The Making of a Candidate

Overview

Since announcing his bid to be the Republican Party’s nominee for President of the United States, Dr. Ben Carson has been at or near the top of the polls.  Despite the success of his campaign thus far, he has actually said very little about his core values, why he’s running for president, in mainstream media interviews. One can only speculate as to why this is the case, but the media coverage that he has received thus far—concentrating on anecdotes that he has mentioned in his books, stories that have occurred over fifty years ago when he was a teenager–has probably played a role in the candidate’s ability to share his core values with a wide audience. In addition, some of his public statements, which some have called controversial, has overshadowed a candid discussion on why he wants to be president.

There is no shortage of information on his key values, however. The numerous books that he has either authored or co-authored provide a window into his beliefs about his country, where it has been, and where it’s going.

A lifelong physician, Dr. Carson has little experience on foreign policy issues, and some would argue that his executive experience—like running a large organization or creating jobs—is rather thin. He cites his experience as head of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, a board member of a number of large organizations—including Costco and the Kellogg Company, as well as the president and co-founder of the Carson Scholars Fund, [1].  His competitors by contrast have all won statewide office or have run large businesses.

Dr. Carson’s view, by any examination, would be considered conservative, but even so, as recently as April 2, 2014 he was a registered Independent, [2]. He has however voted Republican since 1984 [3].

He is unique among candidates due to his inspirational story of overcoming poverty and racism to become one of the most renowned brain surgeons in the world. That, as well as a very bold Christian faith, has made him one of the most popular presidential candidates, of either party. It’s no surprise then that his personal values are playing a huge role in his campaign thus far. An examination of his books, interviews and speeches reveal several values that are particularly prominent. And these are the issues I will touch on in this paper.

My take on his key issues are the following:

• The Role of Government
• Freedom and Liberty
• Spending and the Debt
• Health Care
• Political Correctness
• Social Values
• Foreign policy, Defense and Illegal immigration

Continue reading Dr. Ben Carson — Part II →

The Making of a World Renowned Neurosurgeon

On February 7, 2013, at the National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton in the U.S. capital, Dr. Ben Carson stood a few feet from the President of the United States, gave the keynote speech, [1]   and stepped into the national spotlight. A little less than two years and three months later,  on  May 4, 2015, at Detroit’s Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Dr.  Carson announced his bid to become the Republican Party’s nominee for the President of the United States. [2].

Since his announcement, Dr. Carson, who has never held political office, has consistently ranked at or near the top in the myriad of political polls, second only to the outspoken billionaire real-estate tycoon, Donald Trump, and way ahead of experienced elected officials like former Florida governor, Jeb Bush, Senator Marco Rubio, and current Ohio governor, John Kasich. What has propelled this unlikely freshman candidate to the top of the polls in the race to become the next President of the United States? Nothing less than a real-life Horatio Alger story of a poor inner-city kid from Detroit and Boston who would one day become one of the most renowned brain surgeons in the world.

As Dr. Ben Carson campaigns to become the Republican nominee for President, his backstory has become increasingly well known. Much has been written and broadcasted about him since his ascendancy to the top of the polls. In this article—which will examine his medical career, and the subsequent article—which will examine his social views—I will attempt to examine the portrait of the man that has emerged from his own pen, from his speeches, and interviews that he has granted. I’m primarily interested in understanding Dr. Carson from his point of view, not from the perspective of a journalist or pundit who may or may not have a built-in bias, or a personal, professional or political agenda.

Abandoned

Continue reading Dr. Ben Carson – Part I →