Link to the rest of the GOP candidates
Some people are neurosurgeons. Some people are politicians. And some people are both. One of them is Presidential candidate Ben Carson.
Recently, Dr. Carson is the candidate who has posed the greatest threat to businessman Donald Trump in the race to receive the GOP nomination. The latest polls from CBS News and the New York Times estimate that while Trump is at 27 percent, Carson has been steadily climbing towards 23 percent. Carson is running on an anti-establishment platform, for being a renowned neurosurgeon apparently appeals to about a fifth of the conservative voting populous. Yet, due to a lackluster performance in tonight’s debate, I am not sure how long Carson’s momentum will last.
Successful Surgery
In most surgeries, Ben Carson has success. And as a whole in the debate, Carson put up an admirable performance. But compared to other candidates in the debate, he lagged behind. There were still some highlights of Carson’s night. However, in his opening statement he started off strong; he said that the reason he is involved is that he’s concerned about the future of our children and our country. Further into the debate, he created for himself a unique balance between passiveness and control. While some individuals, namely Carly Fiorina and Mike Huckabee, come across as belligerent, Carson takes advantage of his character. He isn’t a hot-shot politician; Ben Carson is a doctor that wants to change America for the better. And he played off this the entire night. When asked about how being a political outsider is affecting his campaign, Carson beautifully responded that “typically politicians do things that are politically expedient.” But that’s not his goal. Rather, he is concerned about the direction of this country and making sure that the next generation has a future. Rhetorically, Carson did spectacularly. When asked questions about vaccinations, he was able to put on display his knowledge of American health. When asked questions about taxation, he was able to cohesively explain his ideas to reform the tax code. And when asked a question regarding which woman he would put on the 10 dollar bill, Carson answered with the most thoughtful response: his mother. Between the applause and cheers from the crowd at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Carson definitely had his high points. He geared his answers to his current voting core, and while that will keep him where he is in the polls, this strategy will ultimately lead to his political demise.
Points of Malpractice
At other points in the debate, Carson struggled to such an extent that he seemed virtually nonexistent on the stage. Debate moderator Jake Tapper would call on him to answer a question or respond to another candidate every once in a while, but Carson failed to stand out. While Fiorina and Trump were interjecting and interrupting other speakers constantly, which can come across as a positive to voters, Carson seemed hesitant to make his mark; once he was so timid as to ask, “Can I say something?” This wasn’t quite effective. The American people want a leader who is fearless and strong, and when Carson seemed uncomfortable stopping other candidates so that he could speak there was a definite disadvantage. In terms of his actual comments during the debate, Carson made quite the variety. He came out as an avid supporter of a two-part minimum wage, where there is a starting and a sustainable one, and said that it should even be raised. Next, Carson faltered when discussing illegal immigration. When Tapper asked about what Carson would do, the candidate seemed a bit confused or even dazed as to how to answer. He managed to put together a jumbled few sentences, but this brief moment showcased to voters that maybe a doctor isn’t quite ready to become the most influential man (or woman) in the free world.
Carson’s chance at saving the night came within the last couple minutes, around 11 PM EST. The question for closing statements to all the candidates referred to the Ronald Reagan Era. The question was: “If you’re elected president, how would the world look different after you leave office?” All the candidates answered eloquently about peace and providing futures and the like, but Carson took an interesting approach. He put it out there that he was a radical democrat before Reagan came around. And the reason Reagan changed him was that he was logical. Carson preached that “I hope I sound logical because when I look around us I see illogical.” He ended his night by saying that Reagan was a master of what it means to be a leader, and that he hopes to bring real leadership to America.
Navigating a human brain is a lot like navigating the crowded political landscape on the Republican side. But, Dr. Ben Carson hopes that he can make the switch. Whether he will get the opportunity to make change is up to the American voters, which after tonight’s debate, might have already thrown Carson into the back of their minds.
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