Carson takes major steps toward a 2016 White House bid

[liberalnurse]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/08/02/carson-takes-major-steps-toward-2016-white-house-bid/


Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and conservative sensation, is taking a couple of major steps toward a 2016 presidential bid, forming a political action committee and selecting a campaign chairman for a potential White House run.

The 62-year-old Carson made the announcement Friday after two days of meetings in Florida, as reported first by The Washington Times.

Carson has selected Texas businessman Terry Giles as the chairman and approved the formation of the PAC, named One Nation.

“No doubt he’s one step closer to making a decision,” John Philip Sousa IV, chairman of the National Draft Ben Carson for President Committee, told FoxNews.com on Saturday. “And we all think his decision will be to run.”

Sousa said the super PAC, which is gathering signatures across the country to convince Carson to run, has already raised $8 million for the presidential campaign.

Carson suggested his decision will be largely influenced by whether Republicans take control of the Senate in November.

Carson has already shown the potential to make a solid presidential run, likely as a Republican candidate. He finishing third in this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference poll and tied for third in the Northeast Republican Leadership Conference poll.

The Carson-for-president movement essentially started after his February 2013 National Prayer Breakfast keynote speech in which he gave a unflattering assessment of American today, taking issue with everything from the size of the federal debt to the country’s education system to lawyers in politics -- with President Obama sitting just a few feet away.

Carson, an African-American and former director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University, has since continued to make speeches, write op-ed pieces and serve as a publisher for The Times’ new digital magazine for conservative blacks, American CurrentSee.

"Now is the time to start all of the appropriate exploration and investigation, and put down the structure that is necessary," Carson, whose new PAC will support like-minded candidates, told the newspaper. "Obviously we are very interested in what happens in November.”


There have been Letters to the Editor in my local paper and more than one person has mentioned Dr. Carson to me.

[RandallFan]

Rand would actually better than Carson on one issue I dont think many people have talked about. The gridlock with the Neocons and Law & Order Republicans fighting with Rand.

The last thing you want is a Republican Congress who will bend over the the Black Republican messiah version of Obama.

At least with Rand there will be fight between Congress and him. I worry with Ben Carson, they will just bend over and do what he says.

[CPUd]

If he does run, it will be bad news for Cruz.

[56ktarget]

Republican clown show continues.

[Christian Liberty]

Rand would actually better than Carson on one issue I dont think many people have talked about. The gridlock with the Neocons and Law & Order Republicans fighting with Rand.

The last thing you want is a Republican Congress who will bend over the the Black Republican messiah version of Obama.

At least with Rand there will be fight between Congress and him. I worry with Ben Carson, they will just bend over and do what he says.

What would Carson try to do, do you think? I honestly don't know.

[69360]

Why bother? He has no experience. Nobody who has never held political office or never been high ranking military has ever won the presidency. Total waste of time and money. Unless the run is a setup to be somebody's VP.

[Vanguard101]

Rand would actually better than Carson on one issue I dont think many people have talked about. The gridlock with the Neocons and Law & Order Republicans fighting with Rand.

The last thing you want is a Republican Congress who will bend over the the Black Republican messiah version of Obama.

At least with Rand there will be fight between Congress and him. I worry with Ben Carson, they will just bend over and do what he says.
Didn't Carson oppose the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? He also hates welfare so he would def cut that too. Not ideal for a president by any means but he would def be an upgrade from bush-clinton-obama

http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/19/ben-carsons-most-surprising-policy-positions/


Rand's fights with Congress will more than likely be with the Senate. I think Rand can help push for more liberty conservatives in the house. Palmer, Walker, Brat, and Clawson all have a good shot. We have about 30-35 members? Not to mention all of the rest we don't know about. Also, most of the fighting would be on civil liberties and social policy. Not fiscal. What is goldman sachs gonna do? Stop the corporate tax rate from going to 0? LOL

[KCIndy]

The famed neurosurgeon and rising conservative voice said he sent a letter to President George W. Bush sometime after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and before the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003.

“I actually wrote President Bush a letter before the war started and I said, you know, what I would do is I would use the bully pulpit at this moment of great national unity and, very much in a Kennedy-esque type fashion, say within 10 years we’re going to become petroleum independent,” Carson told TheDC.

“And that would’ve been much more effective than going to war because, first of all, the moderate Arab states would’ve been terrified. And they would’ve handed over Osama Bin Laden and anybody else we wanted on a silver platter to keep us from doing that.”

“Most importantly,” he added, “the terrorists will be defunded, and that’s the way you get to them.”



Carson told TheDC in an phone interview Tuesday that had he been president after the Sept. 11 attacks, he would have avoided an invasion of Afghanistan, given the country’s history.

“I personally would not have [gone to war in Afghanistan] because, you know, you’ve got to look at the history of Afghanistan,” he said. “You’ve got 300 tribal leaders throughout the country who have never been united in anything so who are you going to negotiate with? How are you going to achieve peace in a situation like that?”



Wow. He's for real and he gets elected, the miltary-industry complex will probably arrange an "accident" for him.... :(

[NoOneButPaul]

“And that would’ve been much more effective than going to war because, first of all, the moderate Arab states would’ve been terrified. And they would’ve handed over Osama Bin Laden and anybody else we wanted on a silver platter to keep us from doing that.”


This is total bullcrap... The US only has 300+ million people. If China, India, Europe, and Russia kept buying oil then these states would have been totally fine. It's this type of Amiercan hubris we need to get away from. He also fails to grasp the fact the only reason our currency stays afloat is because of the agreement with the OPEC nations that they only take dollars. If we leave their oil then they stop using our dollars and sell in Euros, Rubles, or Yuan and the US loses their ability to export massive inflation to other nations. I'm not saying this would be a bad thing but there's more to it then us just leaving their oil and the idea they depend on us is silly. I'm sure the Chinese or Russians can install their own puppets...

[PaleoPaul]

So, the GOP's found another Token Black Guy™ to run?! LOL.

[Matt Collins]

He has no network and is paper thin... he'll be a flash in the pan and get a book deal, radio show, or TV show out of it...

[Kotin]

I'm skeptical of anyone who just appears out of nowhere as someone worth talking about as a serious candidate.. Sounds like a media invention to me .. Guy has never been elected to public office and he's a contender for POTUS? Very fishy .. Who backs this guy?? Who has propped him up in the media?? You know how many random ass people run for president and ever get coverage?? I want to know why he is even being mentioned.. Very very fishy.

[ord33]

Ben Carson's largest weaknesses from a typical tea party voter seem to be amnesty and gun control. With a neo-con/establishment voter they could see him as not supporting the MIC as mentioned above.

On Amnesty:
On the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country, Carson says he would ”of course allow [illegal immigrants] to have a pathway to citizenship. That’s the only humane and reasonable thing to do.” http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/19/ben-carsons-most-surprising-policy-positions/2/

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2013/03/19/ben-carsons-most-surprising-policy-positions/2/#ixzz39P4z84Y2

On Gun Control:
When asked by Beck whether people should be allowed to own “semi-automatic weapons,” Carson replied, “It depends on where you live.”

“I think if you live in the midst of a lot of people, and I’m afraid that that semi-automatic weapon is going to fall into the hands of a crazy person, I would rather you not have it,” Carson explained. http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/03/25/conservative-icon-dr-ben-carson-called-out-on-liberal-gun-views-57562

In my opinion, though Ben Carson definitely won't be anywhere near the worst candidate running in the 2016 Republican field though if he decides to run.

[PAF]

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?436631-Ben-Carson-On-The-Record

[Dianne]

Well I find Dr. Carson very impressive and hope Rand will consider him as VP material.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9wO-HlAdrE

[KCIndy]

Well I find Dr. Carson very impressive and hope Rand will consider him as VP material.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9wO-HlAdrE

Yeah, for anyone who hasn't heard of him, Dr. Carson got national attention in conservative circles when he ripped Obama a new one at the National Prayer Breakfast over a year ago. Made a big splash at the time because Obama was sitting right there and had to take the criticism.

I'm guessing some poor White House aide got a spectacular reaming for not doing a proper "background" on Dr. Carson... :)

[mosquitobite]

I'm skeptical of anyone who just appears out of nowhere as someone worth talking about as a serious candidate.. Sounds like a media invention to me .. Guy has never been elected to public office and he's a contender for POTUS? Very fishy .. Who backs this guy?? Who has propped him up in the media?? You know how many random ass people run for president and ever get coverage?? I want to know why he is even being mentioned.. Very very fishy.

Someone with LOTS of money. He had a booth at EVERY GOP state convention thus far this year.

He's the only one I consider a true threat to Rand.

I think people are so sick of the machine, they would be willing to vote for an outsider.

[TaftFan]

Draft Ben Carson outraised Ready for Hillary last month.

[Christian Liberty]

I'd take Carson as VP for Rand.

His most worrying comments are the ones on gun control, IMO. But really, its not going to matter. Its not like anybody would realistically actually stop a city who made a gun control law. And I can't imagine Ben Carson, based on that statement, wanting to make any laws on the Federal level against guns.

So, I think its unfortunate that he's OK on principle with gun control in cities, but really, that's something that's going to need to be dealt with in local politics.

I understand the "American Hubiris" issue as well but what he said was still WAY better than what most of the other guys were saying. He's not perfect but he's certainly no neocon shill.

I'd say he's definitely better than any of the non-Rand candidates.

[helmuth_hubener]

9-9-9!

[TaftFan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5E3b8g_WNY

[idiom]

Well I find Dr. Carson very impressive and hope Rand will consider him as VP material.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9wO-HlAdrE

I am only 4 minutes in, but he nails Political Correctness as being designed to make people afraid to stop people from protesting.

Update, 10 mins in... Dude can deliver a speech.

[Crashland]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5E3b8g_WNY

That's more like it! If Carson does not run himself, I hope he gives Rand a well-timed endorsement

[presence]

Well I find Dr. Carson very impressive and hope Rand will consider him as VP material.

My first exposure to Dr. Carson. Indeed very impressive. Thanks Dianne! 27 minutes well worth my time.

[presence]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5E3b8g_WNY


"Cruz?"

"...um... no."

LOL

[fr33]

I think he's a nice man who honestly means to do good things in his life for himself and others.

The odds are against him at such a high political office though. But unlike some of the other flash in the pan candidates and even some of the more polished politicians, his skills at speech seem to be very high above many of the other potential candidates.

[2young2vote]

I think he's a nice man who honestly means to do good things in his life for himself and others.

The odds are against him at such a high political office though. But unlike some of the other flash in the pan candidates and even some of the more polished politicians, his skills at speech seem to be very high above many of the other potential candidates.

I'm definitely getting positive vibes from watching his speeches and interviews for the first time. Definitely a better orator than a vast majority of the people I've seen running for office. People will fall for him if he hits the mainstream more than he already has.

[Foreigner]

Carson is a really unique figure. The movie about him (Gifted Hands) is interesting as well. Would be good for the debates to have another sane man on the stage besides Rand. Some speculation though; He has repeatedly stated that he doesn't really want the presidency, and would be a "bad politician" since he hates political correctness and speaks his mind. Also, he said he hoped some other, transformational figure stepping up and getting traction. I don't think its given that he will run. But if he does he will be a hit with social conservatives, tea party types.

The unaffiliated National Draft Ben Carson Committee has been raising enormous amounts of money, (3,3 million last quarter - outraising Ready for Hillary) but they almost have no cash on hand. Meaning that they spend almost all of it on fundraising. Read about it here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/04/17/the-draft-ben-carson-super-pac-raised-a-massive-amount-of-money-over-the-last-three-months-how/

Best case scenario if he runs is that he shuts down Huckabee's traction in Iowa, gets a top tier showing in the cacuses there. After Rand wins New Hampshire, Carson drops out and endorses him. The momentum would be unstoppable. While this may prove to be wishful thinking, it does illustrate that one could be best served keeping warm ties and refraining from attacks on him even if he runs.

There also the not-so-little chance that his campaign will be derailed by several "outrageous" political incorrect statements. At least it will be spun that way in the media. He is a great orator, but I don't think speaking his mind freely is going to cut it at the presidential stage.

[thequietkid10]

The words "token black guy" and "Herman Cain" come to mind. Won't he be better off in the Senate?

[CPUd]

I'm skeptical of anyone who just appears out of nowhere as someone worth talking about as a serious candidate.. Sounds like a media invention to me .. Guy has never been elected to public office and he's a contender for POTUS? Very fishy .. Who backs this guy?? Who has propped him up in the media?? You know how many random ass people run for president and ever get coverage?? I want to know why he is even being mentioned.. Very very fishy.

AFP

[CaptUSA]

The words "token black guy" and "Herman Cain" come to mind.

I suppose, if all you see is his color. Try reading his books.

[helmuth_hubener]

Carson takes major steps toward a 2016 White House bid

Why Carson (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/member.php?4171-Carson), I had no idea! Congratulations! One of our own RPFers on the presidential debate stage; that would be nice.

[Tod]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5E3b8g_WNY


He sure gives a good speech, no doubt. Don't care for the way he advocates "government solutions" (suggesting that a flat tax will give government more money at around the 20 min mark)

The lighthouse story is so old; I cringe every time someone recites it.