Michigan legislative action thread
Posted on 03/22/2013 9:17:21 AM PDT by Kaslin
I’m embarrassed that I forgot he was from Detroit when I was gaming out his paths to elected office. He works in Maryland, but Maryland’s a very blue state for a conservative-leaning novice pol who’d presumably run as a Republican. Virginia’s a bit more purple, but the only seat that’s open anytime soon is Mark Warner’s and Warner doesn’t seem especially vulnerable. He could always proceed directly to running for president, but how often does someone start their political career as commander-in-chief? Even O spent some time in federal and state legislatures before taking the plunge.
But wait. What about Michigan? Nolan Finley wonders:
Dr. Ben Carson is a Black History month staple. Each February, schoolchildren hear the story of the impoverished African-American boy from Detroit, a struggling student whose mother made him read two books a week until he bloomed into a scholar…
The state GOP hasn’t won a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since 1994. With the retirement of Democratic incumbent Sen. Carl Levin, Republicans believe they have a shot at the seat in 2016.
Carson, if he could be lured back to his native state, would bring national attention to the race, as well as national dollars. There are few things conservatives love more than a black Republican. And one of Carson’s stature would draw money out of moldy GOP wallets everywhere.
Carson would help a party addicted to white suburban candidates intrigue young and urban voters, black and white, who grew up looking at his picture hanging on their classroom walls.
Not only that, but Avik Roy’s right that he’d be ideally positioned to speak out against ObamaCare as the program creaks into action next year. (Whether that’ll play locally is an open question. Under pressure, the state’s Republican governor just announced last month that he’d accept ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion for Michigan.) Just one thing: Could Carson win a competitive GOP primary in the state? Hard to believe the field would clear for him if he jumped in given how prominent some of the potential candidates are — Mike Rogers, Dave Camp, Justin Amash, maybe the lieutenant governor, Brian Calley. Rogers and Camp have more than 30 years in Congress between them and Amash will have grassroots support from Ron Paul fans and some tea partiers. They won’t all run, but one or maybe two of them will. They’ll have no choice: If you’re a Republican with Senate ambitions in Michigan, your chance at winning an open seat won’t come around often — and the next time it does, it might happen in a presidential election year when Democratic turnout is up.
Don’t forget either that Carson’s not a doctrinaire conservative in all things. For instance, he’s more open to gun control than strict gun-rights advocates are. Other deviations may emerge in the course of a contested primary. But then again, why would that stop him? Given his sudden star power in conservative media, his candidacy is likely to become a grassroots cause celebre the way Ted Cruz’s campaign against David Dewhurst was. The national party may very well prefer him as an opportunity to showcase the GOP’s racial diversity. If you’re one of his primary opponents, how exactly would you attack him? The usual knock on a novice candidate is that he’s too inexperienced to be effective in Congress, but that’s a hard sell when you’re talking about a renowned neurosurgeon. If he can master brain surgery, he can master the filibuster. And plus, if Amash ends up being his rival in the primary, you might well see Karl Rove’s group and other establishment outlets line up behind Carson in the name of blocking a more libertarian candidate who some analysts think is unelectable in a state as blue as Michigan. Stay tuned.
Actually I like that idea. He’s pretty moderate but better a conservative leaning moderate than a liberal leaning moderate.
Being one of Detroit’s own certainly can’t hurt plus he can serve as an inspiration to Detroiters about rising above bad situations.
He’d be dismissed as a token and an Uncle Tom.
Just like Tim Scott.
That’s what they’ll try to do, but without a strong democrat incumbent I think they’d have a tough time with that strategy.
I am beginning/continuing to think that electing “heroes” to Congress may not be the way to go. Being in Congress engages an electee into a competitive game of committee appointments, power sharing, toeing the line, and seeking graft in various ways, and above all, battling, endlessly, opponents who have perfected the art of unabashed jerkballism to a high art. People in Congress have this inevitable soundbite slice of time to make their case to various media outlets and there is profound opposition and attempted smearing is de rigeur by all of them. When the intellectual standard of the other side is set by the likes of Rangel, Pelosi, Biden, and Reid....what is anyone with a brain supposed to say? Arguing with liberals and all that...
Has Sarah Palin been more “effective” (and I leave blank what “effective” may mean to each individual) in or out of office?
I have some high hopes for this new thing that Allen West is starting with the PJTV folks. Time will tell. Mark Levin interviewed him yesterday and it sounded very promising.
I believe Dr. Carson is too nice a guy and would be rapidly co-opted or drowned out.
We would hear his voice more with him outside of Congress, IMHO.
*****Even O spent some time in federal and state legislatures before taking the plunge.*****
Right there tells us why career politicians should be culled out and term limited.
How many founding fathers were career politicians?
What about ‘for the people & by the people’.
Proving your credentials of citizenship and accomplishment outside of a political career should be the first conservative requirement.
Dr. Carson seems more interested in leaving the options open for a presidential run ; at the least, there is no doubt he will at least be considered for a VP position.
Can you imagine the Freeper freakout if he turned out to be Libertarian?
What is his foreign policy position? Legalized marijuana position?
Response from MSLSD.
Chris Tingle - “The only two black senators are now Republicans. Oh, no, wait! They’re just trotting out a brown face! In fact, I think Carson is just a KKK member wearing paint! Those racist conservative tea-bagging b*stards! Why do they hate Obama. He’s the perfect American. It’s because he’s black!”
The Morning Schmo - “Exactly. These people are extremists. Republicans have gone beyond the pale when it comes to their racism, pulling out these Uncle Tom types.”
Chris Tingle - “That’s right. And I know because I live in a very diverse community, where we have a black person. I don’t talk to him, but I know he’d hate this Carson character. I mean, Carson is a terrorist in most respects. It would be interesting to know if he’s killed any steelworker’s wives, or maybe their children when he was operating. I mean, he clearly has no regard for anyone other than himself.”
I bet they are and I hope it will be a packed house
Excellent points
Its kind of an interesting situation because Detroit has made Ben Carson into a hero and the democrats would face a tricky proposition if they tried to tear him down.
Yes it would be and OMG
His views on the 2nd amendment is questionable.
I think it was Hannity who asked him the other day why he is so calm. He said it comes from his job as brain surgeon, were calmness is a plus
He is not against law abiding citizen having guns
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