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politics and politicians Title: Ben Carson's Facebook posting Tonight, going through all of your questions, I wanted to touch on a few issues that seem to be asked by many people. I would like to deal with one question tonight in some detail. The issue is experience. Several people ask what they should tell their friends when people say “I like Carson but he has no political experience”.
You are absolutely right — I have no political experience. The current Members of Congress have a combined 8,700 years of political experience. Are we sure political experience is what we need. Every signer of the Declaration of Independence had no federal elected office experience. What they had was a deep belief that freedom is a gift from God. They had a determination to rise up against a tyrannical King. They were willing to risk all they had, even their lives, to be free. Today we find ourselves with an entire class of politicians. No one in Philadelphia, during that summer our nation was born, dreamed that service was a career with a pension. America was the land of the Citizen Statesmen. They were merchants, lawyers, farmers — and yes, even doctors. They were willing to stand for freedom. Today, the political class stands in the way, not for the people. They demand pensions and perks. This is not what our Founders envisioned for America. I spent my life treating very ill children. Over 15,000 times I gave my all to prolong their lives. I was blessed to do it. But when it came time for me to retire, I simply could not sit back any longer. These children became my family. What our government is doing to them is outrageous. I am prepared to risk all that I have to try and make a difference in their future. I built one of the nation’s best medical centers. I served for two decades on the boards of Costco and Kellogg. I built a national scholarship program. My experience is very different than what we have come to expect. I grew up poor. I know what it is like to be homeless and hungry. I know the pain of poverty. I also know that education and a mother’s love can be the path out of dire poverty. I know what it is like to see water fountains you are not allowed to drink out of because of your skin color. I also know that once you peel back the skin, the brain is the same no matter what your skin color or continent you live on. I know that victimhood is a trap. I know that it is our Christian responsibility to offer those less fortunate a hand up. I know my faith is strong and my ego is small. I know that my path to the White House is different than most. But I also know I bring all of the pain and joy, the success and failure, the lessons learned through love and sorrow in my life’s journey. Bill Clinton was famous for saying “I feel your pain” — well, I have walked in your shoes. I do not have political experience, I have a life journey. A journey that not only made it possible for me to relate to so many different people, but also one where time and time again I was told I would fail, only to succeed. My candidacy is different, that I grant you. I have neither Donald Trump’s money or Jeb Bush’s political network. However, I wouldn't trade a single child I treated for all of Trump’s money. While I admire the Bush family’s dedication to service, I too served — nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays and anniversaries with severely injured patients were my public service. I didn’t go to embassy cocktail parties or beg lobbyists for money. I spent night after night in a quiet, sterile room trying to save the life of a small child. That was my life’s service. This is my life’s experience. What I have is a lifetime of caring, integrity and honesty. I have experienced the American Dream. No where in the world, other than America, could a man whose ancestors were slaves, rise to become a leading brain surgeon and one day seek the Office of President. The very fact that I am running is testament to the greatness of America. If all you want is political experience then I cannot be your candidate. Thank you for staying up with me. Goodnight, Ben Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest "Every signer of the Declaration of Independence had no federal elected office experience." That is a little deceptive . Yes none had federal elected positions because there was no such thing. Many had state elected and/or appointed positions . But I don't quibble with his general point . The framers did not envision a professional political class . That doesn't mean that candidates should be disqualified for that reason alone either. There are some who are definitely worthy of consideration. Nor does that mean that someone is necessarily qualified because they have never held public office. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #2. To: tomder55 (#1) (Edited) It's a pretty terrific speech. But I can't imagine Carson having the oratorical ability to deliver it well as a speech to a live audience. He isn't a good political speaker in general. Too soft-spoken, too monotone, a little slow on the delivery. Carson on paper sounds good but, watching him or listening to him, it is hard to picture him as a president for most people. They expect a smoother and more gregarious crowd-pleasing pol as a president. Carson is worse at speeches than even Dumbya Bush was, recalling his dismal performances at a handful of press conferences and his dreadful SOTU speeches. Some guys just aren't orators. It's worth noting that Carson released this on Facebook. He is the strongest online candidate in many ways, has a large Facebook operation and his followers are much more commonly Twitter followers. Of course, we have to keep in mind how hard it is to vet Facebook/Twitter followers by buying up blocs of fake users to follow you and post how wonderful you are. So Carson's online strength might be illusory or artificial. As with Cain in 2012, Carson may just be on a nice retirement book tour.
#3. To: TooConservative (#2) Carson is probably finished anyway . http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/ben-carson-west-point-215598 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #4. To: redleghunter (#3) ping Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #5. To: tomder55 (#0) There is a compelling reason why the voters should kick out every single politician in office. Everyone of them is part of the problems we have in this nation. The only way we are about to turn things around is to clean house. Yes, that means every professional politician should go. Psalm 37 #6. To: tomder55 (#3) You are probably right. The voters no long vote for the best candidate. It is the person running in their chosen party. Manner of speaking, even looks, is more important than character or ability. Psalm 37 #7. To: Don (#5) " kick out every single politician in office. Everyone of them is part of the problems we have in this nation. The only way we are about to turn things around is to clean house. Yes, that means every professional politician should go. " Agree. My personal policy is to never, never vote for an incumbent. Always vote for the new guy! Si vis pacem, para bellum Those who beat their swords into plowshares will plow for those who don't Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God. “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.” - George S. Patton #8. To: All (#4) with more scrutiny I have to say I got suckered in by this political hit piece and should've spent more time doing my homework. The Politico article is the cheapest of hit jobs to date on any of the Republican candidates . Carson never claimed that he was offered a scholarship to West Point. Drudge still has it as the 1st story on the site even though it is a lie the way Politico reports it . Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #9. To: tomder55 (#8) Carson never claimed that he was offered a scholarship to West Point. He kinda created that impression for speechifying and writing a nice chapter in his bio piece. I've begun to think Carson is on a nice Cain-style retirement book tour, not a presidential campaign.
#10. To: tomder55 (#1) That is a little deceptive . Yes none had federal elected positions because there was no such thing. Many had state elected and/or appointed positions . But I don't quibble with his general point . Just as a minor quibble, the signers of the DOI had not been state elected or appointed positions either. Up to the time they signed the DOI there were no states, there were British colonies, and they were British colonials. Not that we did not have politicians. It's just that they were British colonial politicians. The Framers came along more than a decade after the Founders signed the DOI. It appears the Founders did not envision a professional political class, but I'm not sure that is universally true of the Framers circa 1787-89. For example, Hamilton proposed the Federal election of a President and State Governors for life. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hlaw:@field%28DOCID+@lit%28fr003449%29%29: Farrand's Records --APPENDIX F THE HAMILTON PLAN Draft of Hamilton Plan, Article 4, Section 1:
Article IV Draft of Hamilton Plan, Article 8, Section 1:
§ 1. The Governour or President of each State shall be appointed under the authority of the United States, and shall have a right to negative all laws about to be passed in the State of which he shall be Governour or President, subject to such qualifications and regulations, as the Legislature of the United States shall prescribe-- He shall in other respects have the same powers only which the Constitution of the State does or shall allow to its Governour or President, except as to appointment of Officers of the Militia. Draft of Hamilton Plan, Article 8, Section 2:
§ 2. Each Governour or President of a State shall hold his office until a successor be actually appointed, unless he die, or resign or be removed from office by conviction on impeachment. There shall be no appointment of such Governor or President in the Recess of the Senate.
#11. To: tomder55, GarySpFc, CZ82, liberator, TooConservative, SOSO (#3) The concession from Carson’s campaign comes as serious questions about other points of fact in Carson’s personal narrative are questioned, including the seminal episode in which he claimed to have attempted to stab a close friend. Similarly, details have emerged that cast doubt on the nature of Carson’s encounter with one of the most prominent military men of that era. From the link you posted. There are commandant hip pocket nominations including offers to the WP prep school to compete for a slot. Given Carson's JROTC order of merit and academics and SATs his story could be accurate. It seems someone made an offer of a helping hand and he declined. Nothing wrong with that. How it was explained in his book looks as if someone not familiar with the diverse admissions process fumbled the ball. All WP cadets are on scholarship. It is the US Military Academy. No one pays tuition but the tax payers. So I think this is small potatoes. I mean we have a sitting president who has two books no one can verify was actually written by him and no one seems to be able to confirm most of the BS accounts. Carson may have had a valid invitation to compete and apparently declined. Yet no one can confirm if Obama actually went to Columbia. Once again the left wing media plays gotcha with the GOP field and refused to investigate the phantom life of the emperor zero. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near"---Isaiah 55:6 #12. To: tomder55, TooConservative (#3) Carson is probably finished anyway .
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[Politico headline] Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship
[Politico article] Ben Carson’s campaign on Friday admitted Well, there goes the claim that Ben Carson admitted anything.
[Politico article] a central point in his inspirational personal story was fabricated: his application and acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
[Politico article] According to a story told in Carson’s book, “Gifted Hands,” the then-17 year old was introduced in 1969 to Gen. William Westmoreland, who had just ended his command of U.S. forces in Vietnam, and the two dined together. That meeting, according to Carson’s telling, was followed by a “full scholarship” to the military academy. The full, complete quote of Ben Carson above is two words, "full scholarship." What did Carson actually write?
[Politico article, down aways] “I felt so proud, my chest bursting with ribbons and braids of every kind. To make it more wonderful, we had important visitors that day. Two soldiers who had won the Congressional Medal of Honor in Viet Nam were present,” he wrote. “More exciting to me, General William Westmoreland (very prominent in the Viet Nam war) attended with an impressive entourage. Afterward, Sgt. Hunt” — his high school ROTC director — “introduced me to General Westmoreland, and I had dinner with him and the Congressional Medal winners. Later I was offered a full scholarship to West Point.” Offered,, not applied for and accepted.
[Politico article, at end] Carson has said he turned down the supposed offer of admission because he knew he wanted to be a doctor and attending West Point would have required four years of military service after graduation. Carson wrote that he was "offered a full scholarship to West Point," and he turned down the offer. So, how did he fabricate a story about how his application and acceptance into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point? Carson did not say he applied and accepted. The ghost-written book says he was offered a full scholarship. Of course, the military academies do not actually offer scholarships, but they do offer a full and highly regarded undergraduate education, with no tuition or residence costs, with a stipend to go with it. It offers all that a full scholarship offers and more, the more part especially including a significant military obligation after graduation. It appears that Ben Carson is guilty of a terminological inexactitude, or the ghost writer is guilty of such, and Carson guilty of not catching it. The big lie appears to be in the headline, "Ben Carson admits fabricating West Point scholarship.
#13. To: TooConservative (#9) I've begun to think Carson is on a nice Cain-style retirement book tour, not a presidential campaign. You think so? Herman Cain was an opportunistic businessman. He would sell his used socks and underwear for a triple topping pizza if he could. I don't see that in Carson. He's already loaded and can live off of medical conventions the rest of his life if needed. I really think Carson is running because several people were taken by his lectures against Zero and his demonstrated intelligence. I think he heard people several times over that he should run and so he is. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near"---Isaiah 55:6 #14. To: nolu chan (#12) Good sleuthing. You earned your LF bucks for the day:) I believe Carson met Westmoreland. I don't believe J.F. Lurch Kerry's Cambodia New Years eve story. Or the phantom history of the emperor. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near"---Isaiah 55:6 #15. To: redleghunter (#14) I don't believe J.F. Lurch Kerry's Cambodia New Years eve story. bet you don't believe he deserved a purple heart for getting self inflicted rice grains in his butt. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #16. To: redleghunter, Too Conservative, nolu chan, tomder55 (#11) Once again the left wing media plays gotcha with the GOP field and refused to investigate the phantom life of the emperor zero. I have a sneaking suspicion it was someone on the right who hatched this little plot and the Politico just decided to go along for schitts and grins... IIRC wasn't the Politico founded by Reagan or someone in his administration??? Vegetarians eat vegetables. Beware of humanitarians! #17. To: CZ82 (#16) Yeah I smell JEB! "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near"---Isaiah 55:6 #18. To: tomder55 (#0) One real nagging question remains, Why did he switch back to Republican after so many ears as a democrat to run? Why didn't he run as a Democrat? If he was not sure of beating Hillery in the Democrat primary, how can we see him beating her in the general election? I'm sticking with Donald John Trump.
#19. To: BobCeleste (#18) I don't see Carson as Presidential . My 1st 2 choices were Governors who are no longer in the contest . When I posted this I got suckered in by what some call the 'drive by media'. I hate being fooled. The press who would not do any investigation of the emperor spends their time actually trying to discredit Carson when he claimed he was a short tempered kid who drew a knife on someone. That's normally the type of story they would run with. But since he admitted it ,then it has to be discredited at all cost . Why did he switch back to Republican after so many ears as a democrat to run? Why didn't he run as a Democrat? Why has Trump run the gauntlet ,switching party affiliation 5 times ? Here's the timeline : Registered Republican 1987; Independence Party 1999,Democrat 2001, Repubican 2009 , no party affiliation 2011 ,Republican April 2012 . Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #20. To: tomder55 (#19) (Edited) Why did he switch back to Republican after so many ears as a democrat to run? Why didn't he run as a Democrat? Why has Trump run the gauntlet ,switching party affiliation 5 times ? Here's the timeline : Registered Republican 1987; Independence Party 1999,Democrat 2001, Repubican 2009 , no party affiliation 2011 ,Republican April 2012 . Becaue he doesn't kiss the establishments ass. He saw through W, you didn't.
#21. To: A K A Stone (#20) Why did he switch back to Republican after so many ears as a democrat to run? Why didn't he run as a Democrat? Why has Trump run the gauntlet ,switching party affiliation 5 times ? Here's the timeline : Registered Republican 1987; Independence Party 1999,Democrat 2001, Repubican 2009 , no party affiliation 2011 ,Republican April 2012 . Trump is a lib . I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet. He opposes entitlement reform and uses Democrat talking points against the other Republican candidates who want to reform SS ,Medicare ,Medicaid. He has taken a position in support of universal health care and has not backed off that position. He is anti-establishment in rhetoric only . In practice he is the quintessential crony corporatist rent seeker . He has made a career of making deals with governments . He praised KELO meaning that he is fine with big government violating individual property rights. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #22. To: tomder55 (#21) (Edited) Trump is a lib . I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet. Yeah building that border wall is liberal. Rubio Carson and Bush are conservative because they are for transforming the country into a permentant democrat majority. But they are conservative becausae some tomtard says so. Trump is liberal because he is for the second amendment. Trump is a liberal becasue he has a liberal tax plan. Rubio is a conseratibe because he commitsw unauhroized use of credit card over one thousand dollars felonies. Your boy Carson, Rubio and Cruz are liberal like Obama and want to take away our rights by putting us under global bueracries. Trump is for America and the workers. So as far as I am concdrned you don't know what a lberal or a conservative is.
#23. To: tomder55 (#21) (Edited) He has taken a position in support of universal health care and has not backed off that position. Good it is to expensive and people are suffering Go vote for your amnesty sell outs. That is what assholes do.
#24. To: tomder55, A K A Stone (#21)
Ben Carson, endorsed by Jesus? Photos of Ben Carson's Home Reveals Portrait With Jesus Christ![]() #25. To: hondo68 (#24) Yes the MSM is on full court press to smear, discredit and lynch him . That painting is too scandalous . I mean it's not like he can stop the rising tides and heal the planet . Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #26. To: tomder55, bushbot (#25) Yes the MSM is on full court press to smear, discredit and lynch him . Mission Accomplished! ![]() #27. To: redleghunter (#11) here is a West Point recruitment ad promising full scholarship. https://books.google.com/books?id=GF4EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PT109&dq=%22west%20point%22% 20tuition&pg=PT109#v=snippet&q=full%20government%20scholarship&f=true Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? #28. To: All (#27) here is the syllabus for the class that Carson took ,that a Wall Street Journal "reporter" claimed did not exist . http://www.yale.edu/perception/Brian/courses/Perception-Syllabus.html Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest |
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