The Ben Carson Campaign: An Autopsy

After three months of flat lining on life support, Dr. Ben
Carson finally pulled the plug on his campaign for the Republican Presidential
nomination.

He should have pulled the covers over the campaign’s head and
issued the death certificate after his dismal Iowa results, and especially
after New Hampshire. He was already cutting costs, and was faring worse than
Jeb Bush. After the first contest, Carson laid off half of his campaign staff. Still,
despite even the clear stats—low polling numbers, even lower delegates—Carson was
pushing, fighting the terminal illness of declining momentum.  Electric paddles would not have revived the
Dr. Ben movement. Pundits on Townhall, not just the elites of the Wall Street
Journal or the trolls of Drudge Report, predicted this campaign’s death, even
as the patient lay in the hospital bed, barely breathing, gasping for a few
final moments of recognition.

What happened? How did this robust grassroots effort end up
in the weeds?

The origins of this illness begin earlier, in 2013, at the
National Prayer Breakfast where Dr. Ben hit the national scene. Carson does
hold an incredible, celebrated record, both as a physician and a conservative
mind. Faithful to his faith, and loving to all, Carson was the perfect surprise
guest as keynote speaker at the event.

What stood out? A black conservative offered a respectable,
well-received chiding of President Obama’s policies and the embittered
partisanship he helped create. He read from the Bible, he talked about his
diligent, determined mother. He offered a sound reform on taxes: 10% from
everyone. Before I knew about his stellar speech at the Breakfast, Republican friends
of mine in Redondo Beach, CA told me all about this man, and how he told off
President Obama’s horrific policies.

I later watched the entire speech and was very impressed.

Like many enthusiastic conservatives, I believed that Dr.
Ben Carson could be Presidential material. In those days, every Republicans was
looking for, hoping for anybody who had lived a life of hope and change, rather
than campaigning and organizing communities on those ideas.

With all of this in mind, let’s now consider the welcome
adage of another doctor, Ben Johnson, when describing a possible visit to the
theater: “Worth seeing, but not worth going to see.” And those were my thoughts
when California friends of mine invited me to meet the good doctor in Nevada
five months ago. It would be nice to meet the man, but not enough to shift my
schedule and devote an entire day to a few campaign events.

Yes, Carson would have been worth seeing in the White House
as President. His getting there, the campaign to get elected was not worth
seeing. The political savvy, plus experience and ideological rigor needed to
compete, Carson never demonstrated. Same with Scott Walker, as well as Bobby
Jindal and to a lesser extent Carly Fiorina. Carson was not ready for the
national, unprecedented kind of prime-time scrutiny. Skills in the operating
room are commendable, along with writing, speaking, and running charities.

Running for President is a lot more complex, requiring a
well-harnessed finesse to overcome arbitrary setbacks and media frenzies. This
country needs more than Patch Adams to patch up the massive political health
problems afflicting the body politic. Only a well-organized machine, principled
yet driven, working over the media will prevail in our times. The juggernaut is
not for everyone, and quoting Scriptures will not part the ready sea of voters
looking for leadership, bold, brash and brazen.

Carson resisted taking strong stances on race issues. His
understanding of economics and other cultural issues exposed a widening divide
between a good man who should be president and a politician unfit to run for
the office. He would speak boldly, but then take back his words. Carson was not
the gifted word-surgeon who could communicate without cluttering up his
premises.

Further findings from the Dr. Ben autopsy reveal wasted time,
resources, and dollars. Carson spent ten times as much on consultants as on flyers,
media, grassroots activities, plus GOTV. His supporters can blame Ted Cruz for
lying about a possible suspension of the campaign (No, Ted did not lie, so
let’s put that false report to rest).

One fellow conservative here in Torrance, a black lady who
wanted Condoleezza Rice to run for President, never settled on Carson for one
simple reason: “He’s too nice.” The rough and terrible consequences of the
Obama Administration, plus the full contact rabble-rousing of the Trump-mentum
further spelled doom for the Carson Campaign. Yes, we want leaders who can be
gentle as a dove—when needed. But in the hard-core, brass knuckles game of
politics, you need to be wise as a serpent.

Carson talked about the necessity for a leader to
demonstrate wisdom, yet this appeal never invigorated his campaign. When
foreign policy issues, particularly terrorism following the Paris massacre last
year, Carson’s political heart-rate dropped considerably. From there, his
campaign grew weaker and weaker. Despite the unintended boost from a trashy Politico hit piece, Carson never really
mastered the media game. So much so, that at his last debate, Carson begged for
someone to attack him.

Why strangle a dying man in his bed, when he poses no threat
to you in the first place? Republican hospice assistants were already preparing
the bed for the next casualty of the Election 2016 Republican Presidential
primary.

Dr. Ben Carson is a fine man, a refined professional, and
worthy mind for a political career. Supporters have suggested he run for US
Senate (Maryland is still available, or perhaps Florida?).  As for his Presidential campaign, Carson’s
inexperience initiated a malignant lethargy, which metastasized into the
inevitable demise of his Presidential bid.