I agree with you. As brilliant a surgeon as he is, his political sense is not up to par, and it's hard to believe some cynical GOP-e type isn't behind his "presidential aspirations." He has much to offer the conservative side despite his gun stance.
You make a point on possibly some Establishment backing for Carson.
Certainly the Establishment intend to see the primary field of candidates flooded, again, conservatives divided among the field, again, and then run their guy up the middle, again, with a flood of big money behind him, again, about the time we hit Florida, again.
This is why one can reasonably wonder if the Republican Party can be changed from the inside, at least before the clock runs out.