will be thinking of a Carson candidacy.

Hijack aside/ if Obama :: Carter, then I hope the 2016 POTUS elect :: Reagan, whoever that is.

Carter was governor of a state and a former navy officer. Pretty standard background for POTUS candidates.

As a matter of fact I almost posted my regrets that there appears to be no Ronald Reagan on the horizon to lead the country back into the light. :slight_smile:

He has nice tasting blood. I’d vote for him.

But he wasn’t elected because of his accomplishments at either. He was elected because he was supposedly a “good and honest man”, unlike that alleged paragon of evil, Richard Nixon.

Well so far comments re: Ben Carson

CJJ* - not original thinker, better off looking for another set of Siamese twins to separate than trying to become president

nearwildheaven - not political enough for a POTUS run…stick with a Senate race.

Velocity - just another black candidate, been there done that

Eltherist - not a politician

Theme so far is leaning against his lack of political background. Some voters may consider that a positive.

Carter ran against Ford.

Well, he was a good and honest man, and he also had experience as a Governor. He also, by the way, did a fair job as President.

I think we expect too much of our Presidents in the modern era. They don’t “run the country,” and they certainly don’t “run the economy.” They don’t even run the government without Congress. They are simply the “chief executive” of the government. They don’t get to make everything better or prevent bad things from happening. Carter did fine. Obama is doing a nice job too, under very difficult circumstances.

Again, just to clarify, that’s not *my *personal view of Carson, but I’m sure that’s probably what many voters will be thinking.