Inside the push to draft Ben Carson for president

[Suzanimal]

Inside the push to draft Ben Carson for president

Washington (CNN) -- John Philip Sousa IV has a mission: Convince a retired neurosurgeon with no political experience to run for President -- and then help him win.

Sousa, 67, launched a super PAC last year that has raised millions in an effort to urge Dr. Ben Carson to explore a White House bid. Since the launch, Sousa and his team have proven to be a fundraising powerhouse, raising a whopping $12.2 million from more than 100,000 donors. That even edged out the effort by Hillary Clinton's supporters, who have raised $12.1 million for the "Ready for Hillary" super PAC.
Sousa's group, dubbed the "National Draft Ben Carson for President Campaign Committee," is laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign in early voting states with plans to open a second office in Iowa later this month.

If Sousa's last name sounds familiar, that's because it should. He's the great grandson of John Philip Sousa, the composer known for his patriotic music.
John Philip Sousa IVJohn Philip Sousa IV

Sousa's effort is adding to the buzz surrounding Carson, who catapulted onto the national political scene at last year's National Prayer Breakfast by delivering a stinging rebuke to Obamacare -- with President Barack Obama sitting just a few feet away. He has captivated some Republicans with stories of his difficult childhood and placed second behind Mitt Romney in a CNN/ORC poll last month that asked the GOP about their preferred presidential nominee.

Carson himself has said he has been considering a run after seeing the outpouring of support.
"It definitely seems to be having an impression," said Adam Waldeck, a spokesman for the American Legacy PAC, which Carson chairs.
Federal election rules bar Sousa from coordinating with Carson, who hasn't yet said whether he'll run in 2016. But Sousa talks about a potential run in the same unvarnished style that Carson embraces.

Sousa recently visited CNN's Washington bureau. Read the interview below, which has been edited and condensed

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http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/20/politi...html?hpt=po_c2

[jmdrake]

[Ronin Truth]

Ben has "no political experience", my wouldn't that be a refreshing change?

I'm still thinking Ben as a possible VPOTUS, for RAND.

The doctor is in.

[mosquitobite]

Yay! Just what we need! Someone without a voting record so we can get another Obama. Can't wait!

[CaptUSA]

Yay! Just what we need! Someone without a voting record so we can get another Obama. Can't wait!

Is that a foregone conclusion? Obama had more of a voting record than Rand does.

I'm just saying... Carson is nothing like Obama. He is neither an enemy or a threat to win the GOP nomination. He is an ally. Like all allies, he has flaws, but he is one of the good guys.

[specsaregood]

Is that a foregone conclusion? Obama had more of a voting record than Rand does.

that's not true.
Obama was in office as a senator for votes
From Jan 2005 to Oct 2008
Obama missed 314 of 1,300 roll call votes, which is 24.2%. This is worse than the median of 2.2% among the lifetime records of senators serving in Oct 2008
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/mem...k_obama/400629


Randal so far:
From Jan 2011 to Dec 2014
Paul missed 39 of 1,143 roll call votes, which is 3.4%. This is worse than the median of 2.1% among the lifetime records of senators currently serving.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/mem...nd_paul/412492


edit: unless you mean in the IL statehouse. I don't think that applies but fair enough if that is what you meant.

[jmdrake]

If excellence in politics depends on the number of votes you have, then doesn't that make John McCain and Lindsey Graham better? I was against Obama for what he said he stood for. (More war. More taxes. etc.) I remember when John Kerry ran. I voted for him, even though I knew I shouldn't. He had a long "distinguished" political career. It's what he said at the DNC that gave me concern. (He wanted to implement more of the Patriot Act.) There's some things I like about Ben Carson. There's some things I don't. He doesn't stand a prayer of winning. But he's not an Obama.

[CaptUSA]

edit: unless you mean in the IL statehouse. I don't think that applies but fair enough if that is what you meant.

Exactly what I meant. It was a record. One that Rand does not have.

[Brian4Liberty]

Carson isn't terrible based upon the things he has said so far. It would be nice if he had been elected to Congress or maybe a governor first and had a record.

[Scrooge McDuck]

possible VP, it would be cool to have a double M.D. ticket

[Christian Liberty]

Is that a foregone conclusion? Obama had more of a voting record than Rand does.

I'm just saying... Carson is nothing like Obama. He is neither an enemy or a threat to win the GOP nomination. He is an ally. Like all allies, he has flaws, but he is one of the good guys.

I would have agreed with this statement a week ago. But nobody who supports the government secretly torturing people can be my ally. Even if he was a perfect minarchist on every other issue (I say "minarchist" since of course an ancap won't support government torturing people) I would not support him. Ben Carson is my enemy, and I do not respect him at all.

[Christian Liberty]

I don't really care who Rand's VP is since I don't expect much, though Rand should be aware that picking ANY establishment VP will seriously put his life at risk. Nobody would dare kill Rand if he had, say, Judge Napolitano behind him.

But, I don't see Carson as better than anyone else anymore. I did before. I gave him a pass on some things I didn't care for, like his seeming to support gun control and his less than enthusiastic stance toward legalizing marijuana. But, I cannot abide support for torture.

[CaptainAmerica]

Sony leaked another story bout dis

[philipped]

Ben Carson's CPAC 2014 Speech >>>

[enhanced_deficit]

Inside the push to draft Ben Carson for president



http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/20/politi...html?hpt=po_c2

He seems like a puppet of moderate neocons.