Just when we thought all the political posturing of the midterm elections were over, Ben Carson reminded us fairly quickly of the never ending buzz that accompanies an upcoming presidential election.
Just days after voters across the country cast their ballots in one of the more publicized and pivotal midterm elections of our lifetime, Carson has tentatively declared his attempt at the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. The former pediatric neurosurgeon and current conservative sweetheart released a biographical video called “A Breath of Fresh Air: A New Prescription for America” in 22 states and D.C. this weekend to introduce himself to the nation.
While ABC News reports the former neurosurgeon has not formally declared his 2016 bid yet, Carson is fooling nobody by waiting to officially announce his candidacy.
Conservatives have been shouting for Carson to throw his name into the hat for the 2016 nomination since his cavalier remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013. Carson speaks loud and clear to the broad base of the Republican Party. An opponent of gay marriage, the Affordable Care Act and political correctness with a penchant for the public eye, Carson is exactly what the Republican Party is looking for.
Unfortunately for conservatives, Carson is not what this nation is looking for. According to a recent poll in The Washington Post, over 60 percent of Americans agree with the Democratic Party at large on a number of important issues facing Congress, like raising the minimum wage to $10.10, letting illegal immigrants stay, raising taxes on upper income brackets and corporations and improving the Affordable Care Act. The majority of Americans also believe gay marriage should be legal – a point which Carson disagrees with in no uncertain terms. Should Carson run and win his party’s nomination, these numbers will work against him in the general election of November 2016.
Carson also has no political experience aside from giving speeches in political environments. Ashley Alman of The Huffington Post stated “he has never held political office” and said Carson’s position as a commentator for Fox News is the extent of his political experience. In 2008, one of the chief complaints against President Obama was his lack of experience in the legislative arena; over a decade of political service at the state and national level was not enough to warrant a bid for the presidency in the eyes of many critics. In light of Carson’s experience, or lack thereof, Obama looks like a seasoned veteran. Carson brings no political experience to the table. While some new blood in the White House may be what this country needs, this situation opens up the Republican Party to accusations of inconsistency at best and hypocrisy at worst.
The Republican Party on a national scale is in dire straits. It has lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections. More of the same is not the way for conservative Americans to fix this. Republicans can no longer force their candidates to be the most conservative option, because those candidates do not win general elections. According to Heather Long of The Guardian, moderate republicans like John Huntsman are perhaps the socially relevant republicans of the present time. Long said Huntsman garnered a great deal of social media buzz as people asked, “Who is this guy? He’s making sense.”
Carson’s less than savvy remarks comparing the Affordable Care Act to slavery along with several other bold remarks may help him identify with and even energize the broad base of the Republican Party, but they will not help him garner the votes of moderate independents and conservative democrats he will need to win a general election in 2016.
Carson is an intriguing option to be the next President of the United States of America, especially given his outspoken Christian convictions. A legislative newcomer with the brazenness to speak his mind may be exactly what this country needs. However, his unproven political skills and hard line conservative agenda may keep him out of the Oval Office should he decide to run.
