At this point, Ben Carson is just damaging himself
Shortly after last Saturday night’s GOP debate, I wrote this about Ben Carson’s performance during that debate:
Until this debate, Ben Carson had been the most consistently likable person of all, whatever you may think of his qualifications to be president. Personally, I think he’d make a pretty good one if he was pressed into service (fast learner, calm temperament, basic conservative), but that’s the only way he could be nominated at this point and it’s not going to happen. And last Saturday night at the debate’s beginning, he seemed to be demonstrating he seemed to be demonstrating his stellar personal attributes: he responded to one of the “gotcha” questions near the outset by saying he wasn’t going to attack other Republicans and quoted Reagan’s eleventh commandment, which made me feel a sense of relief that maybe it wouldn’t be one of those MSM-guided attack fests after all””and then Carson proceeded to do just that to Ted Cruz, in a slightly subtle way that came across to me as snide and sneaky and passive-aggressive.
In other words, he said he wouldn’t do something and then proceeded to do it. That was the first time Carson seemed like an ordinary politician to me, and it didn’t enhance him in my eyes. For me, it was a surprise and a disappointment that set me on edge at the outset.
Each of the candidates has (or should have) a leitmotif, a raison d’etre as a candidate, a need to answer the question “Who are you and why should I choose you rather that the others?” For example, Trump’s answer is I do stuff, and I can talk about things without worrying about propriety. Bush’s is I’m the reliable steady one, the grownup. Cruz’s is, I’m the smart conservative and I won’t change in midstream. Rubio’s is I’m the young energetic guy who can inspire people. I could go on and on (Kasich is obviously I balanced a budget!), but you get the idea.
Carson is the one who has demonstrated extreme competence in a very stressful and difficult-to-master field, but he’s also been the guy with integrity who doesn’t play petty games. He’s lost the latter part of that distinction, and what’s more he’s not doing well in the polls. Like Christie and Fiorina, he should drop out. But he seems to have no intention of doing so:
Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said Friday morning that South Carolina will be “the turning point” for his flagging presidential campaign.
“It’s a long race. It’s a nine-inning game, we don’t call it after the second inning,” Carson told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” hosts. “We’re going to do just fine and I think South Carolina will be the turning point.”…
Carson said the tactics by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during the Iowa caucus nights were “despicable” but “water under the bridge.”
There it is again: the stab that masquerades as a holier-than-thou forgiveness. Unconvincing. If it’s water under the bridge, refuse to talk about it anymore.
What motivates Carson at this point? Perhaps he thinks he really does have a chance in South Carolina, a state with a lot of evangelicals. But if he thinks he’s got a chance nationwide, I’m afraid he’s somewhat delusional. I believe that sometimes candidates get hooked on the adulation and the bully pulpit, the crowds and the love, and the widespread news coverage. Maybe it’s a bit of that for Carson, too.
Or maybe it’s that he knows the candidate he hurts most by staying in the race is Ted Cruz.
At this point, the graceful and decent thing for Carson to do would be to bow out. That goes also for Kasich, who at least has the excuse of having done very well in NH, even though I don’t think he’s got a chance overall. That would, of course, leave Bush as Mr. Establishment. He did far better than Carson in NH but also has the excuse of having a national presence (and plenty of money, as the designated establishment choice).
But I wish they’d all drop out except Trump, Cruz, and Rubio (actually, come to think of it, I wish Trump would drop out, which would be absurd of him unless he really doesn’t want to be president). And then, after South Carolina or perhaps the next state or two, I wish whoever seems the weakest (my guess is that it would be Rubio, but that could change) would drop out and leave just a two-man race.
But you know what? My wishes don’t always come true.
I agree that Carson is doing more damage to himself at this point, but I do think like you that he is doing some damage to Cruz vis-é -vis the Evangelical vote. A good man who needs to be brutally honest with himself and get out for the good of the party/Country. We need to get down to Trump and Cruz or at the very least Trump, Cruz and Rubio. It’s time.
I “liked” Dr Carson a lot better in the beginning than now. Not that I dislike him, but there seems to be a thin skin expressed sotto voce. I think that he is careful to try to protect his image, but resentment surfaces. Not sure why. He has gained a lot of respect considering that he started as an unknown with no political experience.
I agree that the graceful thing for him to do would be to drop out at this time. It would preserve his legacy to do so.
I do not agree at all about Bush. As I have recently posted, I just think there is a lot more to him than he is currently credited with. I think he is now hitting his stride, and has the resources to fight it to the finish. Why quit?
Kasich? I don’t know about the health of his campaign. He is well qualified to serve. (Think I mentioned that an old friend who worked in the Senate Armed Services Committee, as an Aide to the Senator from Ohio, had the opportunity to observe Kasich’s performance on the House committee for years. Kasich is his first choice.)
Cruz>Rubio in my opinion. Still leery of a first term Senator.
I don’t think it is water under the bridge. Cruz should’ve fired the person responsible for spreading a rumor to voters right when they were about to vote. To NOT fire the guy shows me that Cruz has bad judgment. Why would he keep that person around?
I think Carson is right to stick around, if he has the cash to do it. Why not? You never know who might drop out next and what that might do for him. I like Carson. I don’t know if I would ever choose him, but I don’t think he would do an awful job. I like that he is not a politician and is very very smart. Too bad he didn’t study more foreign policy before he announced. He just now seems to be getting on board with those topics and giving substantive answers, but I think it might be too late.
Oldflyer, I can understand your hesitancy about a first term Senator after what we have endured for the last seven years, but I think that Ted Cruz’s experience prior to becoming a Senator gives him more gravitas than Marco Rubio. I like both men and if Marco is the nominee, I will support him without too much reservation (immigration!). Cruz’s experience as the Texas Attorney General gives him another level of experience and his unbelievable knowledge of and adherence to constitutional principles sets him up as the one true conservative in this race. I have known and worked with the Bush family over my years in the military and believe they are a very honorable and patriotic family, but I don’t believe Jeb is right for this time and place. Although, I do agree that he hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves for being a conservative while Governor of Florida, I don’t think he has run a very good campaign and I believe his time has passed. In fact, have said for several years that I believe Paulo Bush, Jeb’s son, who is the newly elected Texas Land Commissioner is the most conservative and charismatic Bush of them all. Wait another few years and you will here that name a lot I think.
I am waiting for Kasich to yell at the kids to get off his damn lawn at any minute. I think he would be a complete disaster as a candidate and as a President. His Medicare explanation is absolutely ridiculous and to me he comes off as an establishment elitist.
Carson’s campaign has lots of money left and it is in the interest of his advisers for him to keep running. Supposedly the pros are really taking it to the good doctor on fees and commissions. A bad percentage of each dollar donated actually ends up in the campaign.
You look at his cash “churn” and he has to spend a lot of his money raising money. That is not a good position to be in.
Larry Cozine, I agree that Cruz is a better choice than Rubio. I would also support Rubio if he is the nominee; just without some reservations.
As I mentioned, Karl Rove (he is still one of the smartest political guys in the room) made the point that the past is prelude and the campaign is just beginning, and has a long way to go. Bush is not out of it.
K-E makes a point that applies to every candidate. As long as there is money, the Advisers have a stake in keeping it going. Once the primaries are over, they can move on to Congressional, or other races, but why break the rice bowl before it is necessary?
Carson is damaging what was up until recently, an honorable reputation. He needs to retreat to sunny Florida and enjoy a long, pleasant retirement. Jeb has the cash to stay in well beyond SC, but will he have the votes?
It really is too bad Carson didn’t run for the US Senate in Maryland. Probably could have had a shot and done some real good there as a role model for inner city kids.
But that wasn’t big enough for him, apparently.
He needs to reacquaint himself with the biblical advice regarding turning the other cheek. It’s not Cruz’s fault that Carson has run a poor campaign that is now bilking people out of their money. I’m sure he is surrounded by sycophants telling him he was victimized in Iowa. (Even Bill O’Reilly encouraged that attitude.) But if he can’t look at the numbers and see that it didn’t matter, even IF it happened – I doubt his judgment as well as his character.
Remember a while back when he stopped campaigning temporarily for his book tour? He has run his campaign haphazardly, appeared somnolent at the debates, has a really high burn rate with his funds…… but Cruz. He is being holier- than- thou instead of embracing forgiveness and humility. Maybe Carson and Huckabee should co-host a Fox News show.
Ego. It’s all about ego. Which by definition, at this level, disqualifies. An attribute of maturity is being in control of our ego. Refusing to acknowledge reality, in this case, voter disinterest, demonstrates that the individual is not in control of their ego. Given the monumental challenges America faces, that are far more severe than ever before, unchecked egotism is a disastrous attribute in a candidate. If Carson, et al wish to be considered adults, they must act as adults. After the SC primary and candidate who remains while still in single digits, will have proven their unfit Ness for the office they seek.
Oldflyer,
Sorry, I am not a big fan of Karl Rove. I think he is a moderate at best and not a true conservative and is way, way too biased for Jeb because of his family connection with the Bush Family. He goes out of his way to rip Cruz and even when Cruz won Iowa he was one of the ones leading the Rubio charge on Fox News. Don’t trust him. Period. He reeks of the establishment.
I think Carson just lost a little cool because of the way the debate moderators have been treating him — IIRC, he only got two questions at the last debate. That’s forgivable — if he gets over it.
Kasich and Bush have been whining “Why haven’t you nominated me yet?” through the whole campaign, and they still have support, so maybe whining entitlement doesn’t matter. And Neo and I disagree vehemently other whether it’s all right to call a candidate out over his robotic repeated non-answer to a question. Neither Rubio nor Cruz have much experience other than being lawyers or politicians, and Trump is a f*cker and I hate f*ckers.
That being said, I’d support ANY of them over Clinton, Sanders, Biden or Bloomberg! But as I have said many times here, and Neo recently said, we must pick the most conservative ELECTABLE candidate.
Please don’t report me to the Thought Police, but I don’t see how that happens unless Blacks, Hispanics, and kids stay home in large numbers (I don’t think we can get them to vote conservative, not in our generation, with our MSM, but at least they have to not turn out in numbers as they did for Barry.) And the only way that happens, it seems to me, is with Carson and/or Rubio on the ticket.
P.S. The Onederboy has flown out to LA today in his $200,000 an hour pollution-spewing jet, so that he ride around tying up traffic for regular folk in his fleet of armored gas-guzzlers, so he can go to $40,000 a plate dinners at the homes of 1-percenters and talk about climate change and income inequality. It’s good to be the King!
I wonder whether Carson is trying to get a VP position now. He must know that he can’t get the top place. The thin skin is troublesome. It will undermine any future undertakings of his.
BTW, Powerline had this link today about Rubio.
https://ricochet.com/power-limited-government-and-marco-rubio/
It shows a bit more about him than just immigration.
If it’s water under the bridge, refuse to talk about it anymore.
This sort of thing is useful as a rhetorical device when one is obviously being sarcastic such as…I won’t say XXX. I won’t say XXX, but I will say YYY, etc. Otherwise (if you mean it), its petty and dishonorable.
‘Not sure why.’
Because he’s losing and pissed about it. That’s why. As Geoffrey said.
‘It’s all about ego.’
Richard Saunders Says:
February 12th, 2016 at 4:17 pm
I generally agree, but maybe America needs a f*cker now.
A thought occurred to me earlier today: Trump is a businessman, and presumably is not used to paying people to not work. If he’s elected, might he push for entitlement reform? That would certainly be yuge.
If Carson has thin skin, as some here opine, I think it likely due to him stating the obvious in a calm way to people who should be learning from him. He brings a major academic medical background with him, and I have to tell you that medical students and house staff (trainees in neurosurgery) at the Hop gave him a damn good listen because he was the point of the pediatric neurological spear there.He KNEW, and he knew what He DID NOT KNOW. He spoke calmly to his academic co-chiefs in neurosurgery, the other surgical specialties, and the council of department heads because that is how it is done as a teacher and a leader. Ask Carson about cases that turned out poorly, as some will always do; he will remember them in detail, without alibies. Trump personalities do not do well in medicine. Individuals dont matter as individuals to Trump. They are just people who can or cannot do something useful for him.
Carson has some serious things to say, when the benighted media under the control of the RNC allows him, offers him some opportunities to speak.He is part of the America were are daily losing, the america that was educated, not merely credentialed with laundered brains.
That Carson will not fold is a good sign of his dedication to the country. He is in many ways a missionary, and those were not honored very often in the American territories…nor are they honored much today. Think of the young mormons in shirts and ties on bicycles in the 90degree heat. When they stop at my house, I offer seats,refreshments and a listen.
Ben Carson deserves a hard long listen.He is being denied that.