What Black America Sees in Ben Carson (only posting for discussion)

[steve2470]

Last edited Thu Nov 12, 2015, 09:10 AM - Edit history (1)

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/12/what-black-america-sees-in-ben-carson.html

The Republican presidential candidate was a hero to thousands of young black men and women—and many who disagree with his views today still don’t like how the media treats him.

Ben Carson has reasons to guard his biography that go well beyond his campaign for the White House.

Carson’s origin story isn’t just a set of inspirational anecdotes, akin to Donald Trump’s often-outrageous claims that, in the end, are simply part of his gadfly campaign. The Carson “started from the bottom” parable—the violence, the teenage rage, and the God-driven transformation and redemption—are the basis of a lucrative cottage industry. Forbes Magazine has pegged Carson’s net worth at $26 million, making him the fourth richest candidate in the race after Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina and Hillary Clinton.

Carson built his business by telling his story, not at political rallies or televised debates, but rather at homeschooling conventions and Christian colleges, and on his book tours. Kids and teens made annual pilgrimages to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore for two decades until Carson retired in 2013 after a 29-year run as the director of pediatric neurosurgery. And the families whose children were part of those trips developed a deep and abiding respect for Carson that could provide the candidate with a firewall against media scrutiny.

more at link

What do you think, AA DU'ers (and other members of this sub-forum)? Does Ms. Reid get it right ? Have a wonderful day!

[kwassa]

1. His story is inspirational, his politics are awful.

Carson won't attract most black voters because of his far right political views.

He is completely unqualified for President, as well, as he has no background and no experience of any kind in politics, and has never held any elective office. Like Trump, he wants to start at the top.

Carson appears to be quite unknowledgeable about anything outside of medicine, and that is truly scary.

Carson also appears to have a strong delusional belief that his close personal relationship with God will provide him with everything he needs to have to be a successful President.

More scary.

[randys1]

2. TUrns out there is also no way of knowing which parts of his story are true

and which are not.

I wonder if he is a savant in this one area and not able to tie his shoes, that kind of thing

[kwassa]

3. What I don't understand is ....

how someone so devoted to science have so few critical thinking skills.

It must have been a huge amount of work to achieve what he did, but he doesn't apply that same intellectual discipline to anything else in the world. Talk about blinders!

The problem is not that he knows a great deal about medicine and little else; there are many mono-educated people in the world that are like this. The problem is that he believes, somewhere inside of himself, that he doesn't need to know anything else to be President.

As to the lies he has told, most are more exaggeration than anything else, and uncheckable, anyways.

[Number23]

4. I co-sign your posts 100%

Carson's story is inspirational. But every single other thing about him is completely odious.

[randys1]

6. I dont want to judge anyone who I cant walk in the shoes of.

Any white politician or person who says or believes what Carson does I would judge, instantly, harshly, etc.

I dont know why Ben or Clarence are the way they are, but if I was born Black in America, I would probably not have done nearly as good as either of them have, even if they are kind of fucked up in the head.

[monicaangela]

11. Skin color doesn't

negate attitude when it comes to privilege. Generally people who have for whatever reason been able to succeed, fall in with those that are in what they consider their category and begin thinking as those people do, even if they are African American, well some of them, other African Americans who are truly intelligent and not just skilled in one or two areas generally do not follow this horrible trail laid by the privileged.

[erpowers]

5. Yes

Joy Ann Reid does get it right about Ben Carson. Carson does have reasons beyond his presidential campaign to want to protect his origin story. His origin story is part of the reason he is so popular with many individuals. It has also made him a great deal of money. It seems likely that two people can live well on $13-$26 million; however, it also seems that his earnings could get cut if it turns out his origin story is not true. The story changes a bit if it turns out that Carson was not a troubled kid from a poor neighborhood who turned his life around through faith. It becomes a different story if it turns out that Carson was a good quiet kid from a middle class home who studied hard, was encouraged by family, teachers, and community members, and eventually went on to become a excellent doctor.

I guess it is possible that even if it turns out that it is true that Carson lied about major parts of his life is will not hurt him with Christians. A number of them will likely say Carson was just attacked by the liberal media due to his faith and the fact that he is a black Republican.

[MrScorpio]

8. His business model is the long con...

A faith based grift of well intentioned church going people, especially white, bible thumpers who look at him as an anti-Obama "Good Negro."

That much is obvious.

[monicaangela]

10. Spot On MrScorpio!

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. Much like Clarence Thomas, I have no doubt he is good at his former profession, but outside their...

"inspiring stories", I don't get it. I know why they're attractive to the rightwing (remember what Ann Coulter said), but I don't know why the black electorate would be motivated to support either of them.

[monicaangela]

9. Carson like others found a nitch,

something he was good at and with help from many others, I'm sure, was able to follow his dream. His bio, is another story altogether, seems as though someone took him off into a corner and said, you can really set an example for YOUR people by telling the following story. I find it surprising that someone who "went after his mother with a hammer" would sit down and write it in a bio as though he at the time were proud of it. I also find it strange that someone would want to write that he tried to kill someone by stabbing them, unless, there was a tie in to be made, again, coming from the "Ghost Writer" that said, what about this, you were like all other AA's until you found the lord, then miraculously you changed and was able to pull yourself up by your bootstraps like all other self-respecting people. Makes you kind of wonder what the rest of the AA's who go to church religiously are doing wrong doesn't it. Why haven't they all been able to do the same? Is there something special about Dr. Carson and his relationship with God, or is he just the chosen one?

I truly believe that even with all the accolades regarding his career as a neurosurgeon, he is at this time about to show that again, the almighty dollar will make some people do whatever those with the dollar want them to. Sad ending for a man who actually could have been someone beyond reproach, if only he had retired, played golf or something and kept his mouth shut. I'm afraid the cat's out of the bag now, what a pity.