Wall Street Journal Opinion Video: 11/9/2015 1:20PM Editorial Page Editor Paul Gigot on media scrutiny of Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson. Opinion Journal: Vetting Ben Carson
Right. Because these points aren't goofy enough: -- Tried to stab a relative (allegedly, no corroboration) -- Tried assault his mother (allegedly, no corroboration) -- Was held up at a Popeye's (allegedly, no evidence or police report and Carson is a vegan) -- Saved a bunch of white kids from a riot (allegedly, no corroboration) -- Didn't get tricked and won $10 bucks in the most improbable classroom prank ever (allegedly, no corroboration) -- Wants a religious test for the Presidency (doesn't think a Muslim should serve) -- Thinks the Great Pyramids were built by the biblical Joseph to store grain -- Prison makes straight men gay -- He won admission to West Point Did I miss any? Yeah, this is all driven by the media. The guy has no record to run on, and his persona largely consists of the stories he tells about himself. (Lots of brilliant surgeons out there not running for President--his made-up biography is his distinction). There's no defending this or him, but people will anyway. I hope he wins the nomination, but I wouldn't bet on it. Now Trump, I'm not so sure about. He just might win it. Greg Stillson, anybody?
Personally, I don't believe that Carson actually wants to be President. I think he's tired of being a surgeon and decided to rebrand himself as a conservative evangelical thinker, write/sell books, speaking engagements, consulting, whatever. I think that's why he's doing essentially nothing to get up to speed on issues, things like foreign policy, economic policy, etc. He has no intention of actually becoming the Republican nominee
I was watching Megyn Kelly last night (more listening, I was also playing with our new puppy), and Fox located an interview with Sonya Carson (Dr. Carson's mom) in a 1997 Parade Magazine where she corroborates both the attempted stabbing incident, and the assault on her. Her quote was "Oh yes, that really happened", and she went on to say how she taught him not to be a bully, and kindness is the best approach to people. Fox also seems to have located the author of the trick test, who says that yes, that happened also. That took Fox, what, all of a few days to find? It's deplorable that a "news" outlet would run with that story without doing basic fact checking. What I find most interesting of all is how the mainstream media is suddenly gangbusters, almost to the point of desperation, to dig into the personal and educational background of an African-American Presidential candidate, looking for anything possible to discredit him. Were these "fact checkers" asleep in 2008 and 2012?
Things are easy to find right after you make them up. Funny how none of the stuff he claims happened has left even a bit of objective evidence--physical evidence, testimony from disinterested parties, etc. Creating a vast media conspiracy in order to explain these away isn't necessary. (And there's no proof of it, either.) A simpler explanation is that Carson lies a lot about his background. Way fewer assumptions are required to accept that conclusion. And when there is evidence? (Like his lie about the impact of minimum wage on jobs, the pyramid story, a 6,000-year-old Earth, and much more.) He's proven wrong. Dead wrong. If Ben Carson was Alan Keyes, no one would care. (Like they don't about Keyes.) But, for the moment, he's Herman Cain. So we'll care for long enough to blow up his lies and see him go away. Then he'll be like Keyes and Cain: forgotten. But while he rides atop the GOP nomination process (wow, the GOP should be ashamed about that!), he's going to get blown up, no matter how hard Fox "News" tries to protect him.
So, Fox News fabricated a 1997 issue of Parade Magazine? Or did Parade simply make up the interview, 18 years before Carson announced, just in case he ran for President? Who's talking conspiracy, now?
The homeschool community loves him- I even shared a clip on my FB page of him talking about education / homeschooling. Then the West Point issue came out- (he won a full scholarship to West Point- which is of course, doesn't charge tuition) thumbs down. I get that people lie. I hate that he didn't have the brains to craft a better lie.
One of my former partners is dead, and several of the funny, tragic, or heroic incidents of my career happened with him next to me. If I ever wrote a book or ran for political office (not in a million years!), should I omit these incidents from my biography, because the only witnesses are dead, in prison, or can't be located? The huge problem with this "story" is that the liberal media is trying to prove a negative; "We can't find anyone to support these stories (they obviously didn't look too hard), so he must be lying". It would be comical if it wasn't so pathetic.
I need to bow out of the Ben Carson discussion. Arguing against his transgressions and inane ideas is no better than supporting him. Both are silly. They guy is 'self-check' all the way.
