Pushing theories of grain storage in The Great Pyramids notwithstanding, there's never been an obvious reason why Ben Carson is running for president, other than self-promotion and self-serving fundraising. His wacky statements on all manner of subjects have made me question his intelligence, but he's clearly smart enough to know
a good grift when he sees one, and to count on the lack of intelligence of enough people to keep the money rolling in.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ben Carson's name and face adorn the walls of dozens of schools in the U.S. and a medical school in Nigeria. Mayors have handed him keys to their cities. His charity, founded in 1994, created a national day in his honor each year, celebrated by the children who sit in elementary school reading rooms named after him.
All of this is part of a well-honed enterprise that promotes Ben Carson — presidential candidate, political commentator, paid speaker, author, neurosurgeon and champion of children, reading and God.
He has folded into Carson Enterprises his presidential campaign, which has excelled at fundraising, bringing in almost $32 million through the end of September — more than any other 2016 Republican candidate. That fundraising prowess continues, even as his poll numbers decline. His campaign manager, Barry Bennett, said Thursday they raised about $20 million since the beginning of October, matching their extraordinary summertime pace. Speaking fees over a nearly two-year period raked in $4.3 million. And his nonprofit continues to raise money.
It's hard to see where one Carson stops and another begins...
Huckabee is doing the same thing, of course, but, far as I know, he's not raising anywhere near Carson-level of cash. It's a whole new ballgame: candidacy as cash cow. Based on sheep.
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The crap is strong with this one. What a load Carson is! In his universe, he's the sleepy, soft-spoken, polite Trump. Someone should write a book titled "Grifting Hands".
ReplyDeleteNow we really know what kind of man hangs a painting of himself sitting with Jesus' hand on his shoulder. It's missing these cartoon bubbles:
Jesus: "No, Ben, don't bother to get up."
Carson: "I wasn't going to."
Carson: "Hey dude, want some Xanax?"
ReplyDeleteGod: "What's that?"
And given the evidence of his monstrous ego with its corresponding appetite, it makes me wonder if any of his risky, "pushing the envelope" operations may have been acceptable to him because they had potential for peer acknowledgement. I would think that if a surgeon would normally tread an ethical boundary simply by pushing limits, that it would be easier for Carson to simply step across the line.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Dr S. Matter of fact, I wrote about that a while back: http://sidschwab.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-rest-of-story.html
ReplyDeleteHe won't be chosen as the GOP candidate and I really doubt that anyone would want him as running mate. But that ego has discovered the addictive spotlight and easy money of politics. Let's really hope that he just disappears rather than hanging around like a Palin.
ReplyDelete