Posted on 02/05/2016 9:38:41 PM PST by Red Steel
INDEPENDENCE - This was something new for Naomi Probert: Stand in front of a crowd of 500 people and tell them why she feels someone should be elected president of the United States.
The married mother of adopted Haitian children ages 5 and 6 found one candidate spoke to her heart: Dr. Ben Carson.
She and her family met Carson, personally, a day earlier in Manchester. The experience only reinforced her support for him.
So much so, she was willing to speak on his behalf at her Republican precinct caucus Monday night at Independence High School. In fact, her kids helped hand out literature for him. Supporting Carson was, for the Proberts, a family affair.
"I'd never done anything like this before," she said. "I felt really passionate about Dr. Carson. We were inspired by Dr. Carson's story. I volunteered to talk for him. And you get all revved up to speak to 500 people."
Then, the unthinkable happened.
A lady who had just checked her smart phone said the campaign of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz "just informed us that there's a CNN story that he (Carson) is out of the race and he's endorsed (Sen. Ted) Cruz," Probert related. She had already risen to speak.
"There was a gasp in the audience," Probert related. "I was just devastated. I got emotional. I said, 'My husband and I live here in Independence with our two Haitian children. We were inspired by Dr. Carson's story...'"
That was as far as she got. Overcome by emotion, she sat down.
She and her husband, Stephen, got on their smartphones to find the story in question. They didn't. "We said, 'This isn't true. We were duped.’" The report said Carson was going home “for a fresh suit of clothes" the day after the caucuses instead of heading straight to New Hampshire - not that he was dropping out of the race. But it triggered speculation.
"It was a complete fabrication. He didn't endorse anyone," Probert said. She and her husband knew if Carson was withdrawing, he would say so directly to his supporters. She asked to finish her remarks.
"They allowed me to do that," Probert said. "I don't know if the damage had been done," - if the initial, incorrect announcement had swayed anyone.
"My speculation was that it was a media-driven thing, but I wasn't sure," Probert said.
Cruz, a day after the caucuses, apologized for what ultimately was attributed to a misinterpretation of Carson's statements to CNN about taking a break after Iowa. A subsequent CNN report and local Republican officials noted U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Cruz state campaign chair, had retweeted the incorrect information.
"I would say, being he (Carson) isn't a career politician, he probably doesn't calculate all of his statements" and how they might be used against him, Probert said.
"Dr. Carson accepted the apology" by Cruz. "In that sense, it's kind of been taken care of," Probert said. But Carson also called for accountability in several interviews. A Carson campaign email Thursday bearing a subject line "Dirty tricks?" said that, while some CNN commentators shared blame for "openly speculating" Carson was calling it quits, "it is unacceptable that Cruz's campaign would dishonestly twist and distort the CNN report to manipulate Carson supporters into switching their caucus vote at the last minute."
Donald Trump's continued criticism of Cruz over the matter "can only hurt Carson and Cruz," Probert suggested. "Trump's trying to take advantage of this and it's going to hurt them both. That's not good.
"I don't hold anything against anyone local," Probert said. "I really do feel like it's beyond a local thing. I think a lot of people in America are just really tired of politics as usual. That’s why Dr. Carson, being an outsider, that he's been so successful."
Probert is still committed to Carson as long as he's a candidate. She is a 1995 graduate of Cedar Falls High School.
I read the story. It refers to more than one lady. Which lady were you referring to, as referring to a phone?
I don't remember people here saying things like:
It's just politics.
He should have known they would do that, it's Carson's fault.
Politics ain't beanbag
There's NO proof that Cochran did anything wrong.
He was just trying to persuade people, that's what you do to get elected.
They were just quoting a CNN report.
Cochran's campaign motto must have been Trustworthy
This story is five days old. Has a single vote-switcher with a name and pulse come forward?
Lol, doTrump supporters have reading comprehension problems?
The hurt Carson supporter was told by a woman who read on her smart phone that Carson was dropping out and endorsing Cruz.
Maybe the Trump low information supporters are really low intelligence instead?
The only part I don’t get, is when a staffer on the Cruz campaign comments on an endorsement from another campaign, why did ANY media outlet report it as other than an unconfirmed report? That is about as simple to confirm as a phone call. I believe the call was made, as it is too easy, but left out after it was confirmed that the story was NOT true...part of the narrative the MSM has already put up.
DK
It was LYING. Sort of like helping ObamaTRADE
and pretending he did not. Just like Cruz.
I'm sure some do, but often the problem is created by the writer or speaker.
-- That means the Cruz people on site were not aware of it --
We've established that the "upset Carson supporter" in the story is not "that lady" who checked her smart phone. Where in the story do you find support for your conclusion that "Cruz people on site were not aware?"
I notice this little extrapolation, too (emphasized part in statement attributed to "that lady.")
[that lady] said the campaign of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz "just informed us that there's a CNN story that he (Carson) is out of the race and he's endorsed (Sen. Ted) Cruz"
I only engage with people whose IQ is seemingly over 80, otherwise I would have to shoot myself from frustration.
Go vote for Trump.
Go back and check the threads at Romney s Iowa chicanery over Santorum.
The animosity is mutual.
I question what effect the lie had on the IA caucus result. So far, the proven effect is zero, at least as far as I've heard.
Haven't read of a single named person who intended to caucus for Carson but switched to Cruz because of the caucus eve lie.
Proof? Maybe the timeline is not “proof” enough for you and most likely will never be. I typically find the author to be honest. Read it for yourself. Was it a “dirty trick”? On its face of what we know now, yes. Did it really matter? The only way of knowing is to look into the hearts of those who were there and changed their minds, or made them up while in the venue.
We know from entrance polls that it did not change much, but do we know how many going in were undecided and may have been swayed? Nope, therein lies the conundrum that those who support one side or the other will use to their advantage.
We know who the serial posters are for one side or the other and quite frankly, I have gotten to the point that when I see certain posters I just blast right past them. Why waste my time to read what I know the template already is?
http://www.steynonline.com/7445/that-smell-isnt-the-ethanol
Would those on the fence, undecided, or slightly leaning toward Carson consider that they had “changed” their vote? No way. But the disinformation would have adversely affected Carson. Remember, we’re talking of only 4 per precinct and not of a mass migration.
It’s not the committed to Carson who are the issue.
Carson’s campaign has been over for months!!!!
Right and if pigs could vote maybe Trump could have won then.
It’s not the votes that Trump would have won. It’s an average of 4 votes per precinct that could have been Carson’s if someone had not been part of unethical disinformation.
By this point, it’s pretty clear that the ‘news’ did not reach 1600 precincts. Likely it reached only a small fraction of those. And there is still not one Carson supporter who owns up to changing his vote. But don’t let facts get in the way.
See #53
Ah, yes! Good luck hanging your hat on that.
You have lost your mind Chappie.
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